China

The Chinese Psychological Society (CPS) was founded in 1921 in Nanjing, China, with 235 founding members (Mei-Ge & Lian-Rong, 1987; Zhang, 2007). Many original members returned to China from the Western countries they studied to join the Society (Zhang, 2007). The first chairman was Zhang Yaoxiang, one of the first academics to introduce Western psychology to China (Xu, 2022). The Society published the first Chinese psychological journal, Psychology, in 1922 (Mei-Ge & Lian-Rong, 1987). Other psychological societies, such as the Society of Psychological Testing and the Society of Psychoanalysis, were founded after (Jing & Fu, 2001). The work of the Society got suspended thrice, often due to political and social changes in the country, which affected the views on psychology in the country(Mei-Ge & Lian-Rong, 1987). The Society was established a final time in 1977, and united psychologists across China, with the goal of progressing psychological research in the country. In 1980, the CPS increased its international connections by joining the International Union of Psychological Science. Today the Society has about 6000 members and greatly influences psychological developments in China (Zhang, 2007).

References

Mei-Ge, L., & Lian-Rong, G. (1987). Brief introduction of the Chinese Psychological society. International journal of psychology, 22(4), 479-482.

Japan

The Japanese Psychological Association (JPA) was founded in 1927 and is the oldest psychological association in the country (Nishikawa, 2005). Before the official founding of the Association, there were several attempts at forming a psychological association in Japan. The first predecessor of the Association was formed in 1923. After its reformation in 1926, the Association founded the Japanese Journal of Psychology. Japanese psychologists were wary of submitting their research to the Association, however, soon after, almost every psychologist in Japan was submitting their work for publication in the Association’s journal. The first chairperson of the Association, Matataro Matsumoto, studied experimental psychology in the West and was instrumental in introducing the science to Japan (Sato et al., 2016).

The commencement of WWII led to the merging of the JPA and several other Japanese psychological associations to form a new Association called the Psychological Association (PA) (Nishikawa, 2005). However, during the war, the PA halted its activities and journal publications. In 1946, the PA was once again renamed the JPA and the journal was running again. Today the Association has about 8000 members and continues to hold conferences and publish psychological works in Japan (About Us, n.d.).

References

India

The Indian Psychological Association (IPA) was formed in 1925, with Narendrenath Sengupta as the first president (Laskin, 2013). The Association founded the Indian Journal of Psychology (IJP) in 1926, the first Indian psychological journal (Chatterjea, 1968).

References

South Africa

The founding of the first psychological organization in South Africa reflects the dark history of racism and colonialism in the country.

The South African Psychological Association (SAPA) was first founded in 1948, but Black psychologists were not permitted to join until 1962 (Nicholas, 2014). At this point, several White psychologists resigned and formed the Whites-only Psychological Institute of the Republic of South Africa (Nicholas, 2014). Nicholas (1990) argues that SAPA’s decision to permit Black psychologists to join the association was not rooted in protest against the apartheid, but to appease the international community, as Black psychologists. In 1983, the two associations combined into one, under the name of the Psychology Association of South Africa, open to all psychologists (Nicholas, 2014). This association was still dominated by White members. After years of pressure from the international community and academic boycotts to protest the apartheid, the South African psychological community was forced to make progress (Nicholas, 2014). In 1994, all psychological organizations in South Africa were amalgamated to form the Psychological Society of South Africa, which was more dedicated to equal representation of White and Black psychologists (Nicholas, 2014).

References

Nicholas, L. J. (2014). A history of South African (SA) psychology. Universitas Psychologica, 13, 1983–1991. https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.upsy13-5.hsap

Contributions By

• Anmol Thind

Soviet Union (USSR)

The Russian Psychological Society (RPS) was founded in 1885 at Moscow Imperial University (The Russian Psychological Society, 2022). The purpose of the Society was to develop psychology and its applications in Russia. In the first days of the Society, along with publishing the work of its members, works of international, influential psychologists were translated and published as well. The Russian Revolution of 1917 halted the work of the Society, until the Society was re-established in 1957, as The Union of Psychologists of USSR. During this time, psychologists were in demand in several fields, such as education and labour. Several divisions of the Society formed over the years to accommodate different psychological fields. Today, the Society has around 5000 members and continues to promote psychology in Russia.

References

The Unites States

The American Psychological Association (APA), was formed in 1892, with G. Stanley Hall as the first president (APA History and Archives, 2008). The Association was formed during a time of academic and political reform in the United States. New scientific societies were being formed, and the government progressed away from corruption. The beginning of WWII triggered the reorganization of the APA, and its merging with other psychological societies. This led to the APA increasing its scope to include other psychological applications, such as the promotion of human welfare. During these times, many new psychologists joined the APA, and psychology saw exponential development in the country. Clinical psychology developed as a result of returning traumatized veterans, the National Institute of Mental Health was established, and psychology was seen as both a science and a treatment. This era was termed the Golden Age of Psychology. After this, several divisions of the APA were created, each for a specific field in psychology. Today, the APA is the “largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States” (APA History and Archives, 2008, APA History).

References