CFP - Grasping Normativity: 2025 American Psychological Association Convention - Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology

The Division 24 Presidential Theme

The concept of normativity has long occupied a central place in philosophical inquiry and has increasingly become a focal point in psychological theory and research. Normativity, broadly construed, refers to the standards, rules, or expectations that govern thought, behavior, and social practices. It encompasses not only the ethical and moral dimensions of what we ought to do but also touches on cognitive, social, cultural, and biological norms that guide our understanding of what is typical or acceptable.

Normativity can be understood in several senses, each illuminating a different aspect of human functioning. Axiological normativity refers to value-based judgments of good and bad, including moral considerations and aesthetic values. Deontic normativity emphasizes rules of obligation and duty, shaping notions of right and wrong in both ethical and legal contexts. Epistemic normativity concerns the norms governing belief, knowledge, and rationality, asking what individuals ought to believe based on evidence. In contrast, statistical or descriptive normativity reflects what is typical or average, derived from empirical observations in social, biological, and psychological phenomena. These various forms of normativity operate across multiple domains of human life and profoundly shape our individual and collective experiences.

The Importance of Normativity in Theorizing Human Phenomena

Normativity is essential for understanding human beings because our lives are structured around norms that influence every aspect of existence—from how we think and reason to how we interact with others and understand the world around us. Norms guide our ethical decisions, shape our mental models, and set the boundaries for social interaction. As such, any robust theory of human psychology must grapple with normativity in its various forms.

Psychologists, particularly those engaged in theoretical and philosophical psychology, are uniquely positioned to explore the normative dimensions of human experience. Whether through understanding how cognitive processes are bound by epistemic norms or how moral development hinges on axiological judgments, psychology must take seriously the question of how humans navigate and are shaped by normative structures. Moreover, the normative dimension is not just prescriptive—it is descriptive and dynamic. It helps explain why certain behaviors or thoughts are seen as deviant or conforming, why social groups maintain certain practices, and why individual beliefs can vary within established norms. In short, theories of psychology that neglect normativity fail to fully account for the complexities of human existence, missing the crucial role that normative standards play in shaping our mental and social lives.

Topics for Submission

We invite submissions that explore normativity from a wide range of perspectives within theoretical and philosophical psychology. Below are some examples of topics that might be addressed, but submissions are by no means limited to these suggestions:

• Normativity in the philosophy of science and sciences of mind
• The history, philosophy, and future of the concept of normativity in human psychological life
• Normativity in relation to biological, psychological, social, or cultural planes of existence
• Reconciling distinct normativities (e.g., biological versus psychological) in human life
• Normativity in relation to bio-psycho-social-cultural functioning
• The normativity of psychological wellbeing and suffering
• Theories of conflicting normativities (e.g., intra-group differences, inter-group differences)
• Cross-cultural variations in human normativity
• Normativity and social justice

Submission Guidelines:

We welcome submissions that are theoretical, philosophical, empirical, or a combination. Submissions should aim to address normativity in a way that advances our understanding of its role in human psychology. Authors are encouraged to engage with both historical and contemporary perspectives, drawing on interdisciplinary approaches where relevant. All submissions should include a clear argument or thesis regarding the role of normativity in the specific phenomenon under consideration.

Submissions may range from traditional theoretical papers to those that propose new frameworks or models for understanding normativity within psychological theory. Authors should strive to make their work accessible to a broad audience of psychologists and philosophers, avoiding overly technical jargon when possible.

Please submit your abstracts viahttps://convention.apa.org/proposalsby Wednesday January 8th, 2025. All submissions will undergo a peer-review process, and accepted abstracts will be presented at Denver, Colorado.

See the following for detailed submission instructions for the APA 2025 convention: https://convention.apa.org/proposals/division-programs. For further inquiries, please contact the Division 24 Convention Program Chair, Dr. Garri Hovhannisyan, [email protected].

We look forward to your contributions and to advancing the discourse on this foundational aspect of human psychology.