Representation of Women in 10 Recognition Awards From the American Psychological Association, 1956-2019

Within academia, professional societies play an important role in career advancement. Problematically, women are often underrepresented in awards given by professional societies. The present study advances feminist science by examining the representation of women in recognition awards presented by the American Psychological Association (APA). Researchers analyzed lists of award recipients across 10 awards during a 63-year history of the APA (1956-2019). Across the 10 APA recognition categories, only 27.4% of awards were granted to women from 1956 to 2019. From 1999 to 2019, the percent of awards given to women marginally increased to 35.1%. Women made up more than half of recipients for only one award of the 10 awards examined (i.e., Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy). The disparity in award recognition is particularly stark given that there are more women than men in the field of psychology at large, including within psychology graduate programs, as well as in full- and part-time faculty positions. Findings highlight the importance of taking steps to promote equitable recognition within the APA and support the professional advancement of women in psychology. Public Significance Statement Women are underrepresented in 10 categories of recognition awards given by the American Psychological Association, including awards given in the past 20 years. This discrepancy is concerning, given that award recognition impacts the career advancement of psychologists.