Eagly Honored for Scientific Contributions to Psychology

IPR psychologist Alice Eagly, a pioneer in the field of social psychology, the psychology of gender and of attitudes, and the use of meta-analysis, has received a 2009 Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from American Psychological Association (APA).

Presented annually since 1956, the prestigious award honors psychologists who have made substantial theoretical or empirical contributions to basic research in psychology. Eagly was recognized for her “major contributions to our understanding of attitude structure and function and the psychology of gender.” Past recipients include Donald T. Campbell, Noam Chomsky, Jean Piaget, and B. F. Skinner.

The APA singled out her work on gender as "a consistent effort to identify the moderating conditions that help determine why women and men behave differently in some contexts but similarly in others" and "has advanced our understanding of how nature and nurture intertwine in producing sex differences and similarities."

In particular, she broke new ground in the use of meta-analytic techniques in the field, employing them to examine sex differences and similarities. Her subsequent analyses have produced intriguing and influential insights in a wide range of areas from altruism and heroism to conformity, social influence, aggressive behavior, and leadership. She was co-editor of the 2004 handbook, The Psychology of Gender.

The association also pointed to her work to develop a critique of evolutionary psychology from the perspective of social role theory, thus providing an alternative theory for the origins of human psychological sex differences.

Another major research theme throughout Eagly's career has been her examination of attitudes—in particular attitude change and structure—which led to publication of the seminal The Psychology of Attitudes in 1993 with Shelley Chaiken.

Eagly's latest line of research involves an in-depth exploration of women and leadership, building off of her research on gender, social roles, and attitudes. She published Through the Labyrinth: The Truth About How Women Become Leaders with Linda Carli in 2007. The book debunks the glass-ceiling metaphor and recasts women's paths to power in terms of traversing a labyrinth. She is also examining how stereotype content emerges from the characteristics of the social roles that are commonly occupied by members of social groups.

Eagly will receive the award at the APA's annual meeting in August. To read more about Eagly and her work, visit her IPR Web page.

More information on the award and Eagly's research accomplishments can be found here:
http://www.apa.org/science/psa/apr09-dsa.html.