Washburn's published writings span thirty-five years and include some 127 articles on many topics including spatial perception, memory, experimental aesthetics, individual differences, animal psychology, emotion and affective consciousness. At various times in her career, she was an editor for the "American Journal of Psychology", "Psychological Bulletin", "Journal of Animal Behavior", "Psychological Review", and "Journal of Comparative Psychology". From 1909 to 1910 and later from 1925 to 1928 she served as the Representative of Psychology in the Division of Psychology and Anthropology of National Research. She became the 30th president of the American Psychological Association in 1921, an honorific title at that time. Being president of the American Psychological Association was one of her dreams growing up. In 1927, she was elected vice president and chairman of Section 1 (Psychology) of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 1929, she was elected to the International Committee of Psychology. Washburn was the first woman psychologist and the second woman scientist to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1931. The same year, she served as a United States Delegate to the International Congress of Psychology in Copenhagen.