psychology degree dissertation ideas

101 Examples of Dissertation Research Topics for Psychology Students

Students looking for psychology dissertation topic ideas

The journey of a psychology student culminates in the all but dissertation stage and the challenging task of selecting a good dissertation topic for psychology. The decision you make at this point will set the stage for your academic and professional trajectory.

This momentous project is not just a rite of passage but an opportunity to delve deeply into a niche area of interest, contribute to a body of knowledge, and possibly even ignite a career-long pursuit. With the vast expanse of psychology stretching from the neural synapses of the brain to the complex social interactions of communities, the challenge lies not in finding a topic, but in narrowing down the multitude of possibilities!

In this article, we present an expansive list of dissertation topics for psychology students who are in the process of choosing a good dissertation topic .

The ideas provided are designed to encourage exploration of both traditional and avant-garde topics, reflecting the current trends and enduring questions that shape the evolving landscape of psychological research. From the psychological impacts of digital detox to the cognitive rehabilitation techniques for stroke survivors, these topics are designed to accommodate various interests and academic pursuits. They cater not only to a comprehensive academic challenge but also to the practical implications that such research can have on individuals, systems, and societies.

As you take a look at these suggestions, it’s important that you consider not only what interests you but also what excites you. The best dissertation topic is one that you can commit to with passion and curiosity, one that promises a journey of discovery replete with challenges and rewards.

Before we present the list of dissertation ideas for psychology students, let’s take a look at what makes a good dissertation research topic.

What Makes a Good Dissertation Research Topic for Psychology Students?

A good psychology research topic should meet several key criteria to ensure it is valuable, feasible, and has the potential to contribute to the field. Here’s an overview of the characteristics that make a research topic stand out:

Relevance : The topic should address current issues or gaps in the field of psychology. It needs to be pertinent to contemporary debates, practices, or policies. Relevance also means that the research could have practical applications or implications, potentially informing practitioners, policymakers, or the general public.
Originality : A good research topic brings a new perspective to a known issue or explores an understudied area. The aim is to contribute original knowledge or insights rather than replicating past studies without adding substantial value.
Specificity : Broad topics can be overwhelming and impractical to tackle within the constraints of a typical research timeline and budget. A well-defined and focused research question allows for a more thorough and in-depth study.
Clarity : The topic should be framed in a way that is understandable and clear. This means avoiding jargon when unnecessary and defining key terms. A clearly articulated research question guides the methodology and helps maintain focus throughout the project.
Feasibility : This involves considering the researcher’s access to subjects, resources, and data. The research should be achievable within the given time frame and with available resources. Feasibility also concerns the ethical considerations and approval processes required for conducting research.
Interest : A researcher’s personal interest and passion for a topic can significantly influence the quality of the research. It’s beneficial if the topic resonates with the researcher’s own scholarly interests and curiosities.
Scope for Scientific Method : Good psychology research topics should allow for systematic investigation through accepted scientific methods. This includes the potential for hypothesis testing, operationalization of variables, and the use of statistical analysis to draw conclusions.
Ethical Soundness : Psychology research often involves human subjects, which necessitates careful ethical consideration. A good topic should conform to ethical standards, ensuring the privacy, consent, and welfare of participants.
Implications : Lastly, a good research topic should have clear theoretical, practical, or clinical implications. It should contribute to a greater understanding of the human mind and behavior, potentially leading to better psychological interventions or therapies.

While selecting a research topic for your dissertation is important, you should never overlook the importance of the writing and editing process. Dissertation proofreading services can help you refine your final draft and ensure it presents you in the best possible light.

Link to dissertation proofreading sales page

101 Psychology Dissertation Ideas

The Role of Social Media in Adolescent Mental Health: Investigate how different levels of social media use affect mood disorders in adolescents.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Depression: Analyze the efficacy of CBT interventions in treating depression among various age groups.
Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation After Brain Injuries: Study how different rehabilitation techniques can affect the brain’s plasticity and recovery trajectory post-injury.
The Psychology of Pandemics: Explore the long-term psychological impact of pandemics on different populations, focusing on coping mechanisms and resilience.
Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adulthood: Examine the challenges and support systems available for adults with autism, including employment, social relationships, and healthcare.
Sleep Patterns and Academic Performance: Investigate the correlation between sleep quality and academic success in college students.
The Impact of Parenting Styles on Child Development: Analyze how different parenting styles affect a child’s emotional, social, and cognitive development.
Workplace Psychology and Employee Well-being: Explore the effects of workplace culture on mental health and job satisfaction.
Memory and Aging: Study the patterns of cognitive decline in memory with aging and the effectiveness of interventions to slow down this process.
The Influence of Cultural Background on Psychological Treatment Outcomes: Research how cultural beliefs and practices affect the efficacy of psychological treatments for mental health issues.
Psychological Resilience in First Responders: Investigate the coping strategies used by first responders to manage stress and trauma-related to their line of work.
The Effect of Nature on Mental Health: Examine how regular exposure to natural environments influences psychological well-being and stress levels.
Intergenerational Trauma and Healing: Study patterns of trauma transmission in families and communities and the effectiveness of interventions aimed at breaking these cycles.
The Psychology of Fake News: Explore the cognitive biases that contribute to the belief in and spread of misinformation, and strategies for critical thinking promotion.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Chronic Pain: Evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation practices in managing chronic pain and improving quality of life.
Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Grief and Mourning: Research how different cultures process and express grief and the implications for counseling practices.
The Impact of Bilingualism on Cognitive Development: Investigate how learning and using multiple languages from an early age affects cognitive abilities and neural plasticity.
Social Isolation and Cognitive Function in the Elderly: Examine the long-term cognitive effects of social isolation in senior populations and potential interventions.
Attachment Styles and Romantic Relationships: Study how early attachment patterns influence adult romantic relationships, including partner selection and relationship satisfaction.
Cyberpsychology and Identity Formation: Investigate how online environments and social networks contribute to or disrupt the process of identity formation in adolescents and young adults.
Emotional Regulation in High-Stress Professions: Study strategies and their effectiveness in managing emotional responses in professions such as surgery, law enforcement, or air traffic control.
Virtual Reality as a Tool for Phobia Treatment: Explore the use of VR environments in the systematic desensitization of individuals with specific phobias.
Influence of Dietary Patterns on Children’s Behavioral Disorders: Investigate the relationship between nutritional choices and behavioral outcomes in children with ADHD or autism spectrum disorders.
Psychological Impacts of Climate Change: Examine the effects of climate change on mental health, including anxiety, depression, and feelings of loss or grief.
The Role of Art Therapy in Treating PTSD: Evaluate the efficacy of art therapy interventions for veterans or victims of violence suffering from PTSD.
Gender Identity Development in Adolescence: Research the factors that influence gender identity and expression during the critical developmental stage of adolescence.
Cognitive Dissonance and Consumer Behavior: Study how cognitive dissonance affects purchasing decisions and brand loyalty in the retail sector.
Psychology of Pain Management: Investigate the role of psychological factors in the perception of pain and the effectiveness of psychological pain management techniques compared to pharmacological treatments.
Social Perception in Online vs. Face-to-Face Interactions: Compare the accuracy of social perception and formation of first impressions in online settings versus in-person encounters.
The Impact of Social Support on Recovery from Substance Abuse: Explore how different types and sources of social support contribute to the recovery process from drug and alcohol addiction.
Effects of Microaggressions on Workplace Performance: Investigate how subtle forms of discrimination impact employees’ job satisfaction and productivity.
The Psychology of Financial Decision-Making in Young Adults: Explore how psychological factors influence financial literacy and decision-making in the transition to adulthood.
The Role of Pet Ownership in Managing Chronic Mental Illness: Examine the therapeutic benefits of pet ownership for individuals with chronic mental health conditions.
Mindfulness Interventions in Elementary Education: Study the effects of mindfulness practices on attention and emotional regulation in young children.
Narrative Identity and Life Transitions: Analyze how personal storytelling and narrative identity evolve during major life transitions, such as retirement or career change.
Cultural Competence in Psychotherapy: Evaluate the importance of cultural competence in therapeutic practices and client outcomes.
Psychological Impact of Body Image Portrayed in Social Media: Explore the effects of social media on body image dissatisfaction and the development of eating disorders.
Eco-Anxiety and Environmental Activism: Examine the psychological effects of climate change concerns on environmental activism behaviors.
Psychological Processes in Extreme Sports: Study risk assessment, decision-making, and flow states in athletes who participate in extreme sports.
The Effect of Music Therapy on Cognitive Decline in Dementia Patients: Research the impact of music therapy sessions on the progression of cognitive symptoms in dementia.
Social Cognition in Virtual Teams: Evaluate how individuals understand and operate within teams that interact exclusively through digital means.
Attachment Patterns and Social Media Usage: Investigate the connection between attachment styles and usage patterns of social media platforms.
Psychological Safety and Learning in Academic Settings: Explore the concept of psychological safety and its impact on students’ willingness to engage in learning activities.
Humor and Coping Mechanisms in Stressful Occupations: Analyze the role of humor as a coping strategy for professionals in high-stress fields like emergency medicine.
Impact of Sleep Hygiene Education on Student Performance: Evaluate the effectiveness of sleep education programs in improving the sleep quality and academic performance of university students.
Color Psychology in Marketing and Branding: Study how color influences consumer perceptions and behaviors towards products and brands.
The Role of Psychological Flexibility in Chronic Pain Management: Explore how acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can aid individuals with chronic pain in improving their quality of life.
Cyberbullying and Self-esteem in Adolescents: Examine the long-term effects of cyberbullying on self-esteem and identity formation during adolescence.
Emotional Intelligence and Conflict Resolution: Investigate how emotional intelligence skills facilitate conflict resolution in personal and professional relationships.
Digital Detox and Psychological Well-Being: Examine the psychological effects of taking regular breaks from digital devices.
Stress Resilience in Space Exploration: Study psychological resilience strategies for astronauts during long-duration space missions.
Language Acquisition in Mixed-Language Households: Explore how children in bilingual homes acquire and separate languages cognitively.
The Role of Play in Child Development: Investigate different play therapies and their impact on developmental disorders in children.
Implicit Bias and Decision Making in Jury Deliberations: Examine how implicit biases can influence the decision-making process in legal settings.
Cognitive Effects of Chronic Sleep Deprivation: Research the long-term cognitive impacts of chronic sleep deprivation in adults.
The Psychology of Superstitions in Sports: Study the role and impact of superstitious behaviors on athletes’ performance.
The Mental Health Effects of Urban vs. Rural Living: Compare the prevalence and types of mental health issues in urban versus rural populations.
Psychological Outcomes of Genetic Testing: Explore the emotional and psychological impact of undergoing genetic testing for diseases.
Intergenerational Effects of Historical Trauma: Investigate the psychological effects across generations within communities that have experienced historical trauma.
The Impact of Social Comparisons on Self-Esteem: Examine how individuals’ self-esteem is affected by comparisons made on social media platforms.
Emotion Recognition and AI Interactions: Study how humans perceive and react to emotional expressions by artificial intelligences and robots.
Personality Development in Space Colonies: Speculate on how living in space colonies might affect personality development and social dynamics.
The Effect of Parental Leave on Child Psychological Development: Research the long-term effects of various lengths and types of parental leave on children.
Sensory Processing Disorders and Educational Outcomes: Examine the impact of sensory processing disorders on children’s educational achievements.
The Influence of Scent on Memory Recall: Explore the connection between olfactory cues and the accuracy or vividness of memory recall.
Peer Influence on Risky Behavior in Adolescence: Analyze how peer groups can impact the decision-making process in teenagers regarding risky behaviors.
The Effect of Minimalism on Mental Health: Study the psychological impact of adopting a minimalist lifestyle in a consumer-driven society.
Psychological Mechanisms of Radicalization: Investigate the cognitive and emotional pathways that lead individuals to adopt radical ideologies.
Multitasking and Cognitive Load: Investigate the limits of cognitive load and its impact on multitasking efficiency.
Psychological Effects of Long-Term Spaceflight: Explore the mental challenges astronauts face during extended missions.
Therapeutic Effects of Creative Writing: Study how creative writing can be used as a therapeutic tool for emotional expression.
Psychology of Religious Extremism: Examine the factors that contribute to religious extremism from a psychological perspective.
Mental Health Implications of Climate Migration: Research the psychological impact of relocating due to climate change.
Social Psychology of Urbanization: Explore how urban living influences social behavior and community dynamics.
Gestures and Language Development in Children: Investigate the role of gestural communication in early language acquisition.
Technology Addiction and Family Dynamics: Study the impact of technology addiction on interpersonal relationships within families.
Psychology of Solitude: Examine the effects of solitude on mental health and personal growth.
Cognitive Rehabilitation Techniques for Stroke Survivors: Explore effective cognitive rehabilitation methods for post-stroke recovery.
Impact of Prenatal Exposure to Music on Infant Development: Research the long-term developmental effects of prenatal music exposure.
Psychological Impacts of Participatory Art: Study how engagement with participatory art can affect psychological well-being.
Neuroethics of Brain-Computer Interfaces: Delve into the ethical implications of using BCIs in neurology and psychiatry.
Empathy Development in Virtual Reality Training: Investigate how VR can be used to enhance empathy in professional training programs.
Social Media and Collective Memory Formation: Examine how social media platforms influence the formation of collective memories.
Psychological Aspects of Cosmetic Surgery: Research the motivations and outcomes of cosmetic surgery from a psychological standpoint.
Personality Traits and Online Dating Success: Analyze how different personality traits affect success in online dating.
Psychological Strategies in Competitive Esports: Study the mental techniques used by esports players to enhance performance.
Attachment Security and Pet Ownership: Explore the connection between attachment styles and the bond with pets.
Psychological Effects of Autonomous Vehicles: Investigate how trust and control issues impact the acceptance of self-driving cars.
Mental Health Services in Rural Communities: Examine the challenges and effectiveness of delivering mental health care in rural areas.
Cross-Cultural Communication in Global Teams: Research the psychological barriers and facilitators of communication in international teams.
Psychology of Sustainable Behavior: Study the motivators and deterrents of engaging in environmentally sustainable behaviors.
Impact of Witnessing Parental Conflict on Children: Investigate the long-term effects of exposure to parental conflict during childhood.
Sleep Disorders and Emotional Regulation: Examine the relationship between sleep quality and the ability to regulate emotions.
Trauma-Informed Practices in Education: Explore the implementation and outcomes of trauma-informed approaches in schools.
Psychology of Menu Design: Analyze how menu layout and choice architecture influence dining decisions.
Motivational Factors in Crowdfunding: Investigate what psychological factors motivate people to contribute to crowdfunding campaigns.
Perception of Time in Different Cultures: Research how the cultural background affects the perception and value of time.
Psychological Resilience in Extreme Athletes: Study the mental toughness and resilience strategies of athletes in extreme sports.
Influence of Indoor Plants on Mood and Productivity: Explore the psychological benefits of having plants in indoor workspaces.

