Article Version of Record

(The Need for) A Model of Translational Mind Science Justice Research

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Goff, Phillip Atiba
Mentovich, Avital
Martin, Karin D.

Abstract / Description

Despite the historical importance of translational research to social psychological investigations of social justice issues, the culture and incentives of contemporary social psychology are ambivalent towards non-experimental field research. This ambivalence poses a significant impediment to social psychology’s role in societal change. This paper offers a brief history of how the field evolved from a relative emphasis on translating social psychology from the laboratory to the field (and back) to the present moment. In doing so, we enumerate the most significant impediments to contemporary translational social psychology, namely that conducting translational research often involves greater cost, greater difficulty advancing psychological theory, and more time navigating logistics compared with basic laboratory research. Finally, using the example of recent multi-investigator research on race and gender equity in policing, we outline emerging strategies for how to conduct translational research amidst contemporary impediments, and offer modest suggestions for how the field can better facilitate this kind of research in the future. Taken together this review offers a set of theoretical and practical suggestions for easing the path from research to societal change.

Keyword(s)

translational psychology intergroup conflict racism policy

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2013-12-16

Journal title

Journal of Social and Political Psychology

Volume

1

Issue

1

Page numbers

385–399

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Goff, P. A., Mentovich, A., & Martin, K. D. (2013). (The Need for) A Model of Translational Mind Science Justice Research. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1(1), 385–399. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.75
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Goff, Phillip Atiba
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Mentovich, Avital
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Martin, Karin D.
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-26T12:44:52Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-26T12:44:52Z
  • Date of first publication
    2013-12-16
  • Abstract / Description
    Despite the historical importance of translational research to social psychological investigations of social justice issues, the culture and incentives of contemporary social psychology are ambivalent towards non-experimental field research. This ambivalence poses a significant impediment to social psychology’s role in societal change. This paper offers a brief history of how the field evolved from a relative emphasis on translating social psychology from the laboratory to the field (and back) to the present moment. In doing so, we enumerate the most significant impediments to contemporary translational social psychology, namely that conducting translational research often involves greater cost, greater difficulty advancing psychological theory, and more time navigating logistics compared with basic laboratory research. Finally, using the example of recent multi-investigator research on race and gender equity in policing, we outline emerging strategies for how to conduct translational research amidst contemporary impediments, and offer modest suggestions for how the field can better facilitate this kind of research in the future. Taken together this review offers a set of theoretical and practical suggestions for easing the path from research to societal change.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Goff, P. A., Mentovich, A., & Martin, K. D. (2013). (The Need for) A Model of Translational Mind Science Justice Research. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 1(1), 385–399. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.75
    en_US
  • ISSN
    2195-3325
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1319
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1720
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v1i1.75
  • Keyword(s)
    translational psychology
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    intergroup conflict
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    racism
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    policy
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    (The Need for) A Model of Translational Mind Science Justice Research
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    1
  • Journal title
    Journal of Social and Political Psychology
  • Page numbers
    385–399
  • Volume
    1
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record