Climate Change and Human Cognition (Symposium on Cognition, Behavior, and Society) Organizer: James Pomerantz, Rice University, USA

Climate change has become one of the chief existential issues of the day, with the potential to alter and threaten life on the planet. It’s become increasingly clear over recent decades that human choices and behaviors are a primary driver of climate change. This symposium will address the role of human cognition has played in the changes to our climate that have already occurred as well future changes that result from the perceptions and decisions that people make about responding to adverse climate events. Here we present experts across a range of research areas who will discuss how human cognition has led us to where we are regarding climate and our environment, as well as regarding possible future behaviors that could limit the damage that climate change portends.

Advancing Psychological Science While Placing It in the Service of Human Sustainability and Well-Being
Elke Weber, Princeton University, USA

The Psychonomes' Role in Closing the Uncertainty-Action Gap on Climate Change
Ben Newell, University of New South Wales, Sydney, AUS

Behavior Change: A (Nonpolluting) Engine for Sustainability
Robert Cialdini, Arizona State University, USA

From Individual to Systems - Level Climate Action
Sara Constantino, Stanford University, USA

Interactive Simulations for Climate Policymakers and the Public
John Sterman, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

Symposium Summary and Concluding Remarks
Morton Ann Gernsbacher, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Diversity in Disability: Evidence from Disability Identity and Research (PS Diversity & Inclusion Symposium)
Organizer: Jill Shelton, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

December 2020 marked the first United Nation’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Although there were sufficient conversations surrounding disability, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA), there is a continued need to cultivate a culture of inclusivity in the academic and scientific workforce.  Despite the prevalence of people living with a disability, colleagues in our fields have limited knowledge of how disability affects our personal identities and professional lives. Notably, considerable diversity exists within the disability community, making it important to consider multiple perspectives of individuals with lived experience. We have assembled a group of inter-disciplinary scholars who possess both personal and professional expertise about the disability experience. We will discuss theoretical and empirical work that extends our understanding of disability identity, perceptions of the disability community, neurodiversity, and initiatives for support and empowerment. Importantly, we will integrate our own lived experience to provide real-world context. Our goal is to encourage our Psychonomic Society colleagues to become more knowledgeable and active in promoting DEIA initiatives.

Discovering More About Yourself Through Research and Professional Development
Karen Arcos, University of California, Santa Cruz, USA

Are We WEIRDA? Ableist Sampling in Psychology Research
Rain G. Bosworth, Rochester Institute of Technology, USA

Strategic Advocacy: Individuals and Institutions
Teresa Blankmeyer Burke, Gallaudet University, USA

Autistic Identity Across Development: A Critique of “Regression” Into and “Outgrowing” Autism
Steven Kapp, University of Portsmouth, UK

Discussion of Diversity in Disability: Evidence from Disability Identity and Research
Steven Kapp, University of Portsmouth, UK

Facilitating Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity in STEM
Organizers: Timothy J. Nokes Malach, University of Pittsburgh, USA and Mary A. Peterson, University of Arizona, USA

Moving Beyond Cognitive Universals
Co-Sponsored by the SPARK Society
Co-Organizers: Angela Gutchess,  Brandeis University, and Ayanna Thomas, Tufts University
Chair: Belem G. López, The University of Texas at Austin

Though it is well documented that race plays a role in how we perceive, remember, think, and navigate the world, much of research in Cognitive Psychology has ignored race. One reason may be that we have approached the study of human cognition from the perspective of cognition as universal, as being explained using species-typical mechanisms. Such a perspective has influenced how the field values specific research questions focused on diversity within cognition. Structural factors also play an important role as to why race is ignored in our field. The lack of racial diversity in the publication process and the field may leave us unprepared to engage in impactful science relevant to an increasingly diverse society. The panel of experts will present research that highlights why race should be consider in understanding human cognition, and how we as field may eliminate structural barriers that have prevented  this important consideration.

Abandoning Cognitive Universals.
Richard W. Prather, II, University of Maryland

Beyond White Monolingual Hegemony in Cognition: Interrogating  our Complicity.
Belem G. Lopez, University of Texas at Austin

Creating an Inclusive Science: Considerations for Increasing the Representation of Minoritized Populations in Cognitive Psychology.
Tissyana C. Camacho, California State University, Northridge

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Sleep Quality Impact Neural Activity Patterns Supporting Episodic Memory Performance.
Audrey Duarte, University of Texas at Austin

2020

Seeing Race in Cognitive Psychology
Co-organizers: Angela Gutchess, Brandeis University,  and Sarah E. Gaither, Duke University

The Mental Representation of Race. 
Mahzarin Banaji, Harvard University

How to Predict Bad Policing: Theory and Evidence. 
Phillip Goff and Jillian Swencionis, Yale University & Center for Policing Equity , Hilary Rau, Center for Policing Equity. 

Visual Dehumanization of Blacks under Economic Stress: ERP and fMRI Evidence and Implications for Biased Behavior.
David Amodio, New York University

Moving Beyond a Hypodescent Framework for Ambiguous Face Categorization.
Sarah Gaither, Duke University