Theoretical Innovation Prize

The SPSP Theoretical Innovation Prize recognizes an article or book chapter judged to provide the most innovative theoretical contribution to social/personality psychology within a given year. Any kind of innovative theoretical contribution can be considered for the prize, including presentations of new theories, new theory-based integrations of disparate areas of inquiry, and significant extensions of existing theories to new areas of inquiry. Theoretical contributions are eligible for the prize regardless of the format of their presentation, whether in stand-alone theoretical papers, within conceptually based literature reviews, or in some other written format that highlights conceptual innovation.

The prize recognizes theoretical articles that are especially likely to generate the discovery of new hypotheses, new phenomena, or new ways of thinking about the discipline of social/personality psychology. Theoretical contributions may be judged innovative and generative even before they have accumulated substantial empirical support. Therefore an article may be judged worthy for the prize even if it runs the risk of empirical invalidation in the future. The emphasis of the prize is on a contribution's conceptual innovation and potential to motivate new research and further conceptual investigation, rather than on its current level of empirical support.

Eligible articles are those published as papers in peer-reviewed journals or as book chapters during calendar year 2008. Books and unpublished manuscripts are not eligible.

The committee this year consists of Randy Larsen (chair), Richard Crisp, Jeff Greenberg, Cindy Pickett, and Eliot Smith. The prize recipient will receive a cash award of $750. The Prize Committee has the option of not awarding a prize. Eligible articles may be nominated by their authors or by other members of SPSP. To nominate an article or chapter for consideration, individuals should send an electronic file (PDF or Microsoft Word format) of the nominated piece to the Chair of the Prize Committee, Randy Larsen, at rlarsen at wustl.edu, along with a brief (e.g., one-page) nominating letter, also in electronic format, describing how the nominated article excels on the prize criteria. The Prize Committee may also consider additional eligible papers even if not nominated by their authors or other individuals. The deadline for nominations is July 31, 2009.

View previous award recipients