The British Psychological Society (BPS) is a representative body for psychologists and psychology in the United Kingdom.

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British Psychological Society

Abbreviation	BPS
Formation	1901; 123 years ago (1901)
Type	Professional body, learned society, charity
Legal status	Non-profit company
Headquarters	St Andrews House, 48 Princess Road East, Leicester LE1 7DR
Membership	60,604 (2019)
President	Nicky Hayes (2022–24)
Chief Executive	Sarb Bajwa
Honorary General Secretary	Christina Buxton[1]
Website	www.bps.org.uk

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It was founded on 24 October 1901 at University College London (UCL) as The Psychological Society, the organisation initially admitted only recognised teachers in the field of psychology. The ten founder members were:^[2][3][4]

• Robert Armstrong-Jones
• Sophie Bryant
• W.R. Boyce Gibson
• Frank Noel Hales
• William McDougall
• Frederick Walker Mott
• William Halse Rivers Rivers
• Alexander Faulkner Shand
• William George Smith
• James Sully

Its current name of The British Psychological Society was taken in 1906 to avoid confusion with another group named The Psychological Society. Under the guidance of Charles Myers, membership was opened up to members of the medical profession in 1919. In 1941 the society was incorporated. In 1965 it was a granted a Royal charter.^[4]

The Society is both a learned and a professional body. As such it provides support and advice on research and practice issues. It is also a Registered Charity which imposes certain constraints on what it can and cannot do. For example, it cannot campaign on issues which are seen as party political. The BPS is not the statutory regulation body for Practitioner Psychologists in the UK which is the Health and Care Professions Council.

The Society has a large number of specialist and regional branches throughout the United Kingdom. It holds its Annual Conference, usually in May, in a different town or city each year. In addition, each of the sub-sections hold their own conferences and there is also a range of specialist meetings convened to consider relevant issues.

The Society is also a publishing body publishing a range of specialist journals, books and reports.^[5]

In 2019 the BPS had 60,604 members and subscribers, in all fields of psychology, 20,243 of whom were Chartered Members.^[6] There are a number of grades of members:

• Members
  • Student member (no post-nominal): The grade for students of psychology.
  • Graduate Member (GMBPsS): Awarded to graduates of an undergraduate degree accredited by the society, or have completed an accredited conversion course.^[7]
  • Full Member (FMBPsS): awarded to those with qualification in psychology and working in the field of psychology
  • Associate Member (AMBPsS): awarded to wellbeing practitioners^[8]

• Fellows
  • Associate Fellow (AFBPsS): Associate Fellowship may be awarded to nominees who have satisfied one of the following conditions since first becoming eligible for graduate membership:

i) achieved eligibility for full membership of one of the society's divisions and been successfully engaged in the professional application of a specialised knowledge of psychology for an aggregate of at least two calendar years full-time (or its part-time equivalent); or

ii) possess a research qualification in psychology and been engaged in the application, discovery, development or dissemination of psychological knowledge or practice for an aggregate of at least four years full time (or its part time equivalent); or

iii) published psychological works or exercised specialised psychological knowledge of a standard not less than in 1 or 2 above.

• • Fellow (FBPsS): Fellowship may be awarded to nominees who have made an outstanding contribution to psychology (see Category:Fellows of the British Psychological Society) by satisfying the following criteria:

i) been engaged in work of a psychological nature (other than undergraduate training) for a total period of at least 10 years; and

ii) possess an advanced knowledge of psychology in at least one of its fields; and

iii) made an outstanding contribution to the advancement or dissemination of psychological knowledge or practice either by your own research, teaching, publications or public service, or by organising and developing the work of others.

• • Honorary Fellow (HonFBPsS): Honorary Fellowship is awarded for distinguished service in the field of psychology.

• CPsychol: Chartered Psychologist - Following the receipt of a royal charter in 1965, the society became the keeper of the Register of Chartered Psychologists. The register was the means by which the Society could regulate the professional practice of psychology. Regulation included the awarding of practising certificates and the conduct of disciplinary proceedings. The register ceased to be when statutory regulation of psychologists began on 1 July 2009. The profession is now regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council. A member of the British Psychological Society (MBPsS) who has achieved chartered status has the right to the letters "CPsychol" after his or her name.
• CSci: Chartered Scientist - The Society is licensed by the Science Council^[9] for the registration of Chartered Scientists.^[10]
• EuroPsy: European Psychologist^[11] - The Society is a member of the European Federation of Psychologists' Associations (EFPA), and can award this designation to Chartered Psychologists.

The British Psychological Society currently has ten divisions and nineteen sections. Divisions and sections differ in that the former are open to practitioners in a certain field of psychology, so professional and qualified psychologists only will be entitled to full membership of a division, whereas the latter are interest groups comprising members of the BPS who are interested in a particular academic aspect of psychology.

BPS has been concerned with the question of statutory registration of psychologists since the 1930s.^[45] It received its charter in 1965 and an amendment in 1987 which allowed it to maintain a register of psychologists. The UK government announced its intention to widen statutory regulation, to include inter alia psychologists, following a number of scandals arising in the 1990s in the psychotherapy field. The BPS was in favour of statutory regulation, but opposed the proposed regulator, the Health Professions Council (HPC), preferring the idea of a new Psychological Professions Council which would map quite closely onto its own responsibilities. The government resisted this, however, and in June 2009, under the Health Care and Associated Professions (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order, regulation of most of the psychology professions passed to the HCPC, the renamed Health and Care Professions Council.

The Society's main office is currently in Leicester in the United Kingdom. According to BPS HR department, as of April 2019 there were 113 staff members at the Leicester office, 9 in London. There are also smaller regional offices in Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow. The archives are deposited at the Wellcome Library in the Euston Road, London.^[46]

The British Psychological Society's logo is an image of the Greek mythical figure Psyche, personification of the soul, holding an oil lamp. The use of her image is a reference to the origins of the word psychology. The lamp symbolises learning and is also a reference to the story of Psyche. Eros was in love with Psyche and would visit her at night, but had forbidden her from finding out his identity. She was persuaded by her jealous sisters to discover his identity by holding a lamp to his face as he slept. Psyche accidentally burnt him with oil from the lamp, and he awoke and flew away.^[47]

The Society has its own YouTube channel.^[48]

• Association for Psychological Science
• Association of Business Psychologists
• List of psychologists
• Spearman Medal
• BPS Barbara Wilson Lifetime Achievement Award