| Abstract: | Describes a system constructed by a committee of the American Psychological Association for taking action on public policy issues. The system consists of a signal detection process, a decision-making mechanism to process information, and a set of effector mechanisms to carry out decisions. The structure of the decision process involves a series of types of issues ranked in terms of relevance, centrality, or urgency. From highest to lowest, these are scientific issues, professional issues, and social problems. The process also involves a graded series of actions that might be taken, ranging from a high level of political involvement to no action at all. A position paper would be written and a definitive statement of policy would be made before actions requiring high political involvement are taken. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