Each of these topics has a broad range of literature to draw from and the potential to contribute new knowledge or insights to the field of psychology. It’s important to refine these ideas further to create a specific, researchable question that can be addressed within the scope of a dissertation.

Verify originality of an essay

Get ideas for your paper

Find top study documents

List of 150+ Psychology Dissertation Topics and Ideas to Write About

Updated 27 Jun 2024

Starting your psychology dissertation is like unlocking a treasure trove of fascinating discoveries. Psychology, the study of how our minds work and why we behave the way we do, offers a wide array of topics to explore. Selecting a compelling psychology dissertation topic can be challenging, so if you're feeling overwhelmed, you might consider hiring a professional to write my dissertation for me to ensure your research is thorough and well-structured. It's crucial to choose a dissertation topic in a subject not only of personal interest but also one where fresh insights can be gained.

To help you get started with brainstorming psychology dissertation topics, we have developed a list of the latest topics that can be used for writing your paper. We cover everything from cognitive psychology, and clinical psychology to how we think and act in social situations. This list is here to spark your creativity and help you find a topic that really speaks to you. So, let's dive into the amazing world of psychology together!

Social psychology dissertation topics

There are countless possible topics that one can explore when it comes to Social Psychology Dissertation Ideas, which delve into the way individuals behave within social contexts. Some interesting areas to consider include investigating how self-esteem is affected by social media, analyzing the influence of conformity on group decision-making, or investigating how stereotype threat can impact academic performance.

The influence of group identity on individual decision-making processes.
The impact of social norms on environmentally friendly behaviors.
The role of social media in shaping political opinions and activism.
The effects of stereotype threat on academic performance among minorities.
The psychological mechanisms behind conformity and disobedience.
The impact of first impressions on interpersonal relationships.
The role of empathy in reducing intergroup conflicts.
The influence of cultural diversity on team dynamics and performance.
The psychological effects of perceived social isolation in the digital age.
The role of social support in the recovery process of addiction.
The impact of parental attitudes on the development of children's prejudice.
The influence of social comparison on self-esteem and body image.
The role of communication in maintaining long-distance relationships.
The psychological effects of crowd behavior and mass gatherings.
The impact of social exclusion on mental health and behavior.
The role of social identity in consumer behavior and brand loyalty.
The influence of societal expectations on gender roles and identity.
The psychological mechanisms behind altruism and prosocial behavior.
The effects of social media on relationship satisfaction and longevity.
The role of group dynamics in organizational change and innovation.

Elevate your papers with professional touch!

Zero AI - 100% human-crafted content
Tailored to your writing style
Guaranteed to pass Turnitin
Sourced from the latest, reliable materials

Place an order

Clinical psychology dissertation ideas

The effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy in treating borderline personality disorder.
The role of early intervention in preventing the development of psychosis.
The impact of therapeutic alliance on treatment outcomes in psychotherapy.
The effectiveness of exposure therapy in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The role of family therapy in the treatment of eating disorders.
The impact of neuropsychological assessment in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease.
The effectiveness of cognitive remediation therapy for schizophrenia.
The role of psychological interventions in managing chronic pain.
The impact of attachment-based therapy on adult attachment styles.
The effectiveness of motivational interviewing in substance abuse treatment.
The role of psychoeducation in improving outcomes for bipolar disorder patients.
The impact of trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy on PTSD symptoms.
The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in treating depression.
The role of psychological support in enhancing cancer patients' quality of life.
The impact of cognitive-behavioral therapy on anxiety disorders in children.
The effectiveness of play therapy in addressing behavioral issues in children.
The role of lifestyle interventions in managing symptoms of ADHD.
The impact of sleep interventions on mental health disorders.
The effectiveness of group therapy in treating social anxiety disorder.
The role of positive psychology interventions in enhancing well-being and resilience.

Personality psychology dissertation topics

The influence of personality traits on career success and job satisfaction.
The role of resilience in coping with life stressors among different personality types.
The impact of social media on personality development in adolescents.
The relationship between personality disorders and criminal behavior.
The effectiveness of personality assessments in organizational settings.
The influence of birth order on personality traits and family dynamics.
The role of genetics and environment in shaping personality.
The impact of personality traits on romantic relationship satisfaction and longevity.
The relationship between personality traits and coping mechanisms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The influence of personality on consumer behavior and marketing strategies.
The role of personality in leadership effectiveness and team dynamics.
The impact of mindfulness practices on personality traits and emotional well-being.
The relationship between personality traits and academic achievement.
The effectiveness of psychotherapy interventions in modifying maladaptive personality traits.
The influence of cultural factors on personality development and expression.
The role of personality in the development and maintenance of psychological disorders.
The impact of early life experiences on adult personality structure.
The relationship between personality traits and physical health outcomes.
The influence of personality on social networking site usage and online behaviors.
The role of personality in resilience and recovery from trauma.

Cognitive psychology dissertation ideas

Cognitive psychology is a sub-field of psychology that delves into mental processes, including attention, perception, memory, and problem-solving. Students looking for dissertation ideas in this area can explore topics such as the effects of cognitive biases on decision-making, the interplay between emotions and cognitive processes, and the impact of technology on cognitive development. Let's look at a few of them!

The effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive functions and decision-making.
The role of attention in the perception of visual illusions.
The impact of aging on memory retention and retrieval processes.
The effectiveness of cognitive training programs in enhancing brain function.
The relationship between language development and cognitive growth in children.
The influence of emotion on memory formation and recall.
The cognitive processes involved in problem-solving and creativity.
The effects of digital technology usage on attention span and cognitive control.
The role of working memory in multitasking abilities.
The impact of stress on cognitive functions and mental flexibility.
The relationship between cognitive styles and learning outcomes.
The cognitive mechanisms of false memories and their implications.
The effects of bilingualism on cognitive flexibility and executive function.
The role of perception in decision-making and judgment.
The impact of mindfulness meditation on cognitive processes and mental health.
The relationship between cognitive biases and social perception.
The cognitive underpinnings of phobias and fear responses.
The effects of music on cognitive performance and mood regulation.
The role of cognitive dissonance in attitude change and decision-making.
The impact of neurofeedback training on cognitive enhancement.

Dissertation topics in counseling psychology

Dissertation topics in counseling psychology investigate the psychological and social factors that influence human behavior and explore ways in which counseling can promote mental health and well-being. Common areas of focus include the effectiveness of counseling interventions, the role of diversity in counseling, and the impact of trauma on mental health.

The effectiveness of online counseling services in reducing symptoms of depression.
The role of cultural competence in counseling diverse populations.
The impact of counselor self-disclosure on therapeutic alliance and client outcomes.
The role of mindfulness in enhancing therapeutic outcomes in counseling.
The impact of childhood trauma on adult mental health and counseling strategies.
The effectiveness of expressive arts therapy in treating PTSD.
The role of family counseling in addressing adolescent behavioral problems.
The impact of grief counseling on coping with bereavement.
The effectiveness of career counseling in improving job satisfaction and career development.
The role of counseling in managing chronic illness and improving quality of life.
The impact of counseling interventions on reducing substance abuse relapse rates.
The effectiveness of marriage and relationship counseling on relationship satisfaction.
The role of positive psychology interventions in counseling practice.
The impact of counseling on improving self-esteem and body image.
The effectiveness of trauma-informed counseling approaches.
The role of counseling in supporting LGBTQ+ individuals.
The impact of counselor training on empathy and client satisfaction.
The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in counseling settings.
The role of counseling in addressing internet and gaming addiction.

Dissertation topics in industrial psychology

Industrial psychology dissertation topics typically center around the application of psychological theories and principles in the workplace to enhance employee performance, motivation, and overall well-being. Possible subject matters may cover leadership skills acquisition, personnel training and development, job satisfaction, and achieving a healthy work-life balance.

The impact of organizational culture on employee motivation and productivity.
The effectiveness of leadership development programs on leadership skills and organizational outcomes.
The role of work-life balance initiatives in reducing employee burnout and turnover.
The impact of team diversity on innovation and performance in the workplace.
The effectiveness of performance appraisal systems in enhancing employee performance.
The role of psychological safety in promoting team learning and collaboration.
The impact of employee engagement strategies on organizational commitment and loyalty.
The effectiveness of conflict resolution training in improving workplace relationships.
The role of organizational justice in employee satisfaction and trust.
The impact of telecommuting on employee productivity and job satisfaction.
The effectiveness of reward systems in motivating employee performance.
The role of emotional intelligence in leadership effectiveness.
The impact of workplace bullying on employee mental health and organizational climate.
The effectiveness of training programs in reducing workplace accidents and injuries.
The role of job design in enhancing job satisfaction and performance.
The impact of corporate social responsibility on employee engagement and organizational reputation.
The effectiveness of mentoring programs in career development and succession planning.
The role of organizational change management in successful business transformations.
The impact of technology on job satisfaction and employee well-being.
The effectiveness of workplace wellness programs in improving employee health and reducing healthcare costs.

