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The Romanian Association of Psychologists (rom. Asociația Psihologilor din România; APR) is the oldest and most complex professional organization of psychologists in Romania and aims to promote psychology as a science and to ensure the two-way connection with psychological practice, so as to develop psychological science and strengthen the psychologist profession, with all its specialties.
Psychology is the science of mind and human behavior and constitutes the basis for a diverse psychological practice, subdivided into several general areas: (1) clinical (which deals with aspects of mental health and illness); (2) work/organizational and (3) school/educational. Beyond these general areas, psychology encompasses academic (e.g. developmental psychology) and/or professional fields (e.g. psychotherapy) (see, for example, the list of American Psychological Association Divisions). Psychology is a science and profession that is fundamental to the proper functioning of human societies, as proven by the social prestige of the field and the elitist character of psychology study/training programs around the world.
Since 2005, aspects related to the psychologist profession (i.e. practicing psychologists) have been covered by the College of Romanian Psychologists (rom. Colegiul Psihologilor din România; CPR); it was APR that, through the law on the establishment of CPR (Law 213/2004), helped institute CPR.
The message of the APR President:
- Let us honor Tradition and rebuild the Excellence of the Romanian School of Psychology.
The Association of Psychologists in Romania (APR) is the oldest professional organization of psychologists in Romania.
Founded in 1964, APR has helped continue, through its founding members, the pre-communist academic tradition (initiated through the Society for Psychology, founded by Florian Ştefănescu-Goangă in 1931, and the Psychological Research Society – established by Constantin Rădulescu-Motru in 1934). Moreover, APR ensured the survival of Romanian psychology in the years of restraint of the communist era and stimulated and guaranteed the development of psychology as a science and profession after the 1989 Anticommunist Revolution.
While the College of Romanian Psychologists (CPR) is focused on the practice of the psychologist profession per se, APR is meant to provide constant scientific input – e.g. through methodological and good practice guides – so that this profession does not become obsolete. Let us imagine what medicine, for instance, would look like today if, from the nineteenth century onwards, it would not have quickly assimilated and benefited from new scientific research, but, instead, it would have only relied on developments derived from practical empiricism, further transformed into regulations for practice. It would likely have been difficult to tell the difference between healers, pseudoscience, and non-science by this time.
The motto of my mandate as President of the APR (2017-2021) is Tradition and Excellence. That is why, dear colleagues, today, when, in addition to the need for change and evolution inherent to any science and profession, we are also facing internal and external obstacles to our science and profession, I invite you to honor Tradition and rebuild the Excellency of the Romanian School psychology together and to regain and strengthen the prestige of psychology in Romania, for the benefit to our science and profession and to that of Romanian society as well!
Professor Daniel David, Ph.D.