RECAP: 29th International Congress of Psychology, Berlin, Germany
by Barbara Schauenburg, Secretary-General ICP2008 and Peter Frensch, President ICP2008
The XXIX International Congress of Psychology took place in
July 2008 in Berlin. Over 10.300 delegates from more than 110 countries
traveled to Berlin to join the world's psychological community for five days
of inspiring talks, lively debates, and international socializing.
The congress started off with a grand opening ceremony including words of welcome by Bruce Overmier, president of the International Union of Psychological Science, Peter A. Frensch, congress president of ICP 2008,and Carola Br
ücher-Albers, president of the German federation of psychologists associations. The huge number of delegates who attended the congress opening were impressed and entertained by the Brass Ensemble of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra as well as by young Berlin Hip-Hop artists who introduced the audience to the arts of breakdance, beatboxing, and BMX biking. The perfect program to get into the Berlin mood and an invitation to discover the many facets of the German capital.The Scientific Program of ICP 2008 and its large number of over 10.000 presentations covered a wide range of psychological topics thus representing the diversity of international psychology. Pioneers of experimental neuropsychology presented their latest findings as well as experts from applied areas such as disaster psychology.
One of the many highlights within the scientific program were five controversial debates, a new format designed to make current controversies tangible. Two representatives of opposing positions and a moderator took the debates from the pages of psychological journals to the stage of ICP 2008. Karl Friston and Max Coltheart discussed the relevance and importance of knowledge gained from neuroimaging. Camilla Benbow and Zemira Mevarech disputed over the pros and cons of diversity and ability grouping in schools, while Alan Kazdin and Barbara Schneider reviewed the role of evidence-based practice in psychotherapy. Andreas Ortmann and Fritz Strack represented very different positions on the issue of deception as experimental practice. Finally, Michael Tomasello and Cristophe Boesch, colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, exchanged their views on chimpanzee culture shaped by their work as experimental and field-experienced behavioral scientists respectively.
Another scientific event that attracted a large number of participants was the first Paul-B.-Baltes-Lecture, introduced as tribute to Paul B. Baltes and his lasting impact on international psychology. The inaugural Baltes Lecture was awarded to Michael Posner and his groundbreaking contributions to cognitive science and brain psychology. Almost like a verification of Prof. Posner's outstanding scientific work, a second, independent award committee chose him as a laureate of the IUPsyS' inaugural Mattei Dogan prize. Consequently, his talk Executive attention: Its origins, development, and functions was a dual acceptance speech.
The talk that attracted the largest audience including a considerable lay public and student participants was Philip Zimbardo's presentation on the psychology of evil. Due to the great interest, Dr. Zimbardo repeated his talk for a second audience.
All congresses are social events and opportunities to meet old friends and new colleagues as much as they are a means of scientific exchange. In order to give colleagues from the majority world the chance to participate, the organizers sponsored a financial assistance program to support 100 psychologists from countries like India, Nigeria, or Kazakhstan. Furthermore, the ICP Young Scientists program gave 50 junior researchers the chance to participate in ICP 2008, covering their travel and accommodation costs as well as their registration fees. Additional events like an exclusive breakfast with ten renowned senior psychologists and a round table discussion on career strategies in international psychology made this program a unique opportunity. Two evening events during the congress week were a perfect ambiance to enjoy the socializing aspect of ICP 2008: The social evening of the German federation of Psychologists associations at the Berlin fairground and a congress party held at an old railway maintenance site in the city center.
For a break from the demanding scientific program, which featured as many as 42 parallel sessions, ICP offered a number of scientific visits including a trip to Leipzig and the legacy of Wundt, or a tour to Potsdam visiting labs at Potsdam university and Sansouci castle.
The 29
th international Congress of Psychology was the largest meeting in the history of this conference and a huge success. It combined scientific excellence and diversity in terms of nationalities and research topics and inspired new collaborations and perspectives in international psychology. The next opportunity to experience the only world congress of psychology will be ICP 2012 in Cape Town, South Africa.Congress photos and other information can be seen at www.icp2008.de