A Guide to Psychological Literacy and Psychologically Literate Global Citizenship.

Abstract

This guide provides a basic introduction to the related concepts of psychological literacy and psychologically literate citizenship. Psychological literacy encapsulates the idea that an understanding of basic principles of human behaviour and development gained through study of Psychology will help us to better understand ourselves and others, and will help individuals and organisations to function better. Psychologically literate citizenship extends this idea, to incorporate the benefits that an understanding of Psychology can bring to the individuals who study it, and their local and global communities. The guide will argue that Psychology offers potential solutions to many of the world’s most pressing problems. Its publication is particularly timely following the report of Trapp, Banister, Ellis, Latto, Miell and Upton (2011) and the subsequent inclusion of psychological literacy within the criteria for accreditation of undergraduate Psychology degrees by the British Psychological Society (BPS 2012). The guide commences by introducing the theoretical contexts of psychological literacy and psychologically literate citizenship. It links these concepts to issues around graduate attributes, including employability and global citizenship, suggesting that psychologically literate graduates are also highly employable global citizens. It then goes on to outline some possible areas of the typical undergraduate Psychology curriculum that lend themselves to developing psychological literacy in students. These suggestions are not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to stimulate creative thinking in the reader, and encourage psychologists everywhere to think about the real-life value of their particular areas of expertise in Psychology. We hope that you will find it useful, share it with your colleagu es, and use it to spark enthusiasm for Psychology in your students.