Finding a solid topic is one of the most important steps when writing any type of paper. It can be particularly important when you are writing a psychology research paper or essay. Psychology is such a broad topic, so you want to find a topic that allows you to adequately cover the subject without becoming overwhelmed with information. In some cases, such as in a general psychology class, you might have had the option to select any topic from within psychology’s broad reaches. Other instances, such as in an abnormal psychology course, might require you to write your paper on a specific subject such as a psychological disorder. One approach is to narrow your focus down to a subject within a specific branch of psychology. For example, you might start by deciding that you want to write a paper on some sort of social psychology topic. Next, you might narrow your focus down to how persuasion can be used to influence behavior. Other social psychology topics you might consider include:
Prejudice and discrimination (i.e., homophobia, sexism, racism) Social cognition Person perception Attitudes Social control and cults Persuasion, propaganda, and marketing Attraction, romance, and love Nonverbal communication Prosocial behavior Leadership
Eating disorders Depression Phobias Borderline personality disorder Seasonal affective disorder Schizophrenia Antisocial personality disorder Profile a type of therapy (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy, psychoanalytic therapy)
Dreams False memories Attention Perception Language Speech disorders Problem-solving Judgment
Some other topics you might consider include:
Bullying Language acquisition Media violence and children Learning disabilities Gender roles Child abuse Prenatal development Parenting styles Aspects of the aging process
Professional and academic journals are also a great place to find materials for a critique paper. Browse through the collection at your university library to find titles devoted to the subject that you are most interested in, then look through recent articles until you find what that grabs your attention.
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
While this type of paper may be historical in nature, there is no need for this assignment to be dry or boring. Psychology is full of fascinating figures rife with intriguing stories and anecdotes. Consider such famous individuals as Sigmund Freud, B.F. Skinner, Harry Harlow, or one of the many other eminent psychologists. In your paper, you might opt to explore the typical duties of a psychologist, how much people working in these fields typically earn, and different employment options that are available. Generally, you will also assess the person, often using a major psychological theory such as Piaget’s stages of cognitive development or Erikson’s eight-stage theory of human development. It is also important to note that your paper doesn’t necessarily have to be about someone you know personally. In fact, many professors encourage students to write case studies on historical figures or fictional characters from books, television programs, or films. Literature reviews are generally found in the introduction of journal articles and other psychology papers, but this type of analysis also works well for a full-scale psychology term paper. Finding a topic for your study can be difficult, but there are plenty of great ways to come up with intriguing ideas. Start by considering your own interests as well subjects you have studied in the past. Online sources, newspaper articles, books, journal articles, and even your own class textbook are all great places to start searching for topics for your experiments and psychology term papers. Before you begin, learn more about how to conduct a psychology experiment. If you are still stumped by your assignment, ask your instructor for suggestions and consider a few from this list for inspiration.
