The 24th National Academic Conference of Psychology was successfully held

The forces propelling the advancement of science lie in thinking, exchanging ideas, summarizing insights, and continually seeking development. The 24th National Academic Conference of Psychology, held on November 25-27, 2022, was successfully organized by the Chinese Psychological Society (CPS), hosted by Henan Normal University, and co-sponsored by the Henan Provincial Psychological Association and the School of Psychology of Henan University. With the overarching theme, "Psychology serves the national economic and social construction," the conference aimed to fortify innovative psychological research, establish a social psychological crisis early warning system, enhance mental health and well-being, and contribute to the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country. Enthusiastic participation was observed from psychology researchers across the nation's universities, research institutes, and social application organizations, with over 260,000 online visits.

The opening ceremony took place on the morning of November 26th, featuring distinguished leaders and guests. Among them were the current president of the CPS and president of the conference, Professor Zhao Guoxiang of Henan Normal University; former CPS president, Professor Li Hong of South China Normal University; President-elect of the CPS, Professor Su Yanjie of Peking University; CPS secretary-general, Sun Xianghong of Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Song Zhenghui, Vice Governor and Party Group member of the Henan Provincial Government; Diao Yuhua, Party Group member and deputy director of Henan Provincial Department of Education; Lv Guofan, Chairman of Henan Provincial Association of Science and Technology; Li Weidong, Secretary of Xinxiang Municipal Party Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); Professor Wang Zongmin, Secretary of the Party Group of Henan Normal University and President of Henan Normal University; Professor Zhang Kan, former CPS Board of Directors Chairman and Principal Investigator at the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Professor Lin Chongde of Beijing Normal University; Professor Yang Yufang of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Professor Mo Lei of South China Normal University; Professor Le Guoan of Nankai University; Professor Shen Mowei of Zhejiang University; Professor You Xuqun of Shaanxi Normal University; Prof. Bai Xuejun of Tianjin Normal University; Professor Fu Xiaolan of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Professor Zhou Xiaolin of East China Normal University; and Professor Han Buxin of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Additionally, the conference's invited speaker, Professor Dong Qi of Beijing Normal University, and key speaker, Professor Anjian Chatterjee of the University of Pennsylvania, were present, along with Principal Investigator Tu Yiheng of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Professor Wu Si of Peking University; Professor Zhang Wenxin of Shandong Normal University; Professor Liu Junsheng of East China Normal University; and Professor Ren Zhihong of Central China Normal University. Professor Song Ye, the executive chairman of the conference and vice president of Henan Normal University, presided over the opening ceremony.

Professor Zhao Guoxiang, the current president of the CPS, delivered an opening speech and reflected on the remarkable achievements in psychology. These achievements, made possible through the dedicated efforts of colleagues, were highlighted from the perspectives of international recognition, service to national development, national importance, and public acknowledgment. Professor Zhao also discussed the new tasks and requirements outlined by the Party and the State for the discipline of psychology, spanning from the 18th to the 20th National Congress. Emphasizing the theme of the conference, he underscored the discipline's alignment with the historical mission in the new era of socialist construction with Chinese characteristics. Professor Zhao specifically stressed the need for psychological research to address the country's major needs and contribute to the healthy development of the economy and society. Furthermore, he affirmed the CPS's commitment to leading psychologists in contributing to the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Song Zhenghui, Vice Governor of Henan Province, Diao Yuhua, Deputy Director of Henan Provincial Department of Education, Lv Guofan, Chairman of Henan Provincial Association of Science and Technology, Li Weidong, Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee of Xinxiang City, and Wang Zongmin, Secretary of the Party Committee of Henan Normal University and President of Henan Normal University, delivered speeches on behalf of Henan Province, the education system of Henan Province, the Henan Provincial Association of Science and Technology, Xinxiang City, and Henan Normal University. They extended warm congratulations on the conference and offered a sincere welcome to scholars, experts, and attendees. The speakers introduced the participants to the essential aspects of Henan Province, Xinxiang City, and Henan Normal University, highlighting the significance attached to mental health at all levels. They expressed expectations for scholars to engage in meaningful exchanges, idea collisions, and the sharing of wisdom during the conference. The local psychologists and young scholars were encouraged to seize this opportunity to learn from domestic and international experiences in psychology, broaden their academic horizons, enhance their research capabilities, and contribute to the flourishing of new ideas and concepts in the field of psychology and mental health in the Central Plains.

At the opening ceremony, Professor Zhang Kan, former President of the CPS and Director of the Fellowship Committee, announced the list of additional Fellows of the CPS for 2022.

