Influencing Social Policy synthesizes current knowledge about how psychologists influence social policy to serve the public interest. The volume builds upon interviews with 79 applied psychologists about their experiences in the policy domain, with special focus on the work of applied developmental psychologists, applied social psychologists, and community psychologists. Additional foundations of the volume include a review of social science scholarship across a wide range of disciplines, and author Kenneth Maton's 30 years of teaching on the topic, including frequent interactions with Washington, DC, policy experts. Together, these sources provide in-depth information about how applied psychologists influence social policy, the factors that contribute to their success, the challenges they face, and the approaches used to address those challenges. The policy influences described span all three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. The policy content areas are diverse, including the death penalty prohibition for adolescents, early childhood education, gay marriage, gender discrimination in the workplace, health and mental health care reform, homelessness, home visiting programs, sexually abused child witness treatment, status offender diversion from the juvenile justice system, substance abuse prevention, and many others. Influencing Social Policy is a must-have resource for graduate students and professionals in a wide variety of disciplines with interests in influencing social policy, including psychology, education, public health, social work, policy studies, anthropology, and sociology.

Series Foreword by Nicole E. Allen and Bradley OlsonForeword by Murray LevinePrefaceChapter 1: Psychologists in the Social Policy ArenaChapter 2: Psychologists in the Policy Arena: Policy Process, Use of Research, Vantage Points, Methods, and SkillsChapter 3: University Faculty in the Policy ArenaChapter 4: Psychologists Working in Intermediary OrganizationsChapter 5: Psychologists Working as Policy InsidersChapter 6: Policy-Relevant Research: Characteristics and Pathways to Policy InfluenceChapter 7: Policy Journeys: Multiple Involvements, Distinctive Aspects, and InfluencesChapter 8: Policy Failures and Defeats, Barriers and Challenges, and Lessons LearnedChapter 9: Conclusions and Future DirectionsAppendix A Interviewees by SubfieldAppendix B Alphabetical List of IntervieweesAppendix C Interview ProtocolAppendix D Policy Characteristics, Interdisciplinary Involvements, Leadership Positions, and International Focus of IntervieweesGlossaryReferencesAbout the AuthorIndex