International Association of Applied Psychology
Professional services
UnclaimedInternational scholarly and professional association for applied psychology.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile yet.
Overview
The International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP) is a global scholarly and professional association devoted to the development and application of psychological knowledge. It brings together researchers, educators, practitioners, and other specialists whose work addresses practical problems in areas such as health, work, organizations, education, human development, assessment, and social policy. The association operates as an international network rather than as a commercial company, and its principal activities are professional membership, scientific exchange, publishing, specialist division work, and the organization of international congresses. IAAP was established in 1919 by Swiss psychologist Édouard Claparède under the name International Association of Psychotechnics, also rendered in French as Association Internationale de Psychotechnique. Jean-Maurice Lahy served as its secretary general during the association's early period. The organization adopted its present English name in 1955, reflecting the broader and increasingly established field of applied psychology. The association's membership is composed of individuals with expertise in applied psychology. Its network includes more than 2,500 members in over 90 countries, although membership totals and geographic distribution may change over time. IAAP is structured around 18 divisions representing specialized areas of applied psychology. This divisional model allows the organization to support focused communities while maintaining an international forum for interdisciplinary exchange. A major recurring activity is the International Congress of Applied Psychology, commonly known as ICAP. The congress is held every four years and provides a venue for research presentations, professional discussion, international collaboration, and debate over the social uses of psychology. The 2018 congress took place in Montreal, Canada. A centennial congress planned for Cancún, Mexico, in December 2020 was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The next regular ICAP is scheduled for Florence, Italy, in 2026. IAAP also supports scholarly communication through journals and online publications. It sponsors Applied Psychology: An International Review and Health and Well-being, both published with Wiley. The association also makes the open-access publication Applied Psychology Around the World available through its website. In addition, the IAAP Handbook of Applied Psychology was published by Wiley-Blackwell in 2011. The handbook contains 33 chapters written by contributors from varied cultural, linguistic, and theoretical backgrounds, reflecting the association's international and pluralistic orientation. The association has links with international institutions and is described as a nongovernmental organization within the United Nations system. It is also an associate member of the International Social Science Council under UNESCO. Its governance includes a president elected for a four-year term, with a constitutional rotation principle intended to prevent successive presidents from coming from the same continent. Lori Foster of the United States is identified as the current president in the supplied reference material. IAAP's overall positioning is therefore that of a global coordinating and convening body for applied psychology, emphasizing scientific quality, professional exchange, cultural breadth, and the practical contribution of psychology to society.
History
The International Association of Applied Psychology began in 1919 as the International Association of Psychotechnics, or Association Internationale de Psychotechnique. Its creation is credited to Édouard Claparède, a Swiss psychologist associated with experimental and educational psychology. Jean-Maurice Lahy served as secretary general during the association's early development. The original name reflected the period's interest in applying psychological methods to practical questions, including work, vocational selection, education, and the assessment of human abilities. Over time, the organization broadened its remit as applied psychology developed into a diverse international field. Its activities came to encompass research and practice across multiple domains, including organizational and occupational psychology, health, education, development, assessment, and social applications. In 1955, the association adopted the name International Association of Applied Psychology, giving formal expression to its wider disciplinary identity. The modern IAAP functions as an international membership association for scholars, researchers, and professionals. It is organized into 18 divisions that represent specialized areas of applied psychology. These divisions provide communities for collaboration and communication while the parent association coordinates international activity across the discipline. The association reports a membership of more than 2,500 people distributed across over 90 countries. The International Congress of Applied Psychology is the organization's principal recurring global meeting. Held every four years, ICAP provides a platform for the presentation of research, professional exchange, and discussion of how psychology can address practical and social issues. The 2018 congress was held in Montreal, Canada. To mark the association's centennial, IAAP planned a special Centennial Congress of Applied Psychology in Cancún, Mexico, for December 13–17, 2020. That event was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Florence, Italy, is identified as the venue for the next regular congress in 2026. Publishing has become another important part of IAAP's work. The association sponsors Applied Psychology: An International Review and Health and Well-being, both published by Wiley. It also provides the open-access publication Applied Psychology Around the World through its website. These outlets extend the association's role beyond meetings by disseminating research, professional analysis, and international perspectives on applied psychological practice. The IAAP Handbook of Applied Psychology, published by Wiley-Blackwell in 2011, further illustrates this function. Its 33 chapters were written by contributors from different cultural, linguistic, and theoretical backgrounds. IAAP's institutional relationships place it within the broader international social-science community. It is described as a nongovernmental organization under the United Nations umbrella and as an associate member of the International Social Science Council under UNESCO. These relationships support its international orientation and provide channels through which applied psychology can contribute to discussions involving science, society, health, education, work, and public policy. The association's presidency is elected every four years. Its governance rules include a geographic rotation principle under which successive presidents may not come from the same continent. Lori Foster, PhD, of the United States, is identified in the supplied reference material as the current president. Overall, IAAP has developed from an early twentieth-century psychotechnics organization into a worldwide professional and scholarly network focused on the responsible application of psychological knowledge.
