History

A History of the Great Plains Students' Psychology Convention

Originally Written by: Dr. Stephen F. Davis, Founder

Updated by: Dr. Brian Cronk

The genesis of the Great Plains Students Psychology Convention was one of those fortuitous happenings that occur rarely. In the Fall of 1980, a group of students from Sterling College (Sterling, KS) had traveled to Emporia State University (ESU) to hear a guest speaker. Following the speakers presentation, the Sterling College students were talking with a group of ESU students. Faculty members Arn Froese (Sterling College) and Steve Davis (ESU) observed the interaction and simultaneously voiced the opinion that the students genuinely benefited from such interactions. These comments prompted the decision to have some type of student gathering on a more permanent, annual basis. The Kansas Students Contributions to Psychology Convention and Paper Competition was the result. The guiding principle for the establishment of this convention was the desire to provide a forum for psychology students in Kansas to exchange ideas, discuss relevant topics, and gain experience presenting papers. Because the emphasis was on student professional development, undergraduate and graduate students were encouraged to submit both empirically based and literature review/theoretical papers.

Because of its central location and excellent facilities, ESU was selected to host the initial convention. March was selected as convention month because (a) students would be ready by then to present research projects completed during the previous semester, and (b) holding the convention at that time would not compete with regional professional meetings held during the spring.

The student-centered nature of the conference prompted the organizers to make a conscious effort to keep convention costs at an absolute minimum. For example, early conventions featured no registration fee, low-cost dormitory housing, and a gratis lunch at the conclusion of the convention proceedings on Saturday. Although costs have risen, often dramatically, this philosophy still guides the organization and staging of the conference.

The initial convention, held April 24-25, 1981, established a precedent that persisted for decades: The convention was a two-day affair that is held on a Friday and Saturday. The initial Friday events consisted of a banquet and keynote speaker with all student presentations occurring on Saturday. The initial keynote speaker was Dr. Jeffrey A. Seybert (University of Missouri at Kansas City). He spoke on the topic Affects of Unconditional Positive Reward (Learned Helplessness) in Children. The first convention featured 19 oral papers and 1 roundtable discussion presented by students from 8 Kansas colleges and universities.

By 1983 the convention was sufficiently established as an annual event that the decision was made to try moving it to different locations in order facilitate attendance by students in other parts of the state. Therefore, in 1984 and 1985 the convention moved to Pittsburg State University. After returning to ESU in 1986 and 1987, the current pattern of holding the convention on a different college campus each year emerged.

By 1988 participation had extended beyond the borders of Kansas to include students from Missouri and Nebraska. In recognition of the expanding geographical impact of the conference, the name of the event was changed to the Kansas/Great Plains Students Psychology Convention for the 1988 event which was held at Benedictine College (Atchison, KS). In 1989 the convention moved out of Kansas for the first time when it was held at Nebraska Wesleyan University (Lincoln, NE). In 1990 the convention name was permanently changed to the Great Plains Students Psychology Convention; the convention was held in Missouri (Missouri Western State College, St. Joseph) for the first time that year.

Two additional, growth-related changes have occurred over the years. First, the number of oral paper submissions began to strain the Friday evening-Saturday format. Modifications were needed. The answer to this concern was twofold. The starting time of the conference was moved from Friday evening to Friday noon; thus, more sessions (and presentations) could be scheduled. The 1984 convention was the first to have paper sessions on Friday. The addition of poster sessions in which several projects were presented simultaneously offered another viable measure by which additional presentations could be made without increasing convention hours. The 1990 convention, held at Missouri Western State College, was the first event to feature poster presentations. They have grown in popularity since then.

The second change prompted by the growth of the Great Plains Convention concerns the judging of the student presentations. Best paper awards have been an integral component of the convention since its inception. The initial awards were for the three top papers in each of the following categories: Undergraduate Research, Undergraduate Nonresearch, Graduate Research, and Graduate Nonresearch. As the number of yearly submissions grew, it became increasingly difficult to schedule the papers in a particular category such that the same set of judges could hear all the papers; concurrent scheduling was inevitable. The problem was exacerbated by the fact that some judges participated in more than one category. The 1991 convention at Bethany College saw the adoption of the current procedure: The awarding of 1st and 2nd place best paper awards in each paper and poster session.

Growth of the Great Plains Students Psychology Convention has not been a unidimensional affair. Outside forces have played an important role. Since the second convention (1983) the Association for Psychological and Educational Research in Kansas has been an ardent supporter. Beginning with official endorsement in 1982 and an annual financial donation since 1985 to support the Saturday lunch, this organization has made a significant contribution to the Great Plains Convention success story.

Growth of the Great Plains Convention has spawned more than just problems. From the initial 19 papers and 1 roundtable presented in 1981 to the 175 presentations made at the 1995 convention, convention goers have seen and heard a plethora of high quality student projects. Spearheaded by the indefatigable efforts of Mark Ware (Creighton University), the Journal of Psychological Inquiry was founded in 1994 to provide undergraduate students who present at the Great Plains Convention a referred journal in which to publish. In keeping with the guiding philosophy of facilitating professional development, the JPI publishes both empirical research and literature review/theoretical papers. The first issue was published in 1996. The creation of a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation (the Great Plains Behavioral Research Association) provided a mechanism for soliciting financial support for the journal and, in the long run, for helping defrays costs for the Great Plains Convention. JPI continues to grow and serve even greater numbers of student authors.

As the Great Plains Students Psychology Convention enters its 40th year, its success and growth have exceeded the wildest dreams and expectations of its founders. Hopefully, its future holds continued growth and professional development activities for the psychology students of the Great Plains.