The award citation reads:

“Jim Blascovich, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has enriched psychological research through two important methodological innovations. In the context of his multi-modal biopsychosocial paradigm, which distinguishes the motivational states of threat vs. challenge, he shed new light on a broad range of issues in social and health psychology by combining cardiac measures with measures of thoracic resistance, allowing him to illuminate the physiological underpinnings of threat and challenge and their modulation by social factors. Dr. Blascovich also pioneered the use of immersive virtual environment (VR) technology in social and personality psychology. Due to Dr. Blascovich’s innovative work, VR methods are now increasingly used in basic and applied research in social and personality psychology. Dr. Blascovich not only pioneered the use of these methodologies through his research and publications, but also made them broadly available to the field by initiating, leading, and supervising regular NSF sponsored workshops that teach these methods to other scientists. In recognition of his outstanding methodological contributions, Jim Blascovich is awarded the 2017 Methodological Innovator Award.”

Jim will receive the award at the annual SPSP meeting in Atlanta, March 1-3, 2018.