The Rôle of a Psychologist as a Citizen
T WENTY years ago Gardner Murphy predicted that this century may come to be known as the "age of psychology." If this prophecy is to be realized we will have to be pushing along-the century is almost half over. Fortunately the closest rival, the "atomic age," has so startled its creators, the physicists, that they are now leading the way to a recognition of the social obligations of scientists to control their powerful discoveries for the benefit of mankind. True, psychology has recently risen to first place among elective science courses in college and is among the best sellers in popular reading. But before psychology has very marked social influence it will have to go beyond individual counseling on clinical and vocational problems. People must be trained to recognize psychological problems in group living and learn to apply psychological information and methods to the solution of these problems. Our national association has recognized these needs in the statement of our purpose, namely, "to advance psychology as a science, as a profession, and as a means for promoting human welfare." Though we have numerous divisions for the promotion of scientific and professional interests, we have, as yet, relatively few organized approaches to the promotion of human welfare except at the level of individual counseling. Furthermore, although the applications of psychology to everyday life represent the largest single area of probable usefulness to students of psychology, we have largely neglected training students for effective participation and leadership as members of the community. This paper is concerned with the welfare of citizens as members of a community, in which the various civic boards are ordinarily the largest single businesses as well as the principal means for providing public utilities, education, libraries, recreation, fire and police protection, and other major group needs. As citizens of a community we receive all these types of benefits for approximately 4 per cent of our annual incomes, paid as local taxes. The quality of these benefits is determined almost entirely by our care in electing and supporting competent public officials. It has been aptly stated that "bad officials are put in office by the good people who do not vote." Centuries ago, Pericles said, "We regard the man who holds aloof from public office not as 'quiet,' but as 'useless.' " In other words, a good citizen must not only support