The idea of the Spanish Society for Comparative Psychology (SEPC) was born at different meetings held by people interested on the development of Scientific Psychology in Spain, especially in the area of learning and memory processes. An important meeting on this respect took place in Barcelona, in 1987. The Society was formally constituted at Madrid in 1988.
    From its beginnings, the main aim of the SEPC is the promotion and development of the experimental study of animal and human learning. The most important instrument that the Society has to reach this aim is the celebration of its annual congress. Each year, the meeting is organized by a different Spanish University. Though the final dates for the celebration of the meeting are established by the organizers, the meeting is usually held during the second or third week of September.
    Up to this moment, the meetings have been organized by the University Complutense of Madrid (Madrid, 1988), the University of Granada (Granada, 1989), the University of the Basque Country (San Sebastián, 1990), the University of Sevilla (Alcalá de Guadaira, 1991), the University of Oviedo (Oviedo, 1992), the University of Barcelona (Barcelona, 1993), the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (Segovia, 1994), the University of Deusto (Bilbao, 1995), the University of Málaga (Torremolinos, 1996), the University of Salamanca (Salamanca, 1997), the University of Almería (Almería, 1998), the University of Jaén (Baeza, 1999), the University of Granada (Granada, 2000), the University of the Basque Country (San Sebastián, 2001), the University of Sevilla (Sevilla, 2002), the University of Barcelona (Barcelona, 2003), the University of Oviedo (Oviedo, 2004 - This meeting was co-celebrated with the International Society of Comparative Psychology), the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (Madrid, 2005), the University of Málaga (Málaga, 2006), the Complutense University of Madrid (Madrid, 2007), and Deusto University (Bilbao, 2008). Next meeting will be held by the University of Salamanca (Salamanca, 2009).
    Typical papers at the meetings refer to experimental research on basic processes of learning, especially on classical and instrumental conditioning.  Studies of the relationships between learning, attention, memory, motivation and comparative cognition, and the underlaying psychobiological processes in either human or animal subjects are also included.
    Papers at the meeting can be presented as free talks, posters, and invited addresses. The organization arranges  time for comments, discussion, and questions about the results of the research. Invited addresses are given by well-known professionals from all over the world. This form of organization facilitates the exchange of information and opinions relating the research and activities of different laboratories and universities. It also makes possible the coordination of research, and the knowledge of the work conducted in foreign universities.