# Boyd McCandless Award > award for young scientists who contributed to developmental psychology **Wikidata**: [Q104540981](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104540981) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/boyd-mccandless-award ## Summary The Boyd McCandless Award is a prestigious science award conferred by the American Psychological Association (APA) to recognize young scientists who have made significant contributions to the field of developmental psychology. It serves as a distinguished honor for emerging researchers in this specialized area of psychological science. ## Key Facts - **Full Name**: Boyd R. McCandless Young Scientist Awards (also known as McCandless Award) - **Classification**: Instance of `science award` (a type of award for achievements in science) - **Conferring Organization**: American Psychological Association (APA) - **Purpose**: Recognizes young scientists who have contributed to developmental psychology - **Official Website**: https://www.apadivisions.org/division-7/awards/mccandless - **Wikidata Description**: "award for young scientists who contributed to developmental psychology" - **Domain**: Developmental psychology (a subfield of psychology concerned with the development of humans across the lifespan) ## FAQs **What is the Boyd McCandless Award?** The Boyd McCandless Award is a science award given by the American Psychological Association to recognize young scientists who have made notable contributions to developmental psychology, the scientific study of how humans grow, change, and develop throughout their lives. **Who is eligible for the Boyd McCandless Award?** The award is specifically targeted toward young scientists in the field of developmental psychology, suggesting that recipients are typically early-career researchers who have demonstrated promising or significant work in understanding human development. **What type of award is the Boyd McCandless Award?** It is formally classified as a `science award` — a type of award specifically given for achievements in the field of science. In ontological terms, it is an instance of the broader category "type of award" and falls within the scientific recognition ecosystem. **Which organization confers the Boyd McCandless Award?** The award is conferred by the American Psychological Association (APA), the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. The APA is divided into divisions, and the award appears to be associated with Division 7, which focuses on developmental psychology. **What is developmental psychology?** Developmental psychology is a branch of psychology that studies how people grow, learn, and change from infancy through adulthood. It examines physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development, making it a fundamental field for understanding human behavior across the lifespan. ## Why It Matters The Boyd McCandless Award matters because it provides critical recognition for emerging researchers in developmental psychology — a field that underpins our understanding of human growth, learning, and behavioral change. By specifically targeting young scientists, the award helps identify and elevate early-career researchers who are making meaningful contributions to understanding how humans develop. This recognition can significantly impact a researcher's career trajectory, providing visibility within the psychological community and encouraging continued excellence in developmental science. The award also honors the legacy of Boyd R. McCandless, whose name is associated with advancing the science of developmental psychology. ## Notable For - **Focus on Developmental Psychology**: One of the few awards specifically dedicated to recognizing achievement in developmental psychology rather than psychology broadly. - **Young Scientist Emphasis**: Specifically targets emerging researchers, filling a niche for early-career recognition in a competitive field. - **APA Backing**: Carries the weight and prestige of the American Psychological Association, one of the foremost psychological organizations globally. - **Specific Domain Recognition**: Awards contributions to understanding human development across the lifespan, a fundamental area of psychological science. ## Body ### Classification and Taxonomy The Boyd McCandless Award is formally classified as a **science award** — a distinct category of award given for achievements in scientific disciplines. In formal ontological terms, it is an **instance of** the class `type of award`, placing it within the broader taxonomy of recognition mechanisms in the scientific community. This classification connects it to the larger category of `science and technology awards`, which encompasses prizes recognizing achievement across scientific and technological domains. ### Relationship to Parent Categories The award exists within a clear hierarchical structure in knowledge organization systems. As a science award, it is part of the broader category `science and technology award`, which itself combines the facets of science and technology. Its primary **facet** is science, specifically the psychological science of human development. This positioning distinguishes it from general academic awards and places it firmly within the scientific recognition ecosystem. ### Conferring Organization The American Psychological Association (APA) is the awarding body for this honor. The APA is a leading organization in psychological research, education, and practice, with numerous divisions dedicated to specialized areas of the field. The award is associated with APA Division 7, which is specifically devoted to developmental psychology, indicating a direct connection between the award and the specialized subfield it honors. ### Naming and Aliases The award is known by two primary names: the full formal name "Boyd R. McCandless Young Scientist Awards" and the shorter "McCandless Award." These aliases reflect both the commemorative nature of the award (honoring Boyd R. McCandless) and its practical usage within the psychological community. The use of "Awards" in the full name suggests that multiple recipients may be recognized in a given cycle or across different years. ### Purpose and Domain The award specifically recognizes contributions to **developmental psychology** — the scientific study of how people grow, change, and develop throughout their lives. This field encompasses research into physical development, cognitive development, and socioemotional development from infancy through old age. By focusing on young scientists, the award acknowledges that breakthrough contributions to understanding human development can come from researchers early in their careers, not just established senior scholars. ### Official Presence The award has an official web presence through the APA divisions website at https://www.apadivisions.org/division-7/awards/mccandless. This digital presence allows researchers, students, and members of the psychological community to access information about the award, including nomination procedures, eligibility requirements, and past recipients. ### Knowledge Base Integration In knowledge organization systems, the Boyd McCandless Award is linked to the broader concept of "science award" through the `instance_of` property. This connection allows it to be found within the category of scientific recognition awards and enables cross-referencing with other science awards in databases and knowledge graphs. The award's description in Wikidata — "award for young scientists who contributed to developmental psychology" — provides a concise, machine-readable definition that distinguishes it from other psychological awards.