Psychological literacy

Psychological literacy is one's capacity for using knowledge from psychology to improve the lives of one's self and others. This includes thinking, acting, and communicating effectively using psychological science. Psychological literacy applies psychological principles to real-world situations, including personal and professional contexts.

A psychologically literate person uses psychological concepts to understand their own behavior, as well as the behavior of others. They use this knowledge to make informed decisions, solve problems, and communicate. Psychological literacy is an important skill in a wide range of fields, including education, healthcare, business, and social services.

History
Boneau (1990) generated a list of the top 100 concepts/core vocabulary in psychology, as a first approximation of psychological literacy.

Conceptualisation
Whilst many definitions of psychological literacy emphasise applicability to everyday life, other conceptualisations concentrate more narrowly on psychological literacy within the context of professional training in psychology, although students themselves are largely unfamiliar with the term.