Professor Fu Xiaolan, Editor-in-Chief of the Acta Psychologica Sinica, announced the 2020-2021 High Impact Papers, and encouraged psychology researchers to actively submit their articles to the Journal of Psychology and contribute to psychological research in China.

During the conference, Professor Dong Qi of Beijing Normal University delivered an invited report titled "Conducting Research on Brain Intelligence Development and Promoting the Construction of Mental Health Public Service System in Elementary and Middle Schools." Other distinguished speakers, including Professor Anjan Chatterjee of the University of Pennsylvania, Professor Tu Yiheng of the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Wu Si of Peking University, Professor Zhang Wenxin of Shandong Normal University, Professor Liu Junsheng of East China Normal University, and Professor Ren Zhihong from Central China Normal University, presented lectures "The Neuroaesthetics of People and Places", "Psychological, Physiological, and Pathological Mechanisms of Pain and Cognitive Associations", "From Global to Local: Dual Pathway Mechanisms of Visual Information Processing", "Evidence-Based Prevention and Control Strategies against Bullying in Schools", "Child Development in the Context of Epidemic: Findings from a Tracer-Based Study", and “Networked Psychological Assistance and Intervention in Major Public Health Events”, respectively. The key reports of the conference covered a wide range of research fields, from brain development in primary and secondary schools to large-sample tracking studies of children's psychological development, and from the neurological basis of basic psychological phenomena such as pain and visual processing to the neurological basis of human and environmental aesthetics. Topics also included the prevention and control of bullying in schools and psychological assistance in public health. This diverse array of presentations not only reflects the cutting-edge of psychological research but also emphasizes the practical value of psychology in serving the country, society, and people.

The 24th Psychology Academic Conference had 1,848 online paid registrants and received 3,071 valid abstracts, which were proportionally reviewed by the Professional Committees of the Conference. A total of 1,554 academic papers were exchanged at the conference. A variety of academic communication formats were organized, including 1 invited report, 6 key reports, 59 sessions of 307 thematic seminars, 14 sessions of 159 master and doctoral student forums, 87 sessions of 436 oral presentations, 645 online poster presentations, and 3 workshops. During the conference, there were more than 45,000 online participants, 17,854 views of the conference website, and more than 260,000 visits to the website!

This year, 1,065 abstracts were accepted as free submissions, distributed from different Professional Committees as follows: 78 from Educational Psychology, 107 from Developmental Psychology, 8 from Theoretical Psychology and History of Psychology, 66 from General and Experimental Psychology, 24 from Industrial Psychology, 33 from Medical Psychology, 8 from Physiological Psychology, 84 from Sport and Exercise Psychology, 3 from Legal Psychology, 43 from School Psychology, 38 from Psychometrics, 75 from Social Psychology, 44 from Clinical and Counseling Psychology, 8 from Psychology of Special Occupations, 23 from Personality Psychology, 16 from Engineering Psychology, 26 from Psychology of Decision-Making, 21 from Geropsychology, 9 from Ethnic Psychology, 41 from Nursing Psychology, 17 from Linguistic Psychology, 10 from Community Psychology, 36 from Cyberpsychology, 52 from Emotional and Health Psychology, 13 from Psychological Neuroimaging, 3 from Music Psychology, 17 from Eye Movement Psychology, 2 from Qualitative Research in Psychology, 16 from Electroencephalography-related Technologies, 9 from Psychology and Social Governance, 5 from Cultural Psychology, 15 from Economic Psychology, 19 from Positive Psychology, 5 from Rehabilitation Psychology, 17 from School Bullying and Violence Prevention and Control,

4 from Psychology of Time, 6 from Marriage and Family Psychology and Counseling, 10 from Mindful Psychology, and 19 from Learning Psychology. 735 abstracts (172 for PhD and 563 for MSc) were accepted for the Graduate Students Forum, of which 167 were submitted in full text (74 for PhD and 93 for MSc).

The Conference also organized 59 high-level symposia. Among them, Professionals Committees of Educational Psychology, Developmental Psychology, General and Experimental Psychology, Medical Psychology, Physiological Psychology, Sports and Exercise Psychology, Legal Psychology, School Psychology, Psychological Measurement, Social Psychology, Clinical and Consultative Psychology, Engineering Psychology, Psychology of Decision-Making, Cyberpsychology, Psychological Neuroimaging, Music Psychology, Eye Movement Psychology, Qualitative Psychology, Psychology and Social Governance, Positive Psychology, School Bullying and Violence Prevention and Control, Behavioral and Health Psychology, and Mindfulness Psychology organized seminars respectively. Experts and scholars shared the latest research progress and achievements with their counterparts and the audience on the live broadcast platform, which triggered active and enthusiastic questions and discussions. In particular, live broadcasts of the symposiums of the three Professional Committees of Educational Psychology, Developmental Psychology, and Physiological Psychology received more than 10,000 hits.

