Day 1 – Thursday, May 22, 2025

Day 2 – Friday, May 23, 2025

Day 3 – Saturday, May 24, 2025

Day 4 – Sunday, May 25, 2025

APS Convention Sessions

The APS Annual Convention offers a variety of session types, including the following:  

Plenary – Plenary sessions include Keynote Addresses and Presidential Panel Sessions, bringing the entire convention delegation together to hear from prominent psychological scientists. All attendees are encouraged to attend these evening events.  

Cross-Cutting Theme – The Convention program includes two invited cross-cutting theme programs. These sessions cut across psychology’s sub-disciplines and seek to inspire an intellectual event, creating networking opportunities for a broad audience.  

Workshop – A session focused on a specific topic designed to teach participants practical skills, techniques, or ideas. Workshops are open to Convention registrants only and require additional registration fees.  

Invited Programs – These are invited symposia, panel sessions, and individual addresses where leaders in the field present their research in a particular area of psychological science. The Annual Convention Program Committee plans sessions within specific subject areas and collaborates on cross-cutting theme sessions and special events. The Convention features five hours of invited programming within each of the subject areas, in addition to submitted symposia, submitted talks, submitted flash talks, and posters. These are the subject areas represented in the program: Biological/Neuroscience, Clinical Science, Cognitive, Developmental, General, Industrial/Organizational, Methodology, Personality/Emotion, Social, Teaching.

Student Events – Student events focus on topics beneficial to student and early career researchers. 

Special Events – Special events include sessions such as the Inclusivity Spotlight, the APS-David Myers Distinguished Lecture on the Science and Craft of Teaching Psychological Science, the Clinical Science Forum, Meet the Author events, specialty receptions, and more.

Public Affairs Sessions – Science policy and funding programs at the APS Annual Convention feature important funding opportunities for psychological scientists and students of research psychology, updates and other addresses from leading figures in government and policy, and science policy programs that discuss how to advance psychological science for the benefit of science and society. 

Networking Events – Coffee breaks, receptions and other times to connect with colleagues. 

Submitted Symposium – A symposium is a focused session in which individual speakers present their research on a common issue. A symposium includes a chair, three to four presenters, and a discussant (optional). Symposia should have the dual goals of providing a diversity of perspectives and integrating those perspectives into a meaningful whole. For more information on symposia, please refer to the Call for Submissions rules and guidelines.  

Poster – Posters offer the opportunity for individuals to present their research and have substantive discussions with interested colleagues. The audience circulates among the posters, stopping to discuss research of particular interest to them. Authors present their research using a visual medium with key information displayed free-standing bulletin board. For more information on symposia, please refer to the Call for Submissions rules and guidelines. 

Submitted Talk – New for 2025! A Submitted Talk is a 15-minute individual presentation delivered by a primary researcher in a particular area of psychological science. Submitted Talks should present empirical research only, with all data collection and analysis completed by the time the submission is finalized. This 15-minute talk offers the opportunity for authors to present their research at the Annual Convention in 10–12 minutes, accompanied by slides, and followed by a 3-minute Q&A session with the audience. The Program Committee will accept 5 outstanding Submitted Talks in each subject area for presentation at the Convention. For more information on symposia, please refer to the Call for Submissions rules and guidelines. 

Flash Talk – 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 presentations can discuss empirical results, methods and tools, or applications of psychological science. The Program Committee will accept 5 outstanding flash talks in each subject area for presentation at the Convention. For more information on symposia, please refer to the Call for Submissions rules and guidelines. 

Teaching Institute – The teaching institute is a preconference program, requiring an additional registration fee. The program offers informative talks and practical advice from experts on the teaching of psychology. The Teaching Institute begins with an evening workshop on Wednesday, May 21, and continues with a day-long program on Thursday, May 22.