Psi Chi Key and Seal
Psi Chi was founded on September 4, 1929, during the Ninth International Congress of Psychology held at Yale University. Shortly after Psi Chi's founding, a key was designed for the society, and also a Psi Chi seal that features the key as its central element.
Most honor societies use a key as their main symbol; the majority of these are based on the Greek letters that form the names of the respective societies, and some include various other graphic elements intended to convey additional meaning. Psi Chi's key is based on the Greek letters "psi" and "chi" with the "psi" graphically extended as a key and superimposed over the "chi." There are no additional graphic elements used as symbols, but the letters "psi" and "chi" have been used for decades in the Psi Chi induction ritual to express the Greek words "psyche" and "cheires," which in turn symbolize "mind" (particularly scholarship and the enrichment of the mind) and "hands" (a symbol of fellowship and cooperation in research). These concepts are developed more fully in the Formal Ritual for the Induction of Members.
The Psi Chi seal places the symbols at the center of a circle, indicating that scholarship and fellowship are at the center of Psi Chi's mission. In addition to the Greek words and its founding date, the symbols are now wrapped onto a globe to represent the society’s new emphasis on international expansion. The outer band and circles encompassing the globe represent the unified goals and mission of the society: to excel in scholarship and advance psychology.