This badge takes you on an exciting journey to understand how psychology impacts everyday life and leadership. You’ll learn about famous psychologists and their contributions, create and perform a skit showing psychology in action, explore mental health and resilience, and track your own activities and emotions to see how they shape your well-being. Along the way, you’ll practice empathy, reflect on the Scout Oath and Law, and even design your own pledge to inspire hope and support in your community. Finally, dive into career paths in psychology and discover what it takes to succeed in this fascinating field. Expand your mind, build resilience, and make a difference—start your Psychology Badge adventure today!
Psychology Requirements
Current Scouts BSA requirements
as of January 6, 2026
This Test Lab offering is valid until December 31, 2026.
1.
Do the following:
a.
Define psychology in your own words and explain its impact on daily
life.
Write a script for a short (1–2 minute) skit that demonstrates how
a leader might apply the study of psychology to better lead a
group. Share your script with your counselor.
With the help of others, rehearse and perform your skit for your
counselor (in-person or by recorded video). Explain to your
counselor the plot and discuss the connections between psychology
and leadership that are shown in your skit.
Discuss with your counselor the concepts of protective factors,
risk factors, and resilience for the mental health of youth close
to your age in your community. Share ideas about how your community
could strengthen the resilience of young people.
For two weeks, create a tracking log and record daily how you spend
your time at school, in Scouting, and at each of your other
activities with your friends, family, and others close to you.
Think about how these things made you feel and draw your own emoji
next to each entry to summarize your feelings from each experience.
b.
Review your two-week tracking log with your counselor and discuss
the trends you notice about the activities you did and the emotions
you felt.
5.
Do the following:
a.
In your own words, define empathy and give examples of how you
might show empathy to others.
Describe how the Scout Oath and Law help create a community of hope and
support in Scouting. Write a short personal oath or law that expresses
how you can create hope and support in your troop or community. Explain
to your counselor why you chose those words.
Identify three career opportunities that would use skills and knowledge
in psychology. Pick one and research the training, education,
certification requirements, experience, and expenses associated with
entering the field. Research the prospects for employment, starting
salary, advancement opportunities, and career goals related to this
career. Discuss what you learned with your counselor and whether you
might be interested in this career.
