Psychological Literacy: Two interlinked talks
Presenters: Associate Professor Jacquelyn Cranney (Psychology, UNSW Sydney, Australia) and Dr Julie Hulme (Psychology, Keele University)
Talk 1 from Prof Cranney: Psychological Literacy in Undergraduate Psychology Education and Beyond
Psychological literacy is the capacity to intentionally use psychology to meet personal, professional and societal needs. In the ten years since its re-making, the greatest uptake of the concept of psychological literacy has been within undergraduate psychology education in the UK, Australia and North America. Examples are given, and ethical and resource challenges are discussed. There is a need for further conceptual development, which can then lead to (a) more valid and reliable measurement, and (b) more rigorous evaluation of the impact of educational ‘interventions’. The primary opportunity in meeting such challenges is that students/graduates should be better able to connect psychological science to solutions in everyday life.
Talk 2 from Dr Hulme: Psychological literacy: moving critical thinking from classroom to everyday life
Psychology is an unusual discipline, in that it relates to all aspects of what it is to be human – from prenatal development to death. As such, it requires us to think objectively, critically and scientifically about experiences that can be personally meaningful, and to recognise the difference between ‘real’ psychology and popular psychology. Psychological literacy relates to our ability to apply psychological knowledge and skills to everyday life and employment. In the second talk, we will explore ways of enabling students to use psychology to interpret and solve problems in the world around them, using psychology as an evidence base, and critical thinking as a key element of their toolkit.
Please contact Jacqui Taylor at jtaylor@bournemouth.ac.uk if you have any questions.
Presenter details:
Prof Cranney has been the recipient of national awards for her contributions to psychology education and HE more broadly. She has received Fellowships and grants that have progressed undergraduate psychology policy and practice, and that have focused on curriculum integration of the development of self-management capacity for all university students. Jacky is a fervent believer in George Miller’s exhortation to “give psychology away”, particularly through providing opportunities for everyone to develop psychological literacy, which is the intentional application of psychological science to meet personal, professional and societal needs. [psychliteracy.com]
Dr Hulme is a Reader in Psychology at Keele University, and Chair of the BPS Division of Academics, Researchers and Teachers in Psychology. A National Teaching Fellow, she applies psychology to learning, teaching and assessment. She started her academic journey as a mature student, which helped her to recognise the importance of skills and confidence for successful university study. Julie has been a leading light in developing practice in this area within the UK. She has published multiple journal articles and best-practice guides, and has spoken about it at conferences, workshops and institutions world-wide.
