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 We are excited to welcome you to Albuquerque, Feb. 6 and 7, for the 9th annual ARP pre-conference. Albuquerque offers a culturally rich and geographically interesting backdrop for what we hope will be an exciting program. We kick things off on Wednesday evening with a talk by Eric Turkheimer, from the University of Virginia, who will provide a thought provoking review of twin research on personality in an attempt to understand what, if anything, we have learned. Although Dr. Turkheimer is somewhat pessimistic about past research focusing on the heritability of personality, he outlines a new paradigm that he believes holds substantial promise for illuminating the underlying causal bases of associations among phenotypic personality variables. A poster session and cash bar will follow Dr. Turkheimer’s talk. Thursday features four symposia plus an invited address by this year’s Tanaka dissertation award winner, Kristian Markon. Dr. Markon, now at the University of Iowa, will draw on both primary and secondary (meta-) analyses conducted as part of his dissertation to discuss hierarchical relationships among Big Traits, and the role of hierarchy in integrating Big Trait models. He will also discuss different types of hierarchical models and their implications for understanding trait structure, including lower-order trait structure. We are also fortunate to have with us this year’s Jack Block Award winner, Ed Diener. Dr. Diener has organized a symposium on personality, emotion, and well-being that will feature talks by several of his most prominent students, including Randy Larson (Washington University), Shige Oishi (University of Virginia), and Ulrich Schimmack (University of Toronto). The remaining three symposia do a great job of showcasing the richness and diversity of contemporary personality research. Rebecca Shiner and Sam Putnam have organized a symposium on temperament in which speakers will trace the pathways through which early traits influence children's development, with a particular emphasis on the development of psychopathology. Sam Gosling has organized a fascinating set of talks that illustrate important advantages of animal research and its potential to inform our understanding of human personality. Finally, Bill Shadel has organized a series of talks on idiographic approaches to personality. Long recognized as an important theoretical perspective, recent methodological advances now provide the tools needed to begin to put these ideas to test. This symposium will highlight both significant methodological and theoretical advances in this area. A detailed schedule can be found at http://www.personality-arp.org/conference.htm. When not attending the conference, there is plenty to see and do in Albuquerque. Shop for a kachina doll in Old Town (http://www.oldtownalbuquerque.com/), take in an exhibit at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (http://www.indianpueblo.org/), visit a local spa (http://www.itsatrip.org/activities/spa), sample indigenous cuisine in one of many excellent restaurants (http://www.fodors.com/world/north%20america/usa/new%20mexico/albuquerque/listings_nam_20002.html), or ski nearby Sandia Peak (http://www.sandiapeak.com/). Albuquerque is situated in the middle of the Rio Grande Valley at 5311 feet. Expect magnificent sunny days with highs in the 50s, but be prepared to bundle up at night when temperatures typically drop into the upper 20s. We look forward to seeing you all in Albuquerque!  Lynne Cooper |
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