Flash Talk Rules and Guidelines

Overview of Flash Talks

A flash talk is an individual presentation delivered by a primary researcher in a particular area of psychological science.  Flash talks offer the opportunity for authors to present their research at the Convention in a 5-minute talk, accompanied by slides.  These submissions can discuss empirical results, methods and tools, or applications of psychological science. The Program Committee will accept 5-7 outstanding flash talks in each subject area for presentation at the Convention. Since so few flash talks can be accepted for presentation, we encourage you to also submit your research as a poster if you are interested. Flash talks will not automatically be considered for presentation as a poster.

Deadlines for Submission

All flash talk submissions must be finalized by Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 5:00 PM ET (22:00 UTC). Notifications of acceptance or rejection will be sent in February 2024, after the Program Committee has reviewed all submissions.

Review, Selection, and Notifications

• Submissions will be reviewed by members of the Program Committee. Only 5-10 flash talks per subject area can be accepted for presentation at the 2024 APS Annual Convention, so please include as many relevant details as possible in your submission in order for the Program Committee to effectively evaluate your submission.
• Research that has already been presented or published elsewhere should not be submitted as a flash talk.
• With all submissions the Program Committee retains the right to request additional information, ask that changes be made to improve a presentation, or decline a presentation the Committee does not find relevant to the meeting or that does not follow the guidelines for submission. No changes can be made after proposals have been submitted unless the Committee has specifically requested that change. Please re-read your submission before you finalize it to ensure the submission is free of spelling or grammar errors and that all authors have been added to the submission. The deadline to request any edit to the program listing for an accepted flash talk is April 3, 2024 at 5:00 pm ET (21:00 UTC).
• Since so few flash talks can be accepted for presentation, we encourage you to also submit your research as a poster if you are interested. Flash Talks will not automatically be considered for presentation as a poster.

Speaker and Submitter Responsibilities

• Submitters do not need to be members to submit proposals or to have proposals reviewed. Please note that you must log in to your APS Member Profile or create a free APS account in order to create a submission.
• There is no membership requirement of any author on a submission. (Note: APS members receive discounted convention registration rates.) 
• An individual may be a presenting author on only one flash talk proposal.
• However, that individual may be a co-author/presenter on multiple poster proposals and may participate in multiple symposia. (Exception: An individual may be the first author on an APS Annual Convention poster proposal, Flash Talk, as well as an APS-STP Teaching Institute poster proposal.)
• The presenting author (speaker) must accept the speaker agreement if their submission is accepted for presentation. Information on how to do so will be included in your emailed acceptance notification.
• The presenting author (speaker) must register for the Convention. Early-bird registration rates are available until Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 5:00 pm ET (21:00 UTC).
• The name of the proposal submitter will not appear in any program unless the submitter elects to be listed as an author. Submitter information is only used while submitting. After a submission has been finalized, all submission communication will be sent to the presenting author.
• The commitment of all participants and listed co-authors must be secured in advance of proposal submission.
• The presenting author (speaker) is responsible for sharing submission notifications and information with co-authors.

Program Participant Registration Policy

All program participants must register and pay the appropriate registration fee. APS members receive discounted convention registration rates. Registrants pay the early-bird rate before the deadline of Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 5:00 pm ET (21:00 UTC). All flash talk presenters must present on-site at the Convention. No remote or virtual presentations can be facilitated.

Submission Guidelines

APS seeks presentations showcasing the latest findings in psychological science. Below are some guidelines that can assist in the preparation of your flash talk submission.

To submit a flash talk you’ll need to enter the following information:

• Submitter information: When you begin your flash talk submission, you’ll be prompted to log in to your APS Member Profile or create an account. Although membership is not required to submit your research, you must create a free APS Profile. Once you log in or create your account, you’ll be automatically redirected to the submission system to complete your submission.
• Flash talk title: The title should be succinct and descriptive. Please use Title Case – e.g., Meaning in Time: We Consider Our Lives Insignificant When Viewed from the Future.
• Abstract: A brief, high-level overview of the empirical research, methods and tools, or applications of psychological science that will be presented. The abstract should describe the findings. (50-word maximum).
• Subject area: Related area of research; used to match the proposal with the best-suited reviewer. The Program Committee will select 5-7 outstanding flash talks in each subject area for presentation at the Convention. A secondary subject area may also be selected.
  • Subject areas: Biological/Neuroscience, Clinical Science, Cognitive, Developmental, General, Industrial/Organizational, Methodology, Personality/Emotion, and Social.
• Supporting summary: Provides a more in-depth overview of the work and includes the following: the background/theory tested, the methods used, a summary of the major findings, and the implications for the work on the field as whole. If the submission is focused on methods and tools, or applications of psychological science, please use this section to thoroughly describe the presentation. (500-word maximum, plain-text format).
  • Emphasize the rationale, theoretical and/or applied significance of results, and general principles of the research. State whether the study is exploratory or confirmatory. It is not acceptable to say, “The results will be discussed.”
  • References are optional (words will count towards the 500-word maximum).
• Author Information: The university or business affiliation, individual e-mail address, and highest degree earned must be included for all presenters/co-authors. Maximum of 4 co-authors may be included.
  • The first author is the person who contributed the most or led the research study and should be listed first (even if first author is not attending the Convention).
  • An individual may be an author on only one flash talk proposal.
  • The presenting author is the person who will give the Flash Talk. The presenting author must register for the Convention.
  • No APS membership is required of any author. APS members receive discounted convention registration rates.