Friday 24 July 15:40 - 17:10

Hall: 12 - Polveriera

Chair: Iannello Paola

Division: Division 9: Economic Psychology

This symposium explores the critical connections between financial literacy, financial behavior, and financial wellbeing, offering a comprehensive overview of the theoretical, empirical, and practical dimensions of these constructs. Financial literacy - defined as the set of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors that enable informed and effective financial decisions - serves as the foundation for understanding how individuals navigate increasingly complex financial landscapes.
The contributions span diverse yet interconnected themes. One contribution proposes a revised conceptual and measurement framework for financial literacy, highlighting key inconsistencies in
current tools and bridging the gap between its theoretical definition and empirical measurement. Other presentations examine financial literacy's protective role in high-risk contexts, such as adolescent and young adult gambling, demonstrating how greater financial knowledge reduces vulnerability to cognitive distortions and debt-related harm, while enhancing long-term financial wellbeing. The symposium also introduces a multidimensional framework of financial resilience that integrates personal, relational, and contextual factors. This approach underscores that financial wellbeing is not determined solely by material resources, but also by psychological and social supports that help individuals cope with adversity. Finally, a learner-centered perspective on financial education is proposed, stressing the importance of psychological constructs in designing effective, personalized interventions. Through gamified and experiential formats, financial education can go beyond knowledge transmission to promote enduring behavioral change.
Together, these contributions illustrate the multifaceted nature of financial literacy, calling for a rethinking of financial literacy as both a protective asset and a resource that demands active cultivation across the life course. This symposium aims to foster an interdisciplinary dialogue that connects theory, empirical evidence, and real-world interventions, emphasizing financial literacy's central role in shaping positive financial outcomes.