Avoid AI-related plagiarism

Our human editors ensure that your work is original, properly cited, and AI-proof for just $7 per page.

Forensic psychology dissertation ideas

When it comes to forensic psychology dissertation ideas, the common themes usually involve the intersection between psychology and the criminal justice system. Prospective areas of investigation may include dissecting the psychological makeup of offenders, exploring the intricacies of eyewitness testimony and memory, delving into the psychology behind jury decision-making, and examining the evaluation and treatment of criminal offenders.

The effectiveness of risk assessment tools in predicting violent reoffending.
The role of psychological profiling in solving criminal cases.
The impact of eyewitness testimony reliability on jury decision-making.
The effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in reducing recidivism among juvenile offenders.
The role of mental illness in criminal defense and sentencing.
The impact of victim impact statements on sentencing outcomes in criminal trials.
The effectiveness of sex offender treatment programs in preventing reoffending.
The role of forensic psychology in child custody evaluations.
The impact of police interrogation techniques on false confessions.
The effectiveness of diversion programs in addressing mental health issues among offenders.
The role of psychological factors in the development of criminal behavior.
The impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on law enforcement officers.
The effectiveness of restorative justice programs in victim and offender rehabilitation.
The role of psychology in understanding and preventing terrorism.
The impact of substance abuse on criminal behavior and legal outcomes.
The effectiveness of psychological interventions in managing aggression in prison populations.
The role of forensic psychology in assessing competency to stand trial.
The impact of childhood trauma on adult criminality.
The effectiveness of psychological support services for crime victims.
The role of psychology in ethical issues and decision-making in forensic settings.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback.

Written by David Kidwell

David is one of those experienced content creators from the United Kingdom who has a high interest in social issues, culture, and entrepreneurship. He always says that reading, blogging, and staying aware of what happens in the world is what makes a person responsible. He likes to learn and share what he knows by making things inspiring and creative enough even for those students who dislike reading.

Dissertation Title Page: Key Elements & Formatting Requirements

The first opportunity to make an impression with a research work is creating an outstanding dissertation title page. It’s a crucial element that se...

List of 130+ Dissertation Topics in Education for in-depth Research

As you reach the final stage of your academic journey in education, you'll be required to submit a dissertation. The journey of choosing dissertati...

Join our 150K of happy users

Get original papers written according to your instructions
Save time for what matters most

61 intriguing psychology research topics to explore

Last updated

11 January 2024

Reviewed by

Brittany Ferri, PhD, OTR/L

Short on time? Get an AI generated summary of this article instead

Psychology is an incredibly diverse, critical, and ever-changing area of study in the medical and health industries. Because of this, it’s a common area of study for students and healthcare professionals.

We’re walking you through picking the perfect topic for your upcoming paper or study. Keep reading for plenty of example topics to pique your interest and curiosity.

How to choose a psychology research topic

Exploring a psychology-based topic for your research project? You need to pick a specific area of interest to collect compelling data.

Use these tips to help you narrow down which psychology topics to research:

Focus on a particular area of psychology

The most effective psychological research focuses on a smaller, niche concept or disorder within the scope of a study.

Psychology is a broad and fascinating area of science, including everything from diagnosed mental health disorders to sports performance mindset assessments.

This gives you plenty of different avenues to explore. Having a hard time choosing? Check out our list of 61 ideas further down in this article to get started.

Read the latest clinical studies

Once you’ve picked a more niche topic to explore, you need to do your due diligence and explore other research projects on the same topic.

This practice will help you learn more about your chosen topic, ask more specific questions, and avoid covering existing projects.

For the best results, we recommend creating a research folder of associated published papers to reference throughout your project. This makes it much easier to cite direct references and find inspiration down the line.

Find a topic you enjoy and ask questions

Once you’ve spent time researching and collecting references for your study, you finally get to explore.

Whether this research project is for work, school, or just for fun, having a passion for your research will make the project much more enjoyable. (Trust us, there will be times when that is the only thing that keeps you going.)

Now you’ve decided on the topic, ask more nuanced questions you might want to explore.

If you can, pick the direction that interests you the most to make the research process much more enjoyable.

61 psychology topics to research in 2024

Need some extra help starting your psychology research project on the right foot? Explore our list of 61 cutting-edge, in-demand psychology research topics to use as a starting point for your research journey.

Psychology research topics for university students

As a university student, it can be hard to pick a research topic that fits the scope of your classes and is still compelling and unique.

Here are a few exciting topics we recommend exploring for your next assigned research project:

Mental health in post-secondary students

Seeking post-secondary education is a stressful and overwhelming experience for most students, making this topic a great choice to explore for your in-class research paper.

Examples of post-secondary mental health research topics include:

Student mental health status during exam season

Mental health disorder prevalence based on study major

The impact of chronic school stress on overall quality of life

The impacts of cyberbullying

Cyberbullying can occur at all ages, starting as early as elementary school and carrying through into professional workplaces.

Examples of cyberbullying-based research topics you can study include:

The impact of cyberbullying on self-esteem

Common reasons people engage in cyberbullying

Cyberbullying themes and commonly used terms

Cyberbullying habits in children vs. adults

The long-term effects of cyberbullying

Clinical psychology research topics

If you’re looking to take a more clinical approach to your next project, here are a few topics that involve direct patient assessment for you to consider:

Chronic pain and mental health

Living with chronic pain dramatically impacts every aspect of a person’s life, including their mental and emotional health.

Here are a few examples of in-demand pain-related psychology research topics:

The connection between diabetic neuropathy and depression

Neurological pain and its connection to mental health disorders

Efficacy of meditation and mindfulness for pain management

The long-term effects of insomnia

Insomnia is where you have difficulty falling or staying asleep. It’s a common health concern that impacts millions of people worldwide.

This is an excellent topic because insomnia can have a variety of causes, offering many research possibilities.

Here are a few compelling psychology research topics about insomnia you could investigate:

The prevalence of insomnia based on age, gender, and ethnicity

Insomnia and its impact on workplace productivity

The connection between insomnia and mental health disorders

Efficacy and use of melatonin supplements for insomnia

The risks and benefits of prescription insomnia medications

Lifestyle options for managing insomnia symptoms

The efficacy of mental health treatment options

Management and treatment of mental health conditions is an ever-changing area of study. If you can witness or participate in mental health therapies, this can make a great research project.

Examples of mental health treatment-related psychology research topics include:

The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for patients with severe anxiety

The benefits and drawbacks of group vs. individual therapy sessions

Music therapy for mental health disorders

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for patients with depression

Controversial psychology research paper topics

If you are looking to explore a more cutting-edge or modern psychology topic, you can delve into a variety of controversial and topical options:

The impact of social media and digital platforms

Ever since access to internet forums and video games became more commonplace, there’s been growing concern about the impact these digital platforms have on mental health.

Examples of social media and video game-related psychology research topics include:

The effect of edited images on self-confidence

How social media platforms impact social behavior

Video games and their impact on teenage anger and violence

Digital communication and the rapid spread of misinformation

The development of digital friendships

Psychotropic medications for mental health

In recent years, the interest in using psychoactive medications to treat and manage health conditions has increased despite their inherently controversial nature.

Examples of psychotropic medication-related research topics include:

The risks and benefits of using psilocybin mushrooms for managing anxiety

The impact of marijuana on early-onset psychosis

Childhood marijuana use and related prevalence of mental health conditions

Ketamine and its use for complex PTSD (C-PTSD) symptom management

The effect of long-term psychedelic use and mental health conditions

Mental health disorder research topics

As one of the most popular subsections of psychology, studying mental health disorders and how they impact quality of life is an essential and impactful area of research.

While studies in these areas are common, there’s always room for additional exploration, including the following hot-button topics:

Anxiety and depression disorders

Anxiety and depression are well-known and heavily researched mental health disorders.

Despite this, we still don’t know many things about these conditions, making them great candidates for psychology research projects:

Social anxiety and its connection to chronic loneliness

C-PTSD symptoms and causes

The development of phobias

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) behaviors and symptoms

Depression triggers and causes

Self-care tools and resources for depression

The prevalence of anxiety and depression in particular age groups or geographic areas

Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a complex and multi-faceted area of psychology research.

Use your research skills to learn more about this condition and its impact by choosing any of the following topics:

Early signs of bipolar disorder

The incidence of bipolar disorder in young adults

The efficacy of existing bipolar treatment options

Bipolar medication side effects

Cognitive behavioral therapy for people with bipolar

Schizoaffective disorder

Schizoaffective disorder is often stigmatized, and less common mental health disorders are a hotbed for new and exciting research.

Here are a few examples of interesting research topics related to this mental health disorder:

The prevalence of schizoaffective disorder by certain age groups or geographic locations

Risk factors for developing schizoaffective disorder

The prevalence and content of auditory and visual hallucinations

Alternative therapies for schizoaffective disorder

Societal and systematic psychology research topics

Modern society’s impact is deeply enmeshed in our mental and emotional health on a personal and community level.

Here are a few examples of societal and systemic psychology research topics to explore in more detail:

Access to mental health services

While mental health awareness has risen over the past few decades, access to quality mental health treatment and resources is still not equitable.

This can significantly impact the severity of a person’s mental health symptoms, which can result in worse health outcomes if left untreated.

Explore this crucial issue and provide information about the need for improved mental health resource access by studying any of the following topics:

Rural vs. urban access to mental health resources

Access to crisis lines by location

Wait times for emergency mental health services

Inequities in mental health access based on income and location

Insurance coverage for mental health services

Systemic racism and mental health

Societal systems and the prevalence of systemic racism heavily impact every aspect of a person’s overall health.

Researching these topics draws attention to existing problems and contributes valuable insights into ways to improve access to care moving forward.

Examples of systemic racism-related psychology research topics include:

Access to mental health resources based on race

The prevalence of BIPOC mental health therapists in a chosen area

The impact of systemic racism on mental health and self-worth

Racism training for mental health workers

The prevalence of mental health disorders in discriminated groups

LGBTQIA+ mental health concerns

Research about LGBTQIA+ people and their mental health needs is a unique area of study to explore for your next research project. It’s a commonly overlooked and underserved community.

Examples of LGBTQIA+ psychology research topics to consider include:

Mental health supports for queer teens and children

The impact of queer safe spaces on mental health

The prevalence of mental health disorders in the LGBTQIA+ community

The benefits of queer mentorship and found family

Substance misuse in LQBTQIA+ youth and adults

Collect data and identify trends with Dovetail

Psychology research is an exciting and competitive study area, making it the perfect choice for projects or papers.

Take the headache out of analyzing your data and instantly access the insights you need to complete your next psychology research project by teaming up with Dovetail today.

Should you be using a customer insights hub?

Do you want to discover previous research faster?

Do you share your research findings with others?

Do you analyze research data?

Start for free today, add your research, and get to key insights faster

Editor’s picks

Last updated: 18 April 2023

Last updated: 27 February 2023

Last updated: 6 February 2023

Last updated: 6 October 2023

Last updated: 5 February 2023

Last updated: 16 April 2023

Last updated: 7 March 2023

Last updated: 9 March 2023

Last updated: 12 December 2023

Last updated: 11 March 2024

Last updated: 6 March 2024

Last updated: 5 March 2024

Last updated: 13 May 2024

Latest articles

Related topics, .css-je19u9{-webkit-align-items:flex-end;-webkit-box-align:flex-end;-ms-flex-align:flex-end;align-items:flex-end;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;row-gap:0;text-align:center;max-width:671px;}@media (max-width: 1079px){.css-je19u9{max-width:400px;}.css-je19u9>span{white-space:pre;}}@media (max-width: 799px){.css-je19u9{max-width:400px;}.css-je19u9>span{white-space:pre;}} decide what to .css-1kiodld{max-height:56px;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;}@media (max-width: 1079px){.css-1kiodld{display:none;}} build next, decide what to build next.

Users report unexpectedly high data usage, especially during streaming sessions.

Users find it hard to navigate from the home page to relevant playlists in the app.

It would be great to have a sleep timer feature, especially for bedtime listening.

I need better filters to find the songs or artists I’m looking for.

Log in or sign up

Get started for free

How It Works
PhD thesis writing
Master thesis writing
Bachelor thesis writing
Dissertation writing service
Dissertation abstract writing
Thesis proposal writing
Thesis editing service
Thesis proofreading service
Thesis formatting service
Coursework writing service
Research paper writing service
Architecture thesis writing
Computer science thesis writing
Engineering thesis writing
History thesis writing
MBA thesis writing
Nursing dissertation writing
Psychology dissertation writing
Sociology thesis writing
Statistics dissertation writing
Buy dissertation online
Write my dissertation
Cheap thesis
Cheap dissertation
Custom dissertation
Dissertation help
Pay for thesis
Pay for dissertation
Senior thesis
Write my thesis

100 Psychology Thesis Topics for 2023

Students know the importance of developing great psychology dissertation topics for a graduate assignment. However, many don’t have the time to brainstorm ideas that meet the requirements their professors expect. We’ve done a lot of the heavy lifting and have put together a list of 100 psychology thesis topics suitable for several situations. Feel free to pick a topic and start writing your thesis proposal .

General Psychology Topics for High School

Give five top reasons why you would want to become a psychologist.
What kind of influence has psychology research had in other sciences?
Why are teenagers at higher risk of developing an eating disorder?
How are phobias developed in children under the age of twelve?
In what ways did Pavlov’s conditioning experiment contribute to our understanding of addiction therapy?

Child Psychology Research Paper Topics

What are the major differences between psychiatry and psychology?
Discuss mental tools that can be used to determine when children are lying to adults.
What were the ethical complications involve 12d in the Little Albert Experiment?
What does research suggest is the origin of intelligence in children?
How does emotional intelligence in children affect their learning abilities?

Cognitive Psychology Topics

How did Alan Turing’s suggestion that the brain is an organized machine lead to computers?
Do the “seven chunks of information” still hold through in research?
Can we develop working memory to retain greater long-term memory?
Can a person that has been convicted of a felony charge change into a law-abiding citizen?
How can cognitive therapy be used to help patients suffering from emotional disorders?

Developmental Psychology Topics

How do our perceptions of our experiences affect development in teenagers?
What are the four levels of development and which is most important in children?
Can a moral judgment be taught to toddlers who have latent reasoning skills?
How are our personalities developed through the influence of others?
Are children naturally beholden to one parent or the other?

Social Psychology Topics for College Students

How are a person’s original opinions influenced by the opinions of larger groups?
What psychological effects does spending too much time on social media have?
How do social psychologists deal with aggression and violence in young adults?
What impact has social psychology had on our understanding of online bullying?
How do family dynamics change when a member of the immediate family dies?

Sports Psychology Research Topics

Does aging have a bigger impact on retired athletes’ mental health than head trauma?
How is mental health affected by long recovery schedules for serious body injuries?
How does neuro-linguistic programming in professional athletes affect performance?
How do professional athletes mentally prepare for competitions?
How have approaches to sports training and preparation been affected by developments in psychology?

Controversial Topics in Psychology

How did the Milgram Obedience Experiments of the 1960s help us understand how we view authority figures?
How did the Stanford Experiment help further our knowledge of situational variables on human behavior?
How did Harlow’s experiments of affection (especially the lack of affection) lead to advancements in child development theories?
Does the implementation of capital punishment on sex offenders prevent them from committing a crime?
What is the link between criminal acts and teenagers that were bullied?

Health Psychology Topics for College Students

What impact do regular exercise and healthy eating have on mental health in young adults?
How have the media’s depictions of body ideals have negatively impacted how young adults see themselves?
What are the most effective strategies for getting people to develop healthy eating habits?
What can local governments do to help people maintain mental health after a disaster?
How do stress management techniques help people cope with difficult situations in the workplace?

Great Educational Psychology Topics

How can different technologies help students perform better at school?
Does working in a small group help students retain more information?
How does physical activity help students perform better on standardized tests?
What psychological factors should teachers consider as they develop each year’s curriculum?
In what ways do psychologists help develop confidence in students with learning disabilities?

Excellent Cultural Psychology Topics

What are some of the most difficult cultural situations young people face?
In what ways does developing culture roots with one’s family positively impact social behavior?
What stresses do young people feel when they return to their native countries?
What impact does cultural learning have on students in elementary school?
How does family support help young people cope with difficult decisions?

Psychology Topics to Write About

Why are adolescents more at risk of developing some type of eating disorder?
What are the negative effects of insomnia in patients being treated in a medical facility?
In what ways does group therapy positively impact a patient’s ability to overcome addiction?
Why should therapists refrain from prescribing ADHD medications to children?
What are the most effective ways of treating PTSD without using prescription medication?

Abnormal Psychology Topics

What are the psychological effects of telling either a truth or a lie among young adults?
What are the major causes of borderline personality disorder in teenagers?
In what ways does the level of insanity change in patients under specific treatment?
Why are some people more prone to suffer from personality disorders?
Can the Oedipus complex first introduced by Freud be used in treatment today?

Developmental Psychology Research Topics

What role does television media play in promoting violence in adults?
What are the major psychological characteristics in a child prone to aggression?
What are the major factors in sociopathic behavior among youth?
What are some traditional ways of parenting that have been proven ineffective?
What environmental factors increase the chances of child abuse by a parent?

Biological Psychology Topics

How are cognitive diseases related to the development of certain disorders?
How are our perceptions of the world around us affecting the way we behave?
Can alcohol addiction and other drug-related dependencies be tied to genetics?
Does biology prevent humans from experiencing a pure sense of free will?
In what ways does functionalism play into biological psychology?

Forensic Psychology Topics

How can psychology be used to identify and put suspects on trial for certain crimes?
How has forensic psychology assisted in the way we look at death penalty cases?
Can psychotic disorders be reevaluated as a result of better psych understanding?
Should mental diseases be considered in capital punishment cases?
How would you evaluate the mitigating effects of capital cases in people?

What did you think of our list of psychology thesis topics? Our professional dissertation writers keep our list of ideas up-to-date so that students are always pushing the envelope of research in every discipline. Check back for new general psychology topics or contact us to have a list custom-made for a specific research project.

Psychology Dissertation Topics: 170 Compelling Ideas

So, you've decided to dive into the fascinating world of psychology and write a dissertation? Congrats! But with so much to explore in the human mind, picking a topic can feel like staring down a bottomless pit.

Within psychology, the dissertation is a cornerstone of graduate study, demanding the knowledge of human thought and behavior complexities. While the breadth of potential research areas is undeniably exciting, selecting a singular topic that fosters impactful research can be a significant challenge.

Don't worry, fellow psych explorer! This guide is designed to serve as a springboard for researchers, offering a curated selection of psychology dissertation topics across diverse subfields.

Social Psychology Dissertation Topics

Social psychology explores the fascinating interplay between individuals and social contexts. Here are 20 concise dissertation topics to delve into this captivating field:

Groupthink vs. Healthy Debate: Optimizing Collaboration in Teams
Social Influence: How Do Others Shape Our Opinions and Behaviors?
Conformity vs. Independence: When Do We Follow the Crowd?
The Power of First Impressions: Lasting Impact of Initial Encounters
Nonverbal Communication: Decoding Hidden Messages
Altruism and Prosocial Behavior: Understanding the Desire to Help
Social Perception: How We Form Impressions of Others
Social Comparison: Measuring Up and Its Impact on Self-Esteem
Social Norms: The Unwritten Rules of Society
Social Identity: How Group Membership Shapes Our Identity
Intergroup Conflict: Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination
Social Media and Relationships: The Impact of Online Interaction
Social Networking and Loneliness: A Paradoxical Connection?
Social Learning: How We Acquire Behaviors Through Observation
The Power of Persuasion: Techniques Used to Influence Others
The Placebo Effect in Social Interactions: Can Beliefs Influence Reality?
The Psychology of Crowds: Why People Behave Differently in Groups?
Social Anxiety: Understanding Fear of Social Situations
The Bystander Effect: Why People Sometimes Don't Help in Emergencies
Humor and Social Connection: The Power of Laughter to Bond

Clinical Psychology Dissertation Ideas

Clinical psychology focuses on mental health assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. These 20 dissertation ideas explore various aspects of this field:

Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Effectiveness in Treating Anxiety
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) vs. Other Therapies: A Comparative Analysis
Teletherapy vs. In-Person Therapy: Evaluating Treatment Outcomes
The Impact of Stigma on Mental Health Treatment-Seeking Behavior
Cultural Considerations in Clinical Psychology: Tailoring Treatment for Diverse Populations
Early Intervention for Mental Health Issues: Preventing Future Problems
The Role of Technology in Mental Health Assessment and Monitoring
Treatment Adherence in Clinical Psychology: Strategies for Improved Outcomes
The Neurobiology of Mental Illness: Exploring the Brain-Behavior Connection
Group Therapy vs. Individual Therapy: Advantages and Disadvantages
The Effectiveness of Psychopharmacology in Treating Mental Disorders
The Link Between Trauma and Mental Health: Understanding the Impact
The Development of Mental Disorders Across the Lifespan
The Role of Exercise in Promoting Mental Well-Being
Sleep and Mental Health: Exploring the Bidirectional Relationship
Culturally Adapted Parenting Interventions: Improving Outcomes for Children
The Ethical Considerations of Clinical Research in Psychology
The Mental Health of Marginalized Communities: Addressing Disparities
The Role of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Treatment
Technology Addiction: Exploring Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment

how to choose a psychology dissertation topic

Personality Psychology Dissertation Topics

Personality psychology delves into the core aspects of who we are. Here are 20 concise dissertation topics to explore this captivating subfield:

The Five-Factor Model (OCEAN): A Comprehensive Personality Framework
Nature vs. Nurture Debate: Unveiling the Origins of Personality
Personality Traits and Career Choice: Exploring the Link
Personality and Leadership: Traits of Effective Leaders
Personality and Academic Achievement: Investigating the Connection
Personality and Relationship Compatibility: Finding the Right Fit
The Impact of Personality on Mental Health: Exploring Vulnerability
Personality Change Across the Lifespan: Development and Stability
Cultural Influences on Personality: How Culture Shapes Who We Are
Genetics and Personality: Exploring the Role of Heritability
The Dark Triad: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy
Personality Assessment Methods: Evaluating Strengths and Weaknesses
The Link Between Personality and Decision-Making: Risk-Taking and Choice
Personality and Creativity: Understanding the Creative Process
Personality and Motivation: Traits That Drive Behavior
The Role of Self-Esteem in Personality Development
First Impressions and Personality: Accuracy and Bias
The Impact of Birth Order on Personality: Exploring the Evidence
Personality and Social Media Use: How We Present Ourselves Online
The Future of Personality Psychology: New Research Directions

Cognitive Psychology Dissertation Ideas

Cognitive psychology explores the fascinating workings of the human mind. Here are 20 concise dissertation ideas to kickstart your creativity:

Attention and Memory: Exploring How We Focus and Remember Information
Decision-Making: Understanding the Biases and Processes at Play
Language Acquisition: How Children Learn to Speak and Understand Language
Problem-Solving Techniques: Strategies for Efficient Thinking
Visual Perception: Decoding the Visual World Around Us
The Science of Sleep: How Sleep Impacts Cognitive Functioning
Working Memory: The Limited Space for Holding Information
False Memories: Exploring the Creation and Persistence of Untrue Memories
The Impact of Technology on Cognitive Abilities: Boon or Bane?
The Power of Metacognition: Understanding Our Own Thinking Processes
Individual Differences in Cognitive Performance: Exploring Variations
The Link Between Emotion and Cognition: How Emotions Shape Our Thinking
The Role of Motivation in Learning and Memory: Fueling the Mind
Bilingualism: Cognitive Advantages and Challenges of Speaking Two Languages
The Neuroscience of Cognition: Brain Mechanisms Underlying Mental Processes
Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Modeling: Simulating Human Thought
Expertise and Cognitive Performance: How Knowledge Enhances Thinking
The Influence of Culture on Cognitive Processes: Thinking Across Cultures
Mindfulness and Cognitive Function: Can Meditation Enhance Mental Performance?
The Future of Cognitive Psychology: Emerging Areas of Research

Counseling Psychology Dissertation Topics

Counseling psychology offers a pathway to understanding and supporting emotional well-being. Here are 20 concise dissertation topics to spark your research journey:

Culturally Adapted Therapy Approaches for Ethnic Minorities
The Impact of Mindfulness Training on Stress Management in Adolescents
Virtual Reality Therapy for Anxiety Disorders: A Comparative Study
Exploring the Effectiveness of Art Therapy in Treating Depression
The Role of Social Media in Promoting Body Image Dissatisfaction
Counselor Self-Disclosure: Ethical Considerations and Client Outcomes
The Effectiveness of Online Counseling Platforms for Rural Communities
Financial Barriers to Mental Health Services: A Qualitative Study
Examining the Long-Term Effects of Group Therapy for Substance Abuse
Telehealth Interventions for Improving Access to Mental Healthcare
The Influence of Cultural Background on Grief and Bereavement Practices
The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Chronic Pain
Exploring the Experiences of LGBTQ+ Individuals in Couples Counseling
Impact of Parental Separation Anxiety on Children's Emotional Well-Being
The Role of Forgiveness in the Therapeutic Process for Trauma Survivors
Investigating the Efficacy of Animal-Assisted Therapy for Veterans with PTSD
The Impact of Sport Participation on Mental Health and Resilience in Youth
Exploring the Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Depression in Adults
The Development and Evaluation of a School-Based Bullying Prevention Program
The Ethical Implications of Using Artificial Intelligence in Counseling Practices

Industrial Psychology Dissertation Topics

Effective dissertation topics in counseling psychology bridge the gap between theory and practice. These 20 topics explore real-world challenges and interventions to improve mental health and well-being.

Culturally Adapted Therapy: Can Tailored Approaches Improve Outcomes for Ethnic Minorities?
Mindfulness for Adolescents: Does Mindfulness Training Reduce Stress and Anxiety in Teenagers?
Virtual Reality Therapy: Is VR a Viable Tool for Treating Anxiety Disorders Compared to Traditional Methods?
Art Therapy for Depression: Can Art Expression Alleviate Symptoms and Promote Healing in Individuals with Depression?
Social Media and Body Image: How Does Social Media Use Contribute to Body Image Dissatisfaction?
Counselor Self-Disclosure: Does Therapist Transparency Enhance or Complicate the Therapeutic Relationship?
Online Counseling Platforms: Can Online Platforms Bridge the Gap in Mental Health Services for Rural Communities?
Financial Barriers to Care: How Do Financial Constraints Limit Access to Effective Mental Health Services?
Group Therapy for Substance Abuse: Does Group Therapy Offer Long-Term Benefits for Individuals Struggling with Substance Abuse?
Telehealth Interventions: Can Telehealth Technology Improve Access to Mental Healthcare for Diverse Populations?
Cultural Grief Practices: How Do Cultural Backgrounds Influence the Way People Grieve and Cope with Loss?
ACT for Chronic Pain: Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) an Effective Approach for Managing Chronic Pain?
LGBTQ+ Couples Counseling: Exploring Unique Challenges and Needs of LGBTQ+ Individuals in Couples Therapy
Parental Separation Anxiety: Impact on Children's Emotional Well-Being
Forgiveness in Trauma Therapy: Role of Forgiveness in the Healing Process for Trauma Survivors
Animal-Assisted Therapy for PTSD: Benefits for Veterans with PTSD
Sport and Mental Health: Influence of Sport Participation on Mental Health and Resilience in Young People
Sleep and Depression: Link Between Sleep Quality and Depression in Adults
School Bullying Prevention: Developing and Evaluating Effective School-Based Programs
AI in Counseling: Ethical Considerations of Using Artificial Intelligence in Counseling Practices

Forensic Psychology Dissertation Ideas

Forensic psychology bridges the gap between law and mental health. These dissertation topics explore the complex interplay between criminal behavior, mental state, and the legal system. Here are 20 concise ideas to ignite your research:

The Impact of Social Media on False Confessions in Juveniles
Can Virtual Reality Enhance Eyewitness Memory Accuracy?
Psychopathy vs. Sociopathy: A Re-evaluation in Forensic Assessment
The Influence of Media Portrayals on Jury Decision-Making
Culturally Competent Risk Assessment Tools for Violent Offenders
The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Prison Rehabilitation
The Interplay Between Trauma and Substance Abuse in Repeat Offenders
The Ethical Use of Hypnosis in Recovering Repressed Memories
Factors Influencing Jury Bias Based on Appearance and Demeanor
Exploring the Link Between Mental Illness and Recidivism Rates
Deception Detection Techniques: Sci-Entific vs. Intuition
The Role of Forensic Psychologists in Domestic Violence Investigations
The Development of Empathy in Delinquent Youth Programs
The Psychological Impact of Incarceration on Solitary Confinement
Age-Related Differences in False Confessions: Children vs. Adults
The Effectiveness of Online Interventions for Post-Traumatic Stress in Law Enforcement
Cingulate Cortex Activity and Psychopathic Traits in Criminal Behavior
The Influence of Sleep Deprivation on Interrogation Techniques
Exploring the Neuropsychology of Firesetting in Adolescent Offenders
Can Video Game Violence Desensitize Players to Real-World Aggression?

Stuck in dissertation topic purgatory? This article is your escape hatch! Dive into a comprehensive list of research prompts across diverse disciplines. Ditch the generic, ditch the uninspiring – find your perfect topic here and write a paper that screams excellence. Let this be the springboard to your academic dissertation triumph!

Frequently asked questions

How do i choose a dissertation topic in psychology, how do i find a unique dissertation topic.

Dissertation examples | Study and research support | Library | University of Leeds. (n.d.). https://library.leeds.ac.uk/dissertation-examples
Dittmann, M. (n.d.). Starting the dissertation. https://www.apa.org. https://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2005/01/starting

She was flawless! first time using a website like this, I've ordered article review and i totally adored it! grammar punctuation, content - everything was on point

This writer is my go to, because whenever I need someone who I can trust my task to - I hire Joy. She wrote almost every paper for me for the last 2 years

Term paper done up to a highest standard, no revisions, perfect communication. 10s across the board!!!!!!!

I send him instructions and that's it. my paper was done 10 hours later, no stupid questions, he nailed it.

Sometimes I wonder if Michael is secretly a professor because he literally knows everything. HE DID SO WELL THAT MY PROF SHOWED MY PAPER AS AN EXAMPLE. unbelievable, many thanks

New Posts to Your Inbox!

Stay in touch

Bipolar Disorder
Therapy Center
When To See a Therapist
Types of Therapy
Best Online Therapy
Best Couples Therapy
Best Family Therapy
Managing Stress
Sleep and Dreaming
Understanding Emotions
Self-Improvement
Healthy Relationships
Student Resources
Personality Types
Guided Meditations
Verywell Mind Insights
2024 Verywell Mind 25
Mental Health in the Classroom
Editorial Process
Meet Our Review Board
Crisis Support

50+ Research Topics for Psychology Papers

How to Find Psychology Research Topics for Your Student Paper

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Specific Branches of Psychology
Topics Involving a Disorder or Type of Therapy
Human Cognition
Human Development
Critique of Publications
Famous Experiments
Historical Figures
Specific Careers
Case Studies
Literature Reviews
Your Own Study/Experiment

Are you searching for a great topic for your psychology paper ? Sometimes it seems like coming up with topics of psychology research is more challenging than the actual research and writing. Fortunately, there are plenty of great places to find inspiration and the following list contains just a few ideas to help get you started.

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.

I can always tell when a student really cares about the topic they chose; it comes through in the writing. My advice is to choose a topic that genuinely interests you, so you’ll be more motivated to do thorough research.

In some cases, such as in a general psychology class, you might have the option to select any topic from within psychology's broad reach. 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.

As you begin your search for a topic for your psychology paper, it is first important to consider the guidelines established by your instructor.

Research Topics Within Specific Branches of Psychology

The key to selecting a good topic for your psychology paper is to select something that is narrow enough to allow you to really focus on the subject, but not so narrow that it is difficult to find sources or information to write about.

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
Social control and cults
Persuasion, propaganda, and marketing
Attraction, romance, and love
Nonverbal communication
Prosocial behavior

Psychology Research Topics Involving a Disorder or Type of Therapy

Exploring a psychological disorder or a specific treatment modality can also be a good topic for a psychology paper. Some potential abnormal psychology topics include specific psychological disorders or particular treatment modalities, including:

Eating disorders
Borderline personality disorder
Seasonal affective disorder
Schizophrenia
Antisocial personality disorder
Profile a type of therapy (i.e., cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy, psychoanalytic therapy)

Topics of Psychology Research Related to Human Cognition

Some of the possible topics you might explore in this area include thinking, language, intelligence, and decision-making. Other ideas might include:

False memories
Speech disorders
Problem-solving

Topics of Psychology Research Related to Human Development

In this area, you might opt to focus on issues pertinent to early childhood such as language development, social learning, or childhood attachment or you might instead opt to concentrate on issues that affect older adults such as dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

Some other topics you might consider include:

Language acquisition
Media violence and children
Learning disabilities
Gender roles
Child abuse
Prenatal development
Parenting styles
Aspects of the aging process

Do a Critique of Publications Involving Psychology Research Topics

One option is to consider writing a critique paper of a published psychology book or academic journal article. For example, you might write a critical analysis of Sigmund Freud's Interpretation of Dreams or you might evaluate a more recent book such as Philip Zimbardo's The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil .

Professional and academic journals are also great places 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 one that grabs your attention.

Topics of Psychology Research Related to Famous Experiments

There have been many fascinating and groundbreaking experiments throughout the history of psychology, providing ample material for students looking for an interesting term paper topic. In your paper, you might choose to summarize the experiment, analyze the ethics of the research, or evaluate the implications of the study. Possible experiments that you might consider include:

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

Topics of Psychology Research About Historical Figures

One of the simplest ways to find a great topic is to choose an interesting person in the history of psychology and write a paper about them. Your paper might focus on many different elements of the individual's life, such as their biography, professional history, theories, or influence on psychology.

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 .

Psychology Research Topics About a Specific Career

Another possible topic, depending on the course in which you are enrolled, is to write about specific career paths within the field of psychology . This type of paper is especially appropriate if you are exploring different subtopics or considering which area interests you the most.

In your paper, you might opt to explore the typical duties of a psychologist, how much people working in these fields typically earn, and the different employment options that are available.

Topics of Psychology Research Involving Case Studies

One potentially interesting idea is to write a psychology case study of a particular individual or group of people. In this type of paper, you will provide an in-depth analysis of your subject, including a thorough biography.

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.

Psychology Research Topics Involving Literature Reviews

Another possibility that would work well for a number of psychology courses is to do a literature review of a specific topic within psychology. A literature review involves finding a variety of sources on a particular subject, then summarizing and reporting on what these sources have to say about the topic.

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.

Topics of Psychology Research Based on Your Own Study or Experiment

Many psychology courses require students to design an actual psychological study or perform some type of experiment. In some cases, students simply devise the study and then imagine the possible results that might occur. In other situations, you may actually have the opportunity to collect data, analyze your findings, and write up your results.

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 as 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 .

What This Means For You

After looking at this brief list of possible topics for psychology papers, it is easy to see that psychology is a very broad and diverse subject. While this variety makes it possible to find a topic that really catches your interest, it can sometimes make it very difficult for some students to select a good topic.

If you are still stumped by your assignment, ask your instructor for suggestions and consider a few from this list for inspiration.

Hockenbury, SE & Nolan, SA. Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers; 2014.
Santrock, JW. A Topical Approach to Lifespan Development. New York: McGraw-Hill Education; 2016.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Student Notebook

Choosing a dissertation topic.

Graduate students may take several approaches to choosing a dissertation topic. While a perfunctory approach may hasten a degree, establishing a standard of quality will enable you to both advance the field and also evolve our own career. Eight steps are presented below to aid the graduate student in selecting a dissertation topic.

1. THE DISSERTATION TAKES PRIORITY. Following completion of comprehensive examinations and coursework, graduate students may often view their graduate education as almost over. On the contrary, the dissertation actually marks a new era of study. As a doctoral candidate, your procedural formalities are no longer dictated by faculty. Rather, you must examine the selected topic, create a timeline for its development, and alter your lifestyle to assure its completion.

2. PICK AN INTERESTING TOPIC. If your topic is simply your professor’s pet area, you should be aware the topic may lose appeal before it’s even “housebroken.” Furthermore, if your professor moves on to another interest area, you will be stranded and possibly unable to complete your work. Remember, this is a topic that should keep you engrossed and motivated for at least one to two years. Pick it as carefully as you would a new pair of dress shoes.

3. BE AWARE OF ONGOING RESEARCH. Many students may spend a year researching a topic before finally selecting one for their dissertation. You must examine current literature both specifically and generally. One way to do this is to contact key researchers to help you identify published and unpublished studies. Conduct periodic key word searches in computerized databases to identify new angles or problems associated with your topic. Keep in mind this is a daunting and interminable task, as new research is always evolving. Be sure your time is not monopolized studying new research at the expense of analyzing your own.

4. DEFINE YOUR CONSTRUCTS CLEARLY. Terms such as “memory,” “intelligence,” and “educational level” may derive different meanings among diverse psychological scientists. Evaluate your constructs and obtain references to support your construct definition. If your definition veers from the accepted literature, be prepared to defend the definitional defiance to your committee and reviewers who may later, hopefully, publish your results.

5. EVALUATE WHETHER YOUR TOPIC IS PUBLISHABLE. While reviewing the literature, determine if your completed project will “fit” the Zeitgeist of an existing journal. You should be able to place yourself in the desk of a reviewer and assess, with minimal doubt, whether or not your dissertation would enhance the integrity of a reputable journal.

6. EVALUATE YOUR TOPIC’S IMPORTANCE. Certainly your topic must be important to you, but it must also add to your field of interest. Your topic should offer additional insight into an existing problem, and offer an opportunity to demonstrate your level of expertise and quality of scholarship.

7. ESTABLISH GOOD COMMITTEE RELATIONSHIPS. Your dissertation committee will establish either a direct or de facto relationship with both you and your topic. Obtain feedback from committee members if they can offer specialized support or, if individual members have an area of interest that can be incorporated as a hypothesis subtopic, try to include a discussion of this somewhere in the dissertation. The more committee members who “own” a part of your topic, the more who will support your defense, leading you toward appropriate publication.

8. ESTABLISH A TIMELINE FOR COMPLETION. A timeline will further assist you in selecting your topic. Some projects may be completed in one year, while others may take two years or longer. Select a topic that will be manageable within the selected deadline parameter.

Of course there are many other questions not answered above: Is the project fundable? Will it pass IRB review? Should you use parametric or non-parametric statistics? What is an appropriate research design? These are all very important questions that will also require evaluation. Making a list of your questions and carving out proposed answers may prove helpful in this process.

Completing a dissertation requires careful planning and insight from choosing a topic to the final defense. Perhaps, the above suggestions will aid in not only identifying an appropriate topic, but also prompt completion of a project that will add to the field of psychological science.

APS regularly opens certain online articles for discussion on our website. Effective February 2021, you must be a logged-in APS member to post comments. By posting a comment, you agree to our Community Guidelines and the display of your profile information, including your name and affiliation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations present in article comments are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of APS or the article’s author. For more information, please see our Community Guidelines .

Please login with your APS account to comment.

About the Author

SCOTT SMITH is a graduate student in educational psychology at Texas A&M University at Commerce. His research interests include flashbulb memories, autobiographical memories, and effects of processing on cognitive tasks.

Making a Career Choice: Follow in Your Own Footsteps

In a guest column, APS Fellow Barbara Wanchisen shares observations and ideas on broadening career opportunities for psychological scientists.

Student Notebook: Finding Your Path in Psychological Science

Feeling unsure or overwhelmed as an early-career psychology student? Second-year graduate student Mariel Barnett shares advice to quell uncertainties.

Matching Psychology Training to Job Market Realities

APS President Wendy Wood discusses how graduate programs can change the habit of focusing on academic-career preparation.

Privacy Overview

Cookie	Duration	Description
__cf_bm	30 minutes	This cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management.

Cookie	Duration	Description
AWSELBCORS	5 minutes	This cookie is used by Elastic Load Balancing from Amazon Web Services to effectively balance load on the servers.

Cookie	Duration	Description
at-rand	never	AddThis sets this cookie to track page visits, sources of traffic and share counts.
CONSENT	2 years	YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
uvc	1 year 27 days	Set by addthis.com to determine the usage of addthis.com service.
_ga	2 years	The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_3507334_1	1 minute	Set by Google to distinguish users.
_gid	1 day	Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.

Cookie	Duration	Description
loc	1 year 27 days	AddThis sets this geolocation cookie to help understand the location of users who share the information.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE	5 months 27 days	A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSC	session	YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devices	never	YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt-remote-device-id	never	YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt.innertube::nextId	never	This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.
yt.innertube::requests	never	This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.

Research Topics & Ideas: Mental Health

100+ Mental Health Research Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

If you’re just starting out exploring mental health topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research topic ideation process by providing a hearty list of mental health-related research topics and ideas.

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . To develop a suitable education-related research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan of action to fill that gap.

If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, if you’d like hands-on help, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Overview: Mental Health Topic Ideas

Mood disorders
Anxiety disorders
Psychotic disorders
Personality disorders
Obsessive-compulsive disorders
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Eating disorders
Substance-related disorders

Mood Disorders

Research in mood disorders can help understand their causes and improve treatment methods. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

The impact of genetics on the susceptibility to depression
Efficacy of antidepressants vs. cognitive behavioural therapy
The role of gut microbiota in mood regulation
Cultural variations in the experience and diagnosis of bipolar disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder: Environmental factors and treatment
The link between depression and chronic illnesses
Exercise as an adjunct treatment for mood disorders
Hormonal changes and mood swings in postpartum women
Stigma around mood disorders in the workplace
Suicidal tendencies among patients with severe mood disorders

Anxiety Disorders

Research topics in this category can potentially explore the triggers, coping mechanisms, or treatment efficacy for anxiety disorders.

The relationship between social media and anxiety
Exposure therapy effectiveness in treating phobias
Generalised Anxiety Disorder in children: Early signs and interventions
The role of mindfulness in treating anxiety
Genetics and heritability of anxiety disorders
The link between anxiety disorders and heart disease
Anxiety prevalence in LGBTQ+ communities
Caffeine consumption and its impact on anxiety levels
The economic cost of untreated anxiety disorders
Virtual Reality as a treatment method for anxiety disorders

Psychotic Disorders

Within this space, your research topic could potentially aim to investigate the underlying factors and treatment possibilities for psychotic disorders.

Early signs and interventions in adolescent psychosis
Brain imaging techniques for diagnosing psychotic disorders
The efficacy of antipsychotic medication
The role of family history in psychotic disorders
Misdiagnosis and delayed treatment of psychotic disorders
Co-morbidity of psychotic and mood disorders
The relationship between substance abuse and psychotic disorders
Art therapy as a treatment for schizophrenia
Public perception and stigma around psychotic disorders
Hospital vs. community-based care for psychotic disorders

Research Topic Kickstarter - Need Help Finding A Research Topic?

Personality Disorders

Research topics within in this area could delve into the identification, management, and social implications of personality disorders.

Long-term outcomes of borderline personality disorder
Antisocial personality disorder and criminal behaviour
The role of early life experiences in developing personality disorders
Narcissistic personality disorder in corporate leaders
Gender differences in personality disorders
Diagnosis challenges for Cluster A personality disorders
Emotional intelligence and its role in treating personality disorders
Psychotherapy methods for treating personality disorders
Personality disorders in the elderly population
Stigma and misconceptions about personality disorders

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

Within this space, research topics could focus on the causes, symptoms, or treatment of disorders like OCD and hoarding.

OCD and its relationship with anxiety disorders
Cognitive mechanisms behind hoarding behaviour
Deep Brain Stimulation as a treatment for severe OCD
The impact of OCD on academic performance in students
Role of family and social networks in treating OCD
Alternative treatments for hoarding disorder
Childhood onset OCD: Diagnosis and treatment
OCD and religious obsessions
The impact of OCD on family dynamics
Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Causes and treatment

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Research topics in this area could explore the triggers, symptoms, and treatments for PTSD. Here are some thought starters to get you moving.

PTSD in military veterans: Coping mechanisms and treatment
Childhood trauma and adult onset PTSD
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) efficacy
Role of emotional support animals in treating PTSD
Gender differences in PTSD occurrence and treatment
Effectiveness of group therapy for PTSD patients
PTSD and substance abuse: A dual diagnosis
First responders and rates of PTSD
Domestic violence as a cause of PTSD
The neurobiology of PTSD

Free Webinar: How To Find A Dissertation Research Topic

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

This category of mental health aims to better understand disorders like Autism and ADHD and their impact on day-to-day life.

Early diagnosis and interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder
ADHD medication and its impact on academic performance
Parental coping strategies for children with neurodevelopmental disorders
Autism and gender: Diagnosis disparities
The role of diet in managing ADHD symptoms
Neurodevelopmental disorders in the criminal justice system
Genetic factors influencing Autism
ADHD and its relationship with sleep disorders
Educational adaptations for children with neurodevelopmental disorders
Neurodevelopmental disorders and stigma in schools

Eating Disorders

Research topics within this space can explore the psychological, social, and biological aspects of eating disorders.

The role of social media in promoting eating disorders
Family dynamics and their impact on anorexia
Biological basis of binge-eating disorder
Treatment outcomes for bulimia nervosa
Eating disorders in athletes
Media portrayal of body image and its impact
Eating disorders and gender: Are men underdiagnosed?
Cultural variations in eating disorders
The relationship between obesity and eating disorders
Eating disorders in the LGBTQ+ community

Substance-Related Disorders

Research topics in this category can focus on addiction mechanisms, treatment options, and social implications.

Efficacy of rehabilitation centres for alcohol addiction
The role of genetics in substance abuse
Substance abuse and its impact on family dynamics
Prescription drug abuse among the elderly
Legalisation of marijuana and its impact on substance abuse rates
Alcoholism and its relationship with liver diseases
Opioid crisis: Causes and solutions
Substance abuse education in schools: Is it effective?
Harm reduction strategies for drug abuse
Co-occurring mental health disorders in substance abusers

Choosing A Research Topic

These research topic ideas we’ve covered here serve as thought starters to help you explore different areas within mental health. They are intentionally very broad and open-ended. By engaging with the currently literature in your field of interest, you’ll be able to narrow down your focus to a specific research gap .

It’s important to consider a variety of factors when choosing a topic for your dissertation or thesis . Think about the relevance of the topic, its feasibility , and the resources available to you, including time, data, and academic guidance. Also, consider your own interest and expertise in the subject, as this will sustain you through the research process.

Always consult with your academic advisor to ensure that your chosen topic aligns with academic requirements and offers a meaningful contribution to the field. If you need help choosing a topic, consider our private coaching service.

You Might Also Like:

Public health-related research topics and ideas

Good morning everyone. This are very patent topics for research in neuroscience. Thank you for guidance

What if everything is important, original and intresting? as in Neuroscience. I find myself overwhelmd with tens of relveant areas and within each area many optional topics. I ask myself if importance (for example – able to treat people suffering) is more relevant than what intrest me, and on the other hand if what advance me further in my career should not also be a consideration?

This information is really helpful and have learnt alot

Phd research topics on implementation of mental health policy in Nigeria :the prospects, challenges and way forward.

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Print Friendly

Utility Menu

Psychology Undergraduate Program

Department of Psychology
Past & Current Theses

Current Approved Thesis Proposals

2023-24 Approved Thesis Proposals

2024-25 Approved Thesis Proposals

Lists of Past Theses

Class of 2023 / 2022 / 2021 / 2020 / 2019 / 2018 / 2017 / 2016 / 2015 / 2014 / 2013 / 2012 2011 / 2010 / 2009 / 2008 / 2007 / 2006 / 2005 / 2004 / 2003 / 2002 2001 (PDF)/ 2000 (PDF) / 1999 (PDF) List of Prize-Winning Theses, 2001 - Present

Reading Sample Theses

As you prepare for your thesis, you might want to get a sense of what you can accomplish in your finished product. Reading past theses can show you the scope and nature of well-done undergraduate projects. Because theses in different areas of psychology often look quite different, it will help you to examine several in the same general area you plan to conduct your research in.

The Psychology Undergraduate Office has hard copies of several prize-winning theses from the past five years that you may sign out to see what the best undergraduate work looks like. Above, you can browse the titles of past undergraduate theses to give you an idea of the topics of theses students typically write.

Only hard copies of recent prize-winning theses are currently available.

Please note: Recent theses stored in the Social Relations Library (which recently closed) are unavailable. Inquirers needing a thesis that is not listed in HOLLIS should contact the authors of theses directly to attempt to obtain a copy.

2024 March Thesis Deadlines
2024 May Thesis Deadlines
2025 March Thesis Deadlines
2025 May Thesis Deadlines

Customer Reviews
Extended Essays
IB Internal Assessment
Theory of Knowledge
Literature Review
Dissertations
Essay Writing
Research Writing
Assignment Help
Capstone Projects
College Application
Online Class

39 Interesting Psychology Dissertation Topics and Ideas

by Antony W

June 28, 2024

Psychology can be an interesting area to explore in your dissertation assignment provided you choose the right topic. That’s why in this guide, we give you a list of 30+ psychology dissertation topics from which you can pick one interesting topic to investigate.

There are many areas to explore as a psychology student, including personality, social, biological, cognitive, behavioral, industrial, psychosocial, and personality psychology. So it should be easy to find an interesting topic that you can investigate provided it falls within the scope of the project.

Our guide to choosing topics for dissertation remains unchanged. That means the topic you choose to investigate has a gap in existing literature that your research can fill. With that said, let’s look at some of the psychology dissertation topics that you can explore right now.

Psychology Dissertation Topics: 30+ Examples

The following is a list of 30+ psychology dissertation topics. You can use them as inspiration to help you come up with a unique topic of your own. Or you can pick one topic idea from the list, improve it, talk to your supervisor about the topic, and then begin your investigation.

Developmental Psychology Dissertation Topics

Development psychology explores how behaviors change from time to time based on motor skills, language, and intelligence.

Researchers develop a number of theories and models to explain how these changes take place, making this an interesting area to explore. Some of the topics that may be interesting to explore under this category of study include:

Explaining cognitive development change: one sort of learning mechanism or several learning paradigms for various problems
The extent to which knowing neuro development mechanisms can provide insight into how early cognition happens.
Conversational comprehension as a domain-wide enhancement in processing speed and working-memory capacity in cognitive effort.
The acquisition of culture and biological growth is critical for the development of a kid.
Are children with dyscalculia’s talents unrelated to numeracy affected by the disorder, or are they largely independent?
How the concept of plasticity in child development may account for a kid’s capacity to alter in response to both positive and bad life experiences.

Free Features

Don’t wait for the last minute. Hire a writer today.

$4.99 Title page

$10.91 Formatting

$3.99 Outline

$21.99 Revisions

Get all these features for $65.77 FREE

Abnormal Psychology Dissertation Topics

This area of study focuses on analyzing abnormal behavior with an effort to establish a positive change.

Ideally, this area of study suits students interested in studying psychological traits that go against what we consider to be normal and goes further into exploring uncommon conditions.

Some topics that may be worth exploring in this area of study are as follows:

Subtypes of drug dependency are linked to dissociable networks of disturbance in the limbic brain.
The efficacy of the DSM-V as a tool for categorizing aberrant psychiatric symptoms is being questioned.
How do the cognitive processes of people with schizophrenia vary from those of those with conventional cognitive processes?
What distinguishes Intellectual Development Disorders (IDD) from Autism Spectrum Disorders?
The relevance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in evaluating neurobiological ideas that schizophrenia is caused by aberrant fronto-temporal lobe connections.
Schizophrenia is studied as a multi-dimensional condition.
Is it possible that the fact that some autistics have isolated skills might assist explain the syndrome’s cause?
A malfunctioning amygdale and ventromedial prefrontal cortex have a role in psychopathology.

Evolutionary Psychology Dissertation Topics

In evolutionary psychology, the focus is on explaining psychological characteristics by applying evolutionary behavior with an effort to derive and explain adaptation and natural selection.

With this respect, researchers hold that humans’ psychological mechanisms are ancestral inheritance, which has played a major role in solving problems throughout human’s history .

Evolutionary psychology is an interesting area of study that lets you dig deeper into human history and explain the impact if evolutionary psychology on the modern society. Some interesting topics to explore here are:

The relative relevance of face symmetry, averageness, and secondary sex features as valid predictors of mate selection.
The application of evolutionary psychology to group behavior helps explain how humans act in organizations, whether that behavior is logical or irrational.
Examining if artificially produced instances of evolutionary game theory may be used to evaluate human behavior in the actual world.
Why individual features and cognitive modules can’t account for the intricacies of human social behavior.
Understanding the evolution of the human brain through human cognitive growth.
Investigating if reciprocal altruism is sufficient to explain altruism in various social circumstances.
What role does evolutionary psychology play in explaining anomalies in human decision-making?

Help for Assessment can write your paper fast and deliver on time.

Social Psychology Dissertation Topics

Social psychology is an interesting area of study that focuses on how people in groups interact through influential behavior.

You may study behavioral factors such as social influence, non-verbal communication, and attitudes in controlled situations to investigate how the behavior of individuals influences each other in groups.

Here are some suggestions of dissertation topics that you can explore under this category:

Behavioral game theory: How players learn from and influence others in strategic thinking.
The impact of priming’s automatic effects on complicated behavior in real-life circumstances.
Nature or nurture? The early development of nonverbal communication in infants: nature or nurture?
Assessing the amount and duration of factors affecting automatic priming effects in relation to social behavior.
The social intuitionist paradigm is used to assess the role of reason and emotion in moral judgment.
Demonstrating how cognitive neuroscience may inform social psychology by merging social cognition and understanding of brain networks and systems

Cognitive Psychology Dissertation Topics

If you’re interested in learning how the human brain perceives and represents information, then you should immerse yourself in studying cognitive psychology.

You’ll be studying the processes involved information presentation through computer modelling, neuropsychology, and experimentation to understand the encoding of information in the human brand at both micro and macro levels.

Some of the most interesting dissertation topics to explore in this area include the following:

Is MRI testing an accurate predictor of brain function?
The idea of “grandmother cells” is important for explaining neuronal selectivity to high-level information processing, such as during facial recognition.
Effective cognition entails picking the right information at the right moment and in the proper order.
Changes in brain processing in response to event segmentation: distinguishing between cause and effect in boundary recognition
Bias in visual working memory and attention: a study of the link between working memory and attention.
The connection between poor social cognition, emotion, and anxiety disorders.
The cerebellum’s contribution to higher-order cortical activities.
The dependability, validity, and applicability of cognitive psychology study findings to real-life behavior and cognition.
Evaluating Gibson’s theory of direct perception in comparison to constructivist explanations and more modern cognitive theories.
The concept that the right and left hemispheres of the brain have different processing methods is critical to understanding how the brain works.
The mature human brain’s adaptability is limited.
Is there really a thing as subliminal perception, or is it part of a more complicated phenomenon?

About the author

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

This page has been archived and is no longer being updated regularly.

Degree In Sight

Starting the dissertation

Experts offer tips on picking a topic, conducting a lit review and narrowing your focus.

By MELISSA DITTMANN

gradPSYCH Staff

You've watched other classmates sweating over their dissertation topics, poring over the literature, agonizing over their research design, writing and editing. Now, it's your turn.

But, when and how do you begin?

Ideally, dissertation advisers say, students identify a research interest in the first or second year of their program and then use that general area as a theme throughout their coursework. But students don't need to view that general area as a trajectory of their career. Instead, experts encourage students to view the dissertation as a teaching exercise, in which they learn how to conduct, design and analyze independent research.

So first off, you need a topic.

"The topic is the foundation for everything-with a good topic and research question, you'll be set to go," says Melinda Stoops, PhD, a director of the counseling center at Framingham State College in Framingham, Mass., who has spoken at APA conferences on writing the dissertation.

Experts offer the following advice on tackling these beginning stages of your dissertation-from getting organized to narrowing your topic to identifying your problem and research questions.

Then, take it one chapter at a time, dissertation advisers say.

PICKING A TOPIC

When deciding your topic, keep in mind that you will undoubtedly spend the next few years immersed in it, says psychologist John Cone, PhD, a professor emeritus at Alliant International University (AIU) and co-author with Sharon Foster, PhD, of "Dissertations and Theses from Start to Finish" (APA, 1993). Cone advises the following steps to pick a topic:

Ask a favorite professor, preferably one active in research, about possible topics.

Read departmental information on the research interests of the faculty to find a topic a faculty member is interested in as well. Consider asking the faculty member to be a part of your dissertation committee, which will help guide you in your research.

Read an empirical paper that interests you and see what future research is suggested in the discussion section.

Think about term papers you enjoyed writing and choose a topic that reflects those interests.

Sift through literature reviews in your areas of interest-such as in the Annual Review of Psychology, Psychological Bulletin and Clinical Psychology Review.

Avoid topics in which you are overly emotionally involved-such as research on depression if you or a family member is depressed. Such emotional elements can interfere with your research, Cone says.

To narrow your focus, identify what within your chosen topic area interests you, says Foster, a psychology professor at AIU. Bounce ideas off a mentor and consult the literature to determine what has been done before, she advises. Also, consider choosing a topic that you've already been exposed to, such as through your master's thesis or a research project.

That's exactly what sixth-year doctoral student Jody Ernst did. Ernst-who is in the University of Texas at Austin's individual differences and evolutionary psychology program-has spent her entire graduate career researching behavioral genetics.

"Selecting the topic sort of fell into place naturally as a product of the research I have been doing for the past five years," Ernst says. In particular, her dissertation investigates the genetic factors that influence problem behavior development over the life span.

