title: Awards for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology.
abstract: The Early Career Awards, given for the first time in 1974, recognize the large number of psychologists who demonstrate excellence early in their careers. Recipients of this award may not have held a doctoral degree for more than nine years. For purposes of this award, psychology has been divided into 10 areas: animal learning and behavior, comparative; developmental; health; cognition/human learning; psychopathology; behavioral and cognitive neuroscience; perception/motor performance; social; applied research; and individual differences. Five areas are considered each year, with areas rotated in two-year cycles. The areas considered in 2016 were animal learning and behavior, comparative; developmental; health; cognition/human learning; and psychopathology. Each year, panels are selected for the areas under consideration, and these panels recommend nominees to the Committee on Scientific Awards. The 2016 recipients of the APA Scientific Contribution Awards were recognized by the 2015 Board of Scientific Affairs and selected by the 2015 Committee on Scientific Awards. Members of the committee were Scott M. Monroe, PhD (Chair); Susan Goldin-Meadow, PhD; James Grau, PhD; Hazel R. Markus, PhD; Karen A. Matthews, PhD; and Linda Smith, PhD. (PsycINFO Database Record