- 2026
Next regular congress scheduled for Florence
[1]Florence, Italy, is scheduled to host the next International Congress of Applied Psychology.
- 2020
Centennial congress cancelled
[1]IAAP cancelled its planned centennial congress in Cancún because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 2018
International Congress of Applied Psychology held in Montreal
[1]The four-yearly ICAP meeting took place in Montreal, Canada.
- 2011
IAAP Handbook of Applied Psychology published
[1]Wiley-Blackwell published the IAAP Handbook of Applied Psychology, comprising 33 chapters from authors with varied international and disciplinary backgrounds.
- 1955
Present name adopted
[1]The organization changed its name to the International Association of Applied Psychology as its scope expanded beyond the earlier psychotechnics designation.
- 1919
Association founded as the International Association of Psychotechnics
[1]Édouard Claparède created the organization under the name International Association of Psychotechnics, with Jean-Maurice Lahy serving as secretary general.
Products and positioning
A global, multidisciplinary association connecting applied-psychology researchers and practitioners through membership, specialist divisions, international congresses, and scholarly publishing.
Conference
International Congress of Applied Psychology
IAAP's principal international congress, held on a four-year cycle. It brings together applied-psychology researchers and practitioners for presentations, professional exchange, interdisciplinary discussion, and examination of psychology's practical contribution to society.
Academic journal
Applied Psychology: An International Review
A scholarly journal sponsored by IAAP and published through Wiley. It supports international research and debate across applied psychology rather than serving a single national or specialist audience.
Academic journal
Health and Well-being
An IAAP-sponsored journal published with Wiley that focuses on psychological dimensions of health and well-being and contributes to the association's applied and practice-oriented publishing program.
Open-access publication
Applied Psychology Around the World
An open-access publication made available through the IAAP website. It extends the association's international communication role by presenting applied-psychology perspectives for a broad professional and scholarly readership.
Reference book · 2011
IAAP Handbook of Applied Psychology
A 2011 handbook published by Wiley-Blackwell. It contains 33 chapters contributed by authors from different cultural, linguistic, and theoretical backgrounds, presenting a broad account of applied psychology.
Brand decisions
2020
Cancellation of the Centennial CongressOtherBackground
IAAP planned a special congress in Cancún to commemorate its centenary, but the COVID-19 pandemic created conditions that prevented the event from proceeding as scheduled.
Action taken
The planned December 13–17, 2020 Centennial Congress of Applied Psychology was cancelled.
Aftermath
The organization continued its congress cycle, with Florence identified as the host city for the next regular congress in 2026.
1955
Adoption of the International Association of Applied Psychology nameStrategyBackground
The original psychotechnics name no longer fully represented the breadth of the organization's developing subject matter and professional constituency.
Action taken
The association adopted its current name, emphasizing applied psychology as its broad international field.
Aftermath
The new name became the organization's continuing identity and reflected its expansion across multiple applied-psychology specialties.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/international-association-of-applied-psychology · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled