ESPLAT 2025 conference: Scientific thinking in challenging times

Introduction: Psychological literacy refers to students' ability to adaptively apply psychology knowledge and skills, such as critical thinking, to personal, professional, and societal goals. Despite prominence of psychological literacy in UK accreditation standards , little empirical research has examined the prevalence of psychological literacy practices in undergraduate psychology programmes in UK psychology curricula. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring (1) educators’ understanding of psychological literacy, (2) where it features in psychology curricula, and (3) how it is integrated into teaching and learning practices.

Methods: This Registered Report involved a descriptive, exploratory survey targeting psychology educators across the UK. A total of 84 educators participated, responding to questions about their familiarity with psychological literacy, its presence in BSc Psychology programmes, and the methods they use to embed it in teaching and learning.

Results: Results indicated that UK psychology educators were generally unfamiliar with the term "psychological literacy." However, their conceptualisations extended existing definitions by highlighting reflection and employability as key components. Educators reported incorporating attributes of psychological literacy primarily through assessment and feedback, as well as teaching content. They achieved this by emphasising the real-world relevance of psychology, encouraging students to reflect on personal experiences, and employing authentic, applied evaluations of student knowledge and skills.

Discussion: The findings reveal that psychological literacy is implicitly embedded in UK psychology education, despite educators’ limited explicit awareness of the term. Educators linked psychological literacy to values such as interactivity, collaboration, and reflexivity, which shaped their teaching and assessment approaches. Psychological literacy can enhance student outcomes and align educational approaches with broader policy goals. Our findings have significant implications for policy, emphasising the need to explicitly integrate psychological literacy into curricula and support educators in its application, to realise the potential of a psychological literacy education. Implications for cross-cultural considerations of psychological literacy will be discussed.