Interamerican Psychological Society

The main objective of the SIP is to promote the exchange among psychologists of the Americas. The SIP has been recognized as a driving force for the growth of psychology in Latin America, and has facilitated the formation of other institutions, such as the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP), the Latin American Association for Behavior Analysis and Modification (ALAMOC) or the Latin American Association of Social Psychology (ALAPSO). In order to achieve the central objective, three specific objectives were proposed:

• To provide a means of direct communication among psychologists and scientists in related fields in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, and to promote the development of the behavioral sciences in the Western Hemisphere.
• To contribute to international understanding through a broader understanding of cultural differences and encounters across national boundaries.
• To help promote research and academic and professional exchange among the nations of the Americas.

Among its activities are the Interamerican Journal of Psychology, which accepts papers pertaining to any area of psychology and in the official languages of the SIP, which are Spanish, English, Portuguese and French; the Interamerican Congress of Psychology, which is held in different American countries and promotes the exchange of information on psychology or related topics; and the Regional Congress, which facilitates access to information for people who could not attend the Interamerican congresses, but on a regional basis. In addition, the SIP awards a student prize for the best research in psychology at the undergraduate and graduate levels to promote scientific research among students.

Every two years the SIP hosts the Interamerican Congress of Psychology (CIP) and the Regional Congress of Psychology (CR-SIP). Their first Interamerican Congress was celebrated in 1953 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

History

It was founded in Mexico City in 1951 by a group of psychologists and psychiatrists including Eduardo Krapf, Werner Wolff, Oswaldo Robles, Jaime Barrios Peña, Rogelio Díaz-Guerrero, among others. The founders had attended the IV World Congress on Mental Health held at the facilities of the Mexican Institute of Social Security and at the Palace of Fine Arts in December of that same year. The SIP is a member of the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS), a division of the International Council of Scientific Unions, which allows it to relate to international organizations such as UNESCO.

Since 1953, the SIP has organized Inter-American Congresses. The first one was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from December 10 to 20, 1953, with the central theme “Cultures and Values in Psychology”, organized by Andrés Avelino García, with a registered attendance of 50 people. Currently, these congresses are held every two years and are of a generalist nature, insofar as they cover the main manifestations of the discipline. In addition to the Inter-American Congresses, since 2004, the Regional Congresses have been organized. The first one has taken place in Guatemala and the last one happened in June of 2024 in Arequipa, Peru.

Other relevant facts about the history of the SIP are the following:

• Since 1967, the Interamerican Journal of Psychology has been published, which publishes both theoretical and applied articles.
• The Interamerican Student Award was created in 1991 and was given to undergraduate and graduate students.
• Since 2007, to honor one of the SIP’s pioneers, it has been decided to rename the Interamerican Psychology Award for Hispanic and Portuguese speakers after Rogelio Díaz Guerrero.
• Some of the main personalities who have been part of the SIP’s General Committee are Martín-Baró, Rogelio Díaz Guerrero, Rubén Ardila, Harry Triandis, Isabel Lagunes, Aroldo Rodrigues and José Miguel Salazar, among others.