Psychology Research Papers Topics: - 50+ Excellent Ideas

 

 

Are you looking for an interesting psychology paper topic? Sometimes it appears like coming up with a good paper topic is more difficult than doing the research and writing. Fortunately, there are many fantastic locations to go for ideas, and the following list provides a few suggestions to get you started.

 

When writing any form of paper, one of the most critical stages is to choose a good topic. When writing a psychology research paper or essay, this is especially vital. Because psychology is such a large subject, you'll want to choose a topic that will allow you to cover the subject without being overwhelmed fully.

 

You may have had the ability to choose any topic within psychology's broad reaches in some situations, such as in a general psychology class. In some cases, such as in an abnormal psychology course, you may be required to write a paper on a specific topic, such as a psychological disorder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Concentrate on a single topic within a certain branch of psychology

 

 

The key to choosing a solid topic for your psychology paper is to choose something that is narrow enough to allow you to concentrate on the subject but not so narrow that you will have trouble finding sources or information to write about.

 

One strategy is to focus on a single topic within a certain discipline of psychology. For example, you could begin by choosing that you want to write a paper about social psychology. After that, you might concentrate on how persuasion can be used to affect behavior.

 

Other social psychology topics to think about are:

 

• Discrimination and prejudice (i.e., homophobia, sexism, racism)
• Social perception
• Individual perception
• Attitudes
• Cults and social control
• Marketing, propaganda, and persuasion
• Love, romance, and attraction
• Communication without words
• Social interaction
• Leadership

 

 

 

Write About a Disorder or Type of Therapy

 

 

A psychology paper might also be on a psychiatric disorder or a specific treatment approach. Specific psychological problems or treatment approaches, for example, are potential abnormal psychology subjects.

 

• Eating disorders
• Depression
• Phobias
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
• Schizophrenia
• Antisocial Personality Disorder
• Profile a type of therapy (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy, psychoanalytic therapy)

 

 

 

 

Choose a Topic Related to Human Cognition

 

 

Thinking, language, intelligence, and decision-making are some of the various themes to investigate in this field. Other suggestions include:

 

• Dreams
• Illusionary recollections
• Attention
• Perception
• Language
• Speech problems
• Problem-solving
• Judgment

 

 

 

Consider a Human Development-Related Topic

 

 

You may concentrate on issues that affect older persons, such as dementia or Alzheimer's disease, or you could focus on issues that affect early children, such as language development, social learning, or childhood attachment.

You could also consider the following topics:

 

• Bullying
• Learning a language
• Children and media violence
• Disabilities in learning
• Roles of gender
• Abuse of children
• Development during pregnancy
• Styles of parenting
• Characteristics of the aging process

 

 

 

Critique a Book or Academic Journal Article

 

Writing a psychology critique paper of a published psychology book or academic journal article is one alternative. You may, for example, critique Sigmund Freud's Interpretation of Dreams or analyze a more current book like Philip Zimbardo's The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil.

Materials for a critique paper can also be found in professional and academic periodicals. Look through your university library's collection for titles related to the subject you're most interested in, then look through recent articles until you find anything that piques your curiosity.

 

 

 

Analyze a Famous Experiment

 

 

Throughout the history of psychology, there have been numerous unique and breakthrough experiments, giving abundant material for students looking for an interesting term paper topic. You may opt to summarize the experiment, discuss the research ethics, or assess the study's implications in your report. You might want to try the following experiments:

 

• The Milgram Obedience Experiment
• The Stanford Prison Experiment
• The Little Albert Experiment
• Pavlov's Conditioning Experiments
• The Asch Conformity Experiment
• Harlow's Rhesus Monkey Experiments

 

 

 

 

Write a Paper About a Historical Figure

 

One of the simplest ways to come up with a brilliant topic is to compose a paper about an intriguing individual in psychological history. Your article could focus on a variety of aspects of the person's life, such as their biography, professional background, theories, or psychological influence.

 

While this paper is historical in nature, it does not have to be dry or uninteresting. Psychology is full with fascinating people who have amazing stories and anecdotes to tell. Consider the work of Sigmund Freud, B.F. Skinner, Harry Harlow, or any of the many other notable psychologists.

 

 

 

Write About a Specific Psychology Career

 

 

Writing about certain job options within the subject of psychology is another feasible topic, depending on the course in which you are enrolled. This type of paper is extremely useful if you're looking into several subtopics or deciding which area most interests you.

 

In your article, you may look into what a psychologist does on a daily basis, how much people in these disciplines make on average, and the various career paths accessible.

 

 

 

Create a Case Study of an Individual or Group of People

 

Writing a psychology case study of a certain person or group of people could be an intriguing idea. You will present an in-depth study of your subject, as well as a detailed biography, in this style of paper.

 

 

 

In general, you'll evaluate the person, generally based on a key psychological theory like Piaget's stages of cognitive development or Erikson's eight-stage theory of human development. It's also worth mentioning that your paper doesn't have to be about someone you personally know.

 

 

 

Many teachers, in fact, encourage students to create case studies on historical personalities or fictitious characters from novels, television shows, or movies.

 

 

 

Conduct a Literature Review

 

Another option for a lot of psychology courses is to conduct a literature review on a specific issue within psychology. Finding a variety of sources on a certain subject, then summarizing and reporting on what these sources have to say about the topic, is what a literature review entails.

 

Literature reviews are common in the introductions of journal articles and other psychological papers, but they can also be used in a full-scale psychology term paper.

 

 

 

 

Design a Study or Perform an Experiment

 

Many psychology courses require students to develop and conduct an actual psychological study or experiment. In some circumstances, students merely design the study and then speculate on the probable outcomes. You may have the opportunity to collect data, analyze your findings, and write up your findings in various scenarios.

 

 

 

Finding a study topic can be challenging, but there are many excellent ways to generate new ideas. Consider your personal interests as well as subjects you've already studied.

 

 

Online resources, media stories, books, journal articles, and even your own class textbook are all excellent places to look for ideas for experiments and psychology term papers. Learn more about how to run a psychology experiment before you begin.