The Federation is a dues-supported coalition of Member Organizations, Academic Affiliates (including university departments and regional psychological associations), and Corporate Affiliates. We represent the interests of scientists who conduct research in the areas of behavioral, psychological, and cognitive sciences, focusing our efforts on legislative advocacy and education and the communication of information to scientists.

By-Laws
To view or download a copy of the Federation's by-laws approved in 2006, please use the following link: FBPCS By-Laws

Mission
Here is our original mission statement from 1981:

The Federation of Behavioral, Psychological and Cognitive Sciences is an association of scientific societies with interests in basic research on problems of behavior, psychology, language, education, knowledge systems and their psychological, behavioral, and physiological bases.

The Federation will present the interests and points of view of its constituent societies to the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government. It will be available for expert consultation on issues relevant to training and research in the sciences it represents. The Federation may also provide administrative and scientific services for its members. The Federation looks toward close cooperation with those scientific societies in the fields of the social sciences, psychology, education and the neurosciences that are already represented in Washington. It will join with them in presenting the views of its MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS on issues of science policy, national support for research, and education and training in the fields of science represented by the MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS.

The new Federation came into existence in Chicago on December 7, 1980 when representatives of 8 societies established the federation. The following societies were Charter members of the Federation:

• American Educational Research Association
• American Psychological Association
• National Conference on the Use of On-Line Computers in Psychology
• Cognitive Science Society
• Psychonomic Society
• Society of Experimental Social Psychology
• Society for Mathematical Psychology
• Society for Psychophysiological Research

Several other societies, represented at the meeting in Chicago, expected to become charter members in 1981, following their annual meetings.

The Federation issued the following initial statement of its goals and principles:

1. To educate the public, and private and public agencies on the need for basic research on behavior and cognition.
2. To encourage legislation and policy that enhances training and research in basic behavioral, psychological, psychobiological and cognitive processes.
3. To foster effective interactions between public and private funding agencies and the community of scientists and scientific societies.
4. To represent the view of its membership in the implementation of administrative policies, including issues of accountability, the protection of human and animal subjects, and peer review.
5. To provide sources of expertise and knowledge in the basic behavioral, psychological, and cognitive sciences.
6. To provide a national platform for issues of common concern.
7. To facilitate exchanges among constituent societies, including announcements of meetings, names of officers, lists of available services, and other items of organizational information that may be mutually helpful.
8. To establish channels of communication with other scientific groups, with representatives of the communication media, with educational groups, and with the general public.

The Federation was incorporated in 1981 and established an office in Washington, D.C., headed by an Executive Director, during 1982. Membership in the Federation is available only to bona fide scientific societies, there will be no individual memberships.