APA Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research

The APA Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research (until 2003 known as the Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Knowledge) is a scientific award presented by the American Psychological Association "to a psychologist whose research has led to important discoveries or developments in the field of applied psychology."[1]

The 1997 award to John E. Exner raised a controversy, as it was seen as granting a professional endorsement to the Rorschach test, seen by some as pseudoscience.[2][3]

  1. ^ "Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research". Apa.org. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
  2. ^ Wood, James M.; Lilienfeld, Scott O. (December 1999), "The Rorschach Inkblot Test: A Case of Overstatement?", Assessment, 6 (4): 341–351, doi:10.1177/107319119900600405. This paper is primarily devoted to debunking a claim appearing in Exner's award citation regarding the power of the Rorschach test.
  3. ^ Widiger, Thomas A. (September 2001), "The Best and the Worst of Us?", Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 8 (3): 374–377, doi:10.1093/clipsy.8.3.374. This overview of the controversy over Exner and the award states "This award could be understood as a formal endorsement of the Rorschach. One would not provide an award for distinguished contributions to knowledge to Exner if the Rorschach had not provided substantial or significant contributions to knowledge."