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Division 24 awards

Several hands holding award cup aloft

Recognizing excellence and outstanding achievement in theoretical and philosophical psychology.


Honoring award winners

Division 24 recognizes the achievements of awardees at past APA annual conventions.

A presentation on ontological certainty in psychology

Chasing psychology’s objects: The quest for ontological certainty

Jill Morawski, professor at Weslyan University and 2018 recipient of the Society’s Award for Distinguished Theoretical and Philosophical Contributions to Psychology, gives a presentation at APA's convention.

A presentation from Div. 24 on professional ethics

Professional ethics needs theoretical and philosophical psychology and vice versa

Alan C. Tjeltveit, professor at Muhlenberg College and Steve Harrist Distinguished Service awardee, presents on professional ethics for his 2018 presidential address at APA’s 2018 annual convention.

Justin Karter receiving the Div. 24 student awards

Student awards

Justin Karter, PhD candidate in psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, is honored with the Div. 24 Student Paper Award and Outstanding Student Service Award at APA’s 2019 annual convention.

A presentation on social justice and theoretical and philosophical psychology

A social justice centered vision for critical theoretical psychology

Mary Beth Quanta Morrissey, PhD, JD, MPH, at APA’s 2019 annual convention, gives the Div. 24 presidential address.

Thomas Teo receiving the Div. 24 Sarbin Award

Theodore Sarbin Award

2019 co-recipients Thomas Teo and Suzanne Kirschner. The Theodore Sarbin Award honors a specific body of work by an individual psychologist that demonstrates notable achievement in one or more of the fields to which Theodore Sarbin has contributed.

Division 24 awards

Award for Distinguished Theoretical and Philosophical Contributions to Psychology

This is the division's highest award, and recognizes one of its members each year for life-time scholarly achievement.

Presidential Citation Award

The Division 24 president recognizes a nationally or internationally recognized scholar who has made significant contributions to psychology or interdisciplinary scholarship consonant with the presidential agenda.

Sigmund Koch Award For Early Career Contribution To Psychology

This award is presented to an excellent young psychologist each year who is within ten years of the PhD degree and has made promising contributions to theoretical or philosophical psychology.

Steve Harrist Distinguished Service Award

This award is intended to recognize substantial contributions to the division that further the goals of theoretical and philosophical psychology.

Theodore Sarbin Award

This award honors a specific body of work by an individual psychologist that demonstrates notable achievement in one or more of the fields to which Theodore Sarbin has contributed, including narrative psychology, contextualist theory, social psychological theories of hypnosis, and other innovative theoretical work that is “critical” in the broad sense of the term. The recipient is selected by a rotating panel of three judges. Each judge serves a three-year term, with the most senior judge each year serving as Chair. Each year, a new judge (to replace the outgoing one) is chosen by the current judges and approved by the President of Division 24.

Student awards

Student Paper Award

Division 24 offers an opportunity for students presenting either a paper or poster at the annual APA convention to be considered for the Student Paper Award.

Outstanding Student Service Award

This award recognizes the substantial contributions of a student affiliate to the society that furthers the goals of theoretical and philosophical psychology.

Student Travel Fund

The division provides a modest amount of fiscal assistance to students who are intending to present at APA's convention in order to help defray some of the costs associated with conference travel. Although not the cost of a typical airfare, it represents the division’s attempt to contribute to and help support student members. To be eligible, students need to be Student Affiliate members of the division and be first authors on a paper or poster presentation that has been accepted for either the APA Convention or Midwinter Meeting programs. This fund is made possible through member donations. Available funds are distributed equally among all qualifying students.

Last updated: March 2025Date created: March 2021