Observer > 2001 > May/June
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142001Volume 14, Issue5May/June 2001

Presidential Column

Robert Bjork
Robert A. Bjork
University of California, Los Angeles
APS President 2000 - 2001
All columns

In this Issue:
Good and Evil and Psychological Science

About the Observer

The Observer is the online magazine of the Association for Psychological Science and covers matters affecting the research, academic, and applied disciplines of psychology. The magazine reports on issues of interest to psychologist scientists worldwide and disseminates information about the activities, policies, and scientific values of APS.

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Up Front

  • Iowa State University

    Overview The ISU Department of Psychology is growing in both size and reputation. At present, we have 24 regular faculty: 11 Full Professors, 9 Associate Professors, and 4 Assistant Professors. We have hired 7 of these faculty in the last 3 years, and intend to hire 3 more this year. We are in the midst of several major renovation projects totaling well over $400,000. When completed (December, 2000), we will have an additional 3000 square feet of state-of-the-art office and lab space. In the most recent NRC Report, Psychology had the largest improvement in rankings of any department on campus. The University is committed to maintaining this growth - as the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has targeted the Department of Psychology for further expansion and development. We now offer the Ph.D. in three main areas: Social, Counseling, and Cognitive. We also offer a Master of Science degree in General Psychology, and B.A. and B.S. degrees at the undergraduate level.

  • Good and Evil and Psychological Science

    To me, evil means great human destructiveness. Evil can come in an obvious form, such as a genocide. Or it can come in smaller acts of persistent harm doing, the effects of which accumulate, like parents being hostile and punitive, or a child being picked on by peers day after day for a long time. Goodness means bringing about great benefit to individuals or whole groups. It too can come in an obvious form, like a heroic effort to save someone's life, or great effort in pursuit of significant social change, or in smaller, persistent acts. Nations often act in selfish and destructive ways. But goodness by groups, small and large, does exist. In the case of nations, goodness often comes from mixed motives, as in the case of the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe, but also was aimed at preventing the spread of Communism. At other times, as in Somalia - where intervention to help reduce starvation ended in violence and confusion - seemingly altruistic motives come to bad ends. The work of the Quakers in the abolition of slavery, and the village of LaChambon in France saving thousands of Jews during the Holocaust, illustrate goodness born of humane values and altruism.

Practice

  • Iowa State University

    Overview The ISU Department of Psychology is growing in both size and reputation. At present, we have 24 regular faculty: 11 Full Professors, 9 Associate Professors, and 4 Assistant Professors. We have hired 7 of these faculty in the last 3 years, and intend to hire 3 more this year. We are in the midst of several major renovation projects totaling well over $400,000. When completed (December, 2000), we will have an additional 3000 square feet of state-of-the-art office and lab space. In the most recent NRC Report, Psychology had the largest improvement in rankings of any department on campus. The University is committed to maintaining this growth - as the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has targeted the Department of Psychology for further expansion and development. We now offer the Ph.D. in three main areas: Social, Counseling, and Cognitive.

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