According to APS, the "Janet Taylor Spence Award recognizes APS members who have made transformative early career contributions to psychological science.

Research contributions can be transformative in various ways, such as the establishment of new approaches or paradigms within a field of psychological science, or the development or advancement of boundary-crossing research. Award recipients reflect the best of the many new and cutting edge ideas coming from of our most creative and promising investigators who together embody the future of psychological science.

Recipients of the APS Janet Taylor Spence Award are recognized at a special symposium at the APS Annual Convention."