Psychological literacy is "the general capacity to adaptively and intentionally apply psychology to meet personal, professional, and societal needs" (McGovern et al. 2010). This includes thinking, acting, and communicating effectively using psychological science.

A psychologically literate person uses psychological concepts to understand their own behavior and the behavior of others. They use this knowledge to make informed decisions, solve problems, and communicate. Psychological literacy is an applicable in psychological professions but also in other graduate careers, including education, healthcare, business, and social services. Psychological literacy is relevant to addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2023)

Boneau (1990)^[1] generated a list of the top 100 concepts/core vocabulary in psychology, as a first approximation of psychological literacy.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2023)

Whilst many definitions of psychological literacy emphasise applicability to everyday life (e.g. Hulme, 2014, 2025), other conceptualisations concentrate more narrowly on psychological literacy within the context of the competences obtained through studying psychology. However, psychology students themselves are largely unfamiliar with the term.^[2]

• Emotional literacy
• Mental health literacy
• Psychological literacy (Wikiversity)
• Scientific literacy

• Psychological literacy (psychliteracy.com)
• Psychological literacy (University of New South Wales)

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