CREATE PI Walter R. Boot recently participated in an American Psychological Association (APA) project translating science into policy solutions to address economic inequality, particularly protecting older Americans from financial exploitation. He led APA Division 20’s (Adult Development and Aging) efforts as part of a project funded through the APA’s Interdivisional Grant Program, Leveraging Psychological Science to Advance Economic Justice.
These grants are intended to foster collaboration across APA divisions to advance psychology as both a science and a profession, supporting interdivisional initiatives on topics of broad societal importance. This project brought together an interdisciplinary coalition to synthesize research on poverty and economic inequality and translate that work into actionable policy recommendations, resulting in a coordinated set of policy briefs for policymakers and stakeholders.
Dr. Boot, alongside Drs. Marguerite DeLiema and Shinae L. Choi, authored Division 20’s policy brief focusing on financial exploitation of older adults as a critical economic justice issue. The brief synthesizes research on the scope of exploitation, age-related vulnerabilities, and its emotional, physical, and financial consequences. It also highlights the growing role of technology in shaping risk, including the rise of AI-enabled scams, increasingly sophisticated phishing and impersonation tactics, and the use of digital platforms that can both expose older adults to fraud and serve as potential tools for prevention and education.
In addition to identifying risks, the brief emphasizes the importance of leveraging technology as part of the solution. This includes improving digital literacy and technology proficiency, promoting safer platform design, and supporting the development of tools that can help detect and prevent fraud in real time. The authors also emphasize increased federal investment in research and a shared responsibility for fraud prevention across financial institutions, technology companies, and regulators.
Building on these completed briefs, upcoming workshops and webinars will feature contributing authors and experts to present findings, identify remaining gaps, and support continued policy engagement aimed at advancing economic justice for older adults.
Please visit the APA website to read the news article on this accomplishment.