Principles of Sociopolitical Competency in Psychological Practice, Research, and Teaching

Authors

• Richard E. Redding, Chapman UniversityFollow
• Nina C. Silander, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-22-2026

Abstract

Research shows that sociopolitical attitudes and values (SPAVs) often play an important role in people’s personal and social identity, life choices, psychological and behavioral functioning, and interpersonal relationships (including those between psychologists and their clients). Thus, SPAVs are frequently relevant to the work that psychologists do, whether as clinicians, researchers, or educators. After reviewing the research on the impact of SPAVs on people’s lives and relationships, we provide a set of evidence-based principles for effectively addressing SPAVs in clinical practice, psychological research, education and professional training, and professional ethics.

Comments

This article was originally published in Perspectives on Psychological Science in 2026. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261451147

Recommended Citation

Redding, R. E., & Silander, N. C. (2026). Principles of Sociopolitical Competency in Psychological Practice, Research, and Teaching. Perspectives on Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261451147

Copyright

The authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License