The APA CODAPAR–funded project Leveraging Psychological Science to Advance Economic Justice brought together an interdisciplinary coalition of APA divisions to address poverty and economic inequality through a psychological science lens. Participating divisions included Division 9 (Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues), Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology), Division 20 (Adult Development and Aging), Division 27 (Society for Community Research and Action), Division 35 (Society for the Psychology of Women), Division 37 (Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice), Division 38 (Society for Health Psychology), and Division 41 (American Psychology–Law Society). Together, these divisions represented expertise spanning the life course, mental and physical health, community and social systems, gender and family contexts, and policy and legal frameworks.
The purpose of the grant was to leverage psychological science to advance economic justice by synthesizing evidence on the causes and consequences of poverty and economic inequality, assessing promising practices and interventions, and translating this knowledge into concrete, actionable policy recommendations. Drawing on diverse subfields of psychology, the project produced a comprehensive, multifaceted analysis demonstrating how psychological science can inform effective public policy.
The collaborative produced a coordinated set of policy briefs highlighting state-of-the-field psychological research related to poverty and economic inequality. These policy briefs are now complete and articulate clear policy solutions and recommendations.
As part of this effort, Division 20 (Adult Development and Aging) contributed a completed policy brief authored by Walter R. Boot, PhD, Marguerite DeLiema, PhD, and Shinae L. Choi, PhD. The Division 20 brief focused on financial exploitation of older adults as a critical economic justice issue, synthesizing psychological research on the scope of exploitation, age-related vulnerabilities, and the emotional, physical, and economic consequences of victimization. It highlighted how emerging technologies, including AI-enabled scams, are increasing risks for older adults and advanced policy recommendations emphasizing the preservation and strengthening of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, increased federal investment in research, and shared responsibility for fraud prevention across financial institutions, technology companies, and regulators.
Building on these completed products, workshops and webinars will feature paper authors and other experts to present key research findings, identify remaining gaps, discuss policy implications, and outline strategies for effective advocacy aimed at advancing economic justice.
Walter R. Boot, PhD
Irving Sherwood Wright Professor in Geriatrics II
Associate Director
Center on Aging and Behavioral Research
Weill Cornell Medicine
Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine
420 East 70th Street, Suite 300B Office LH-317
New York, New York 10021
As always, please feel free to reach out and share your ideas. Together, we can advance the mission of Division 20, making a lasting difference in the lives of older adults and in the field of adult development and aging.