Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
What are APA divisions?
APA divisions are member-organized groups within the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA’s division site describes its 54 divisions as “professional homes organized by members”: some represent subdisciplines of psychology, such as experimental, social or clinical psychology, while others focus on topical areas such as aging, ethnic minorities or trauma. Each division has its own officers, website, publications, email lists, awards, convention activities and meetings.
For researchers, divisions are a practical way to find a methods community, a specialist journal or a convention track within the wider field of psychology.
Who runs APA divisions and how are they numbered?
Divisions are organized by their members, not by APA staff. Divisions carry numbers from 1 to 56, but not every number in that range is in use. The official list of 54 divisions does not include, for example, Division 4 or Division 11. For the history of how individual divisions began, consult each division’s own site.
APA divisions list by theme
The list below groups divisions by theme, using the names shown on the APA divisions site. It is a selection, not the complete list of 54.
- Basic science and theory: Division 1 (Society for General Psychology and Interdisciplinary Inquiry), Division 3 (Society for Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Science), Division 6 (Society for Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology), Division 7 (Developmental Psychology), Division 8 (Society for Personality and Social Psychology), Division 24 (Society for Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology), Division 25 (Behavior Analysis), Division 26 (Society for the History of Psychology).
- Methods: Division 5 (Quantitative and Qualitative Methods).
- Applied and clinical areas: Division 12 (Society of Clinical Psychology), Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology), Division 22 (Rehabilitation Psychology), Division 28 (Society for Psychopharmacology and Substance Use), Division 38 (Society for Health Psychology), Division 40 (Society for Clinical Neuropsychology), Division 56 (Trauma Psychology).
- Education, work, public interest and law: Division 2 (Society for the Teaching of Psychology), Division 9 (Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues), Division 14 (Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology), Division 15 (Educational Psychology), Division 16 (School Psychology), Division 19 (Society for Military Psychology), Division 41 (American Psychology-Law Society).
What is APA Division 5?
APA Division 5 is the Division of Quantitative and Qualitative Methods. Its official page says it draws together specialists in quantitative and qualitative methods, including educational psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, individual assessment, measurement, program evaluation, psychometrics, qualitative inquiry, research interviewing, research methods and statistics. Its membership reaches beyond psychology, includes both APA members and nonmembers, and welcomes graduate students.
Division 5 has three sections:
| Section | What the division says it does |
|---|---|
| Assessment | One of the three sections listed on the division’s About page. |
| Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics | Encourages accurate and appropriate methods of evaluation, measurement and statistical analysis; serves researchers seeking collaborators for quantitative analysis; promotes teaching and mentoring in quantitative methods. |
| Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology | Promotes qualitative research and serves as a forum for reflecting on forms of qualitative study in psychology and stimulating innovation in qualitative inquiry. |
The division’s publications page lists a quarterly newsletter, The Score, and three journals: Psychological Assessment, Psychological Methods and Qualitative Psychology. It states that Division 5 fellows, members and associates can choose a subscription to one of the division’s journals as part of their annual dues. For the methods debate behind the division’s name, see qualitative vs quantitative research.
How do researchers use APA divisions?
Each division sets out its own officers, publications, awards and meetings on its website, so the practical route is to open the page of the division closest to your work and read what it offers. Typical things to look for are division journals, newsletters, awards, grants and convention activities. The APA divisions site also highlights fellowship, for which each division sets its own nominating criteria, and “hundreds of sponsored scholarships, grants and awards”.
If you write for APA journals or format a thesis, see how to write a research paper in APA style and research proposal APA format.
Strengths and limits
Strengths
- Divisions give researchers in a specialty their own officers, publications, awards and meetings inside a large association.
- Several divisions run their own journals; the APA divisions site lists division journals such as Review of General Psychology (Division 1) and Rehabilitation Psychology (Division 22).
Limits
- Each division runs its own membership, so what a division offers and asks of members differs from one division to the next. Check the division’s own page before joining.
- Divisions belong to the APA. Researchers who want a society outside the APA can look at the Association for Psychological Science.
Frequently asked questions
What is an APA division?
An APA division is a member-organized professional home within the American Psychological Association, covering either a subdiscipline of psychology or a topical area, with its own officers, website, publications, awards and meetings.
How many APA divisions are there?
The APA divisions site describes 54 divisions, numbered within the range 1 to 56.
What is APA Division 5?
Division 5 is the Division of Quantitative and Qualitative Methods, with three sections: Assessment; Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics; and the Society for Qualitative Inquiry in Psychology.
What is on the APA divisions list?
The list runs from Division 1 (Society for General Psychology and Interdisciplinary Inquiry) to Division 56 (Trauma Psychology); the themed list above shows a selection, and the full list is on the APA divisions site.
Which journals does Division 5 offer?
Psychological Assessment, Psychological Methods and Qualitative Psychology.
Sources
Checked 2026-11-07.
- APA Divisions. Home page and list of divisions. https://www.apadivisions.org/ (checked 2026-11-07).
- APA Division 5. About Division 5. https://www.apadivisions.org/division-5/about/index (checked 2026-11-07).
- APA Division 5. Publications. https://www.apadivisions.org/division-5/publications/index (checked 2026-11-07).
