ABSTRACT
Advocacy positions taken by psychologists, both as individuals and as groups, share the same problems and characteristics, although those taken by groups involve additional issues of consensus, delegation, and legitimacy. Many policy-related statements and recommendations have been made by psychologists and by psychology organizations. In the past century, psychologists in their role as citizens have taken stands on a wide range of controversial issues; and in their role as scientists they have enjoyed a string of successes in developing a knowledge base for improvements in applied practices and principles. Psychologists as citizens have been politically active for as long as psychology has been an identifiable discipline. Psychologists devote their professional lives to the study of circumstances, many of which are directly or indirectly related to the state of society and the health and well-being of individuals. Proponents of advocacy assume or assert that psychologists do in fact have professional knowledge that can and should be applied to social problems.
