The Society of
Experimental
Psychologists

The Society of Experimentalists was founded by Edward Bradford Titchener in 1904. Titchener’s design for his “Experimentalists” was that it be an ongoing workshop, with “members visiting labs, studying apparatus, and hearing and commenting on reports of ongoing research.”

SEP Founder Edward Titchener

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History of SEP

The first meeting of the Society of Experimental Psychologists – then called “The Experimental Psychologists”, or “The Experimentalists” for short – was held at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, on April 4 – 5, 1904. The meetings then, and for many years thereafter, were presided over by Edward Bradford Titchener. Researchers from universities including Cornell, Yale, Clark, Michigan, and Princeton attended these early meetings, with Chicago and Iowa soon joining. Research papers were read and discussed by established researchers and tyros alike. 

As the number of practicing experimental psychologists grew nationally, along grew discussions concerning the limits that should be placed on membership in the group: Should it be kept small to ensure a manageable series of conferences; or should it be open to all interested, practicing experimental psychologists? The decision was made to keep it small-to follow the so-called Academy model-and eventually Fellows of the society were instrumental in the founding of an alternative organization, called The Psychonomic Society, to serve the needs of broader representation and communication (see Dewsbury & Bolles, 1995 for details).  During these early years, the total membership in the Experimentalists ranged around 35 individuals.  Learn More

About Us

The Society of Experimentalists was founded by Edward Bradford Titchener in 1904. Titchener’s design for his “Experimentalists” was that it be an ongoing workshop, with “members visiting labs, studying apparatus, and hearing and commenting on reports of ongoing research.” 

The Society has continued to meet annually in the years since, except for the war year 1918 and the COVID pandemic years 2020 and 2021. Upon Titchener’s death in 1927 the club was reorganized into The Society of Experimental Psychologists. The Society typically holds meetings in the spring, scheduled and organized by a member, who serves on the Executive Committee of the Society for that year. The meetings are open to all members of the Society, and to students and faculty from the host university as invited by the organizer.

The meetings are plenary and involve papers from various members of the society. The society currently admits at least 6 new members annually from among the leading experimentalists in North America. It has a current membership of 281 individuals, about 5 – 10% of the practicing experimental psychologists. The mission of the society is “To advance psychology by arranging informal conferences on experimental psychology.”

    The Society of Experimentalists was founded by Edward Bradford Titchener in 1904. Titchener’s design for his “Experimentalists” was that it be an ongoing workshop, with “members visiting labs, studying apparatus, and hearing and commenting on reports of ongoing research.” 

    The Society has continued to meet annually in the years since, except for the war year 1918 and the COVID pandemic years 2020 and 2021. Upon Titchener’s death in 1927 the club was reorganized into The Society of Experimental Psychologists. The Society typically holds meetings in the spring, excepting the COVID year 2021, when the meeting will be held in the Fall.  Meetings are scheduled and organized by a member, who serves on the Executive Committee of the Society for that year. The meetings are open to all members of the Society, and to students and faculty from the host university as invited by the organizer.

    The meetings are plenary and involve papers from various members of the society. The society currently admits at least 6 new members annually from among the leading experimentalists in North America. It has a current membership of 281 individuals, about 5 – 10% of the practicing experimental psychologists. The mission of the society is “To advance psychology by arranging informal conferences on experimental psychology.”

      SEP 1977 Meeting - Yale University

      Annual Meetings

      2023 Meeting – May 6-8, 2023
      University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

      Congratulations to the
      2023 SEP Fellows!

      Marty Banks
      David Brainard
      Ian Dobbins
      Sam Gershman
      Simona Ghetti
      Ann Kring
      Ingrid Olson
      Janet Werker

      2023 Early Investigator Award Recipient

      Sudeep Bhatia

      Awards 

      Warren Medal

      The Howard Crosby Warren Medal is given for the most significant advances in Experimental Psychology over the prior five years.

      Lifetime Achievement Award

      The Norman Anderson Lifetime Achievement Award is given to senior individuals with outstanding records of contribution to experimental psychology.

      Early Investigator Award

      The Early Investigator Award is given to individuals who early in their careers have already made significant contributions to experimental psychology.

      Recent Awardees and Citations

      Dr. Marlene Behrmann

      Dr. Marlene Behrmann

      University of Pittsburgh

      Recipient of the 2023
      Howard Crosby Warren Medal

      Dr. Morris Moscovitch

      Dr. Morris Moscovitch

      University of Toronto

      Recipient of the 2023
      Norman Anderson Lifetime
      Achievement Award

      Keith Holyoak

      University of California, Los Angeles

      Recipient of the 2022
      Howard Crosby Warren Medal

      Marcia Johnson

      University of California, Berkeley

      Recipient of the 2022
      Norman Anderson Lifetime
      Achievement Award

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