The conference paper reports focused on practical explorations in various aspects of serving economic and social construction. These explorations ranged from micro-level concerns such as drug addiction, autism, depression, and behavioral intervention to meso-level considerations like children and adolescents’ social adaptation, cooperative behaviors if social change, and pro-social behavior, encompassing changes in society, social environment, and social governance. Additionally, the macro level of the psychology industry and legislative exploration at the forefront were also addressed. This shift indicates that current psychological research, in serving economic and social construction, has expanded beyond the narrow perspective of individual psychology to foster a positive social mentality and provide broader social psychological services. The overall exchange process during the conference was characterized by a warm and active atmosphere, offering tangible vitality and significant momentum for the advancement of the discipline of psychology.

On the afternoon of November 27, the 24th National Academic Conference of Psychology concluded its scheduled agenda and conducted a closing ceremony. The closing ceremony was facilitated by Dr. Sun Xianghong, the Secretary-General of the Conference, Secretary-General of the CPS, and Principal Investigator at the Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Professor Zhao Guoxiang, the President of the Conference and the current President of the CPS, delivered a summary report on the conference. He reflected on the memorable moments leading up to and during the conference, acknowledging the hard-won success and its significant implications for the high-quality development of China's psychological discipline. He articulated three aspirations for the advancement of Chinese psychology. First, strengthen theoretical innovation by rooting in Chinese soil and drawing from the country's excellent traditional culture. This involves creating a theoretical system of psychology with Chinese characteristics and a discourse system characterized by ideas of theoretical innovation. Second, respond closely to national needs by enhancing practical service, offer high-quality psychological services to the community and the public, and contribute to the establishment of the national social psychological service system. Third, inherit the spirit of cooperation, establish cooperative mechanisms, strengthen information communication, and foster resource sharing. This includes breaking through regional, school, and disciplinary barriers, leveraging the expertise of professionals, deepening academic exchanges, and realizing high-level and high-quality development through cross-region, cross-discipline, and cross-field synergistic coexistence.

Professor Jin Yusan from Sichuan Normal University, representing the organizer of the upcoming conference, invited the delegates to participate in the 25th National Academic Conference of Psychology. Professor Song Ye, Executive Chairman and Vice President of Henan Normal University, presented the list of outstanding volunteers.

Finally, Professor Su Yanjie, the president-elect of the CPS, delivered a speech. On behalf of the CPS, she expressed expectations for the future development of psychology in China in three aspects. First, strengthen the Society’s influence and engage in increasingly effective work in talent cultivation, scientific research, and social service. Second, enhance the Society’s power by adhering to the principle of "facing the world's scientific and technological frontiers, addressing the main battlefield of the economy and society, responding to the major needs of the country, and focusing on the people's life and health." This mission includes strengthening the promotion of the nation's mental health, contributing to the harmonious development of society, and fulfilling the responsibility of serving the economic and social development of the country. Third, infuse vitality into psychology research in China. This involves following global development trends while conducting basic and applied research in response to China's unique economic, cultural, political, and social situations. Professor Su Yanjie also emphasized that the CPS will collaborate with psychology researchers nationwide to target national strategic needs, shape new dynamics and advantages, explore new fields and tracks, seize the initiative in disciplinary development, and build an academic and discourse system of psychology that is compassionate, innovative, and rooted in the Chinese spirit.

This conference is held under the environment where the whole country is earnestly studying and implementing the spirit of the 20th CCP National Congress and striving for a new journey. It covers a wide range of fields such as psychology and social governance, psychological services to meet national needs, networked psychological assistance and intervention in major public health events, construction of public service system for primary and secondary school mental health, child development in the context of epidemics, and bullying in schools, etc. It represents the attitude and determination of the CPS to continue to vigorously push forward the scientific research on psychology in the new era, strive to improve the construction of the social and psychological service system, and help the economic and social development of China. Participants exchanged research results, shared practical experience and discussed optimization strategies, which is of great practical significance for further improving the construction of social psychological service system, helping all-round service for economic and social construction, and promoting the high-quality development of China's psychological discipline.