"It is helpful to choose a topic that builds upon past work you have done," Ernst says. "I think this makes the process of identifying the big questions much easier because you are already familiar with the relevant literature."

But, make sure you have passion for the topic. Nate Tomcik-a fifth-year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at the University of Tennessee-has an interest in his research on therapists' views of couples therapy because it allowed him to integrate research with his clinical work with couples.

"My advice would be to not choose a topic that is an unappealing offshoot of your adviser's work or a project that you have lukewarm feelings about in general," Tomcik suggests. "It's important to remember that the dissertation is a marathon, not a sprint, and lukewarm feelings can turn cold quickly.

"If I didn't love my dissertation idea as much as I do, I know it would have been much harder to stay on track and focused," he adds.

CONDUCTING THE LIT REVIEW

Once you've identified a topic, the next step is to write a review of the literature in the area. The lit review section will include a brief introduction to your topic, introduce key concepts and review the existing literature.

But be prepared: The lit review often is the most difficult part of the dissertation, Foster maintains.

"Sometimes you are going to feel lost and like you don't know where you're going," Foster says. "The reason for that is because you are trying to do several things concurrently-you're trying to learn about this whole field and get a conceptual framework of how to map out this area of research."

But, it's nothing your classes haven't prepared you to take on, Foster says.

Cone and Foster also suggest that students:

Determine how experts in the field have organized their thinking by reading chapters or integrative articles they've written.

Find meta-analyses, journal articles or books on the topic and scan their reference sections for other references.

Identify key journals that cover the topic and scan their table of contents from the past five years for material.

Search electronic bibliographies-such as PsycINFO (which contains nearly 2 million citations of journal articles, books and dissertations in psychology) or the Education Resources Information Center, or ERIC, which offers a database of journal and other education literature.

Identify major authors in the area and search for them by name in databases, such as PsycLIT, to determine if they've written on other related items.

Determine if related research might be published under different keywords.

For example, Foster says in her research on girls' aggression, "aggression" as a keyword didn't cover it. Without trying other keywords, she would have missed key information on "delinquency" and "conduct disorders," which use similar criteria to define the population.

Jennifer Reese-a fourth-year doctoral student in the PsyD program at the University of Denver-used what she calls the "scavenger hunt" approach for her lit review; she scanned reference sections of relevant books and journal articles and then found those referenced sources as well. She is validating the use of Jane Elliott's Blue Eyes Brown Eyes exercise, a behavior training method that uses discrimination against a person's eye color to teach Caucasians about prejudice and oppression. Reese even spoke with Elliott-a retired schoolteacher who created the experiment in the 1960s-to get background on what similar studies had been done.

So how do you know when you've gathered enough for your lit review? "I know when I go to the reference sections, and I'm not finding any new things-when I keep turning up the same things over and over again," Foster says.

IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM AND QUESTIONS

Once you feel confident that you've covered the literature, identify the rationale for your study, why it's important and what hasn't been studied about it before, Foster says.

To do that, Cone suggests writing a paragraph or two summarizing the literature review. Then, determine what unresolved issues are identified in the most recently cited studies-and most relevant to your study. Select one of these issues and formulate one or two research questions and associated hypotheses.

When formulating the research question, consider whether you'll be able to recruit enough participants, Stoops says. Ask your dissertation committee-which usually comprises three or four faculty members you choose when you first begin your dissertation-for feedback on whether they believe you'll be able to recruit enough participants or obtain animals, if needed, dissertation advisers suggest.

After her extensive lit review, Ernst was able to pinpoint her research questions for her dissertation on problem behavior development, including: Are there predictable developmental trajectories for problem behaviors? What factors influence the development of problem behaviors for vulnerable individuals across the life span? She identified these questions by finding the gaps within the problem behavior development literature.

Both the statement of the problem and research questions will be lumped in the introduction of your dissertation, which provides an overview of your study. But, while the introduction is sometimes the first chapter in your dissertation, don't feel compelled to have it be the first thing you do, says Framingham State College's Stoops. She didn't write her introduction until after doing her lit review and methodology.

However, Ernst wrote her statement first and then continually added relevant citations as she came upon them.

"Writing the intro first helped me to organize my thoughts about gaps in current research and helped me to identify what new and relevant information I would be adding to this line of research," she says.

STAYING ON TRACK

Whatever methods you choose, even these beginning stages to your dissertation may seem overwhelming. So treat your dissertation as a job, Cone advises. He suggests committing 10 to 20 hours per week for 12 to 18 months to avoid becoming a casualty to the All But Dissertation (ABD) label. Set specific work hours and choose a specific place to work, he advises.

And tap the guidance of others-such as professors, peers or other mentors-who can help you through the process, Foster adds. (For tips to finding a mentor, see Building mentorships for success .)

"People who are a little ahead of you in the process can be very helpful," Foster says. "They will tell you what they've gone through and normalize your experience and give you leads."

One way to get a peer network for your dissertation: Join the APAGS dissertation listserv .

Another is taking a class on the dissertation process. That certainly helped Chris Bernuth, a sixth-year counseling psychology doctoral student at University of Missouri-Columbia, to stay on track. The professor's due dates and the class's extra support prevented procrastination, he says.

"Very smart people can become ABD because they procrastinate or think they can write the dissertation in a couple of all-night sessions, and you cannot do that with a dissertation," Foster says.

When Stoops was working on her dissertation, she combated tendencies to procrastinate by setting deadlines with her dissertation chair. One way to set those deadlines, Cone says, is to list each step in chronological order and then use it to create a milestone chart.

And most importantly, Cone says students can be confident about their ability to complete the dissertation.

"After all," he says, "you have made it this far."

The dissertation, start to finish

Letters to the editor.

Scholarship at UWindsor

Home > FAHSS > PSYCHOLOGY > PSYCHOLOGY_ETD

Psychology Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Pathways from Childhood Sexual Abuse to Sexual Risk Behaviour in MSM: A Mixed Methods Study , Daniel Provenzano

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Bullying and Body Image: Body image disturbance in emerging adults with a history of bullying victimization , Rebecca Antonacci

The Self-Reference Effect on Memory Among 4- To 6-Year-Olds: The Role of Active Encoding and Cognitive Abilities , Alicia Nicole Bartlett

The Aphasia Friendly Business Campaign: Program Expansion and Evaluation , Julia Borsatto

Exploring the Relationship Between of Subjective and Objective Cognition among Older Adults Living in Canada , Astrid Dawn Coleman

Emotion profiles in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: Early Observations Anticipate Treatment Outcome , Florencia Andrea Cristoffanini

Engagement, Satisfaction, and Positive Student Outcomes: The Most Prevalent Factors at Canada's Public Universities , Denise DeBlock

Revealing the Invisible Cage: Understanding Coercive Control through the Eyes of Survivors in the Era of COVID-19 , Chloë Elizabeth Eidlitz

Body Dissatisfaction and Depression: Investigating the Moderating Roles of Maladaptive Investment in Appearance and Rumination , Mallory Forward

Factors Influencing Post-Traumatic Growth in Emerging Adults with Chronic Medical Illness , Alana Marie Gyemi

The Role of Self-Talk in Regulating Public Speaking Anxiety in Ethnically Diverse Young Adults in Canada , Clare Denise Russell Hinch

Investigating Visual Vigilance following Chronic Behavioural Immune System Activation , Jessica Hurtubise

Effects of Discrete Emotions on Associative Memory Binding , Davin D. Iverson

The Association of Perceived Stress with Anxiety-related Symptoms during Use of the MindShift app , Emily Jerome

The Impact of Cognitive Reserve on Baseline Neuropsychological Functioning of Older Adults Without Dementia , Jarod Joshi

A Psycholinguistic Analysis of Neuropsychological Tests , Brette Lansue

Validating and Optimizing Performance Validity Cut-Off Scores in a Pediatric Sample , Malayna Malleck

ADHD Symptoms and Inattentional Blindness in an Undergraduate Sample , Katherine Rose Matchett

Mental Health, Sport-Related Concussion, and App-Based Mindfulness: A Pilot Study with Female University Student-Athletes , Taylor May McEachnie

Loneliness, Risk-Taking, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic , Rebecca Nurgitz

Academic Stress and Cultural Coping: The Moderating Effect of Heritage Language Proficiency on Well-Being in a Multilingual Sample , Noah Marcel Philipp-Muller

If It Walks Like a Duck…Is It a Duck?: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Differences Between Machiavellian and Non-Machiavellian Substance Users , Daniel Pillersdorf

Homelessness and Intimate Partner Violence: Women’s Barriers and Experiences With Accessing Formal Support Services and the Impact of Their Intersecting Identities , Marissa Marie Rakus

Student Financial Well-Being, Health Behaviours, and Social Participation: A Mixed Methods Study , Evan Ripley-McNeil

“A Very Resilient Bunch”: A Photographic Exploration into the Experiences of Women with Turner Syndrome , Kristin M. Schramer

Romantic Relationships in Young Adults: The Influence of Parents and Friends , Jenna Elizabeth Thompson

Associations Between Parent Stress, Parent Mobile Technology Use, and Parenting Behaviours on Children’s Psychological Functioning , Amy Wei Yan Tran

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

The Role of Objectification, Rape Myth Acceptance, Situational Context, and Gender in Individual’s Perceptions of Image-Based Sexual Abuse Victims and Perpetrators , Jewels Adair

" Move&Connect Caregivers: The feasibility of a virtual group-based intervention for caregivers of youth with persistent post-concussion symptoms" , Hiba Al Hakeem

Effects of Chairwork in Individual Psychotherapy: A Meta-Analytic and Systematic Review , Tabarak Baher

Coping During COVID: Child Technology Use and Coping During the COVID-19 Pandemic , Anissa Barnes

The Role of Disclosure and Social Support on Quality of Life in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) , Noelle Citron

#MeToo: Effects of Cyber Sexual Aggression Victimization on Women’s Health and Relationship Quality , Samantha Daskaluk

Embodied and Empowered: Evidence for Ashtanga Yoga as a Novel Intervention for Women with Disordered Eating , Nicole A. Dignard

The Influence of Semantic Neighbourhood Density and Concreteness on Episodic Memory for Single Words , Brinna Fougere

How Animal-Assisted Therapy Is Understood and Perceived by Health Care Providers and the General Public in Canada , Healey M. Gardiner

“You’re not my Leader.” The Impact of Gender and Ethnic Stereotypes on Leadership Evaluations , Arief B. Kartolo

Parenting Practices, Technology Use, and Preschoolers' Self-Regulation During COVID-19: A Thematic Analysis , Rachel Katzman

Effects of Social Isolation on Wellbeing: Undergraduate Student Engagement in Positive and Negative Coping Behaviours During the Coronavirus Pandemic , Krista L. Lucier MA

The Meaning of Words: For Richer or For Poorer , Susan Lutfallah

The Role of Companion Animals in the Lives of University Students During the Coronavirus Pandemic , Cindy Ly

Contributions of Social Support to Mitigate the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pediatric Depressive and Irritability Symptoms , Alexandra Mactavish

Men High in Conforming to Masculine Norms have Less Intent to Practice Yoga: A Serial Mediation Analysis , Connor J. Motzkus

Understanding Men’s Use of Tactics in Sexual Coercion: A Network Analysis , Lennox Mou

The Effect of State/Trait Rumination on a Prospective Memory Task Delivered Remotely Using a Real-Time and Repeated Approach , Iulia Niculescu

The Impact of Food Allergy Education for Nursing Students , Aleksandra J. Redko

A Qualitative Grounded Theory Study of Black Canadian Mental Health Service Use , Renee Taylor

The Creation and Validation of the Coercive Control Screening Scale , Kathleen Wilson

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Predicting Recidivism versus Desistance in Adolescents with Sexual Offenses Using Tools Developed for Adults: The Static-99 and SAPROF , Meredith Awrey

Women’s Experiences of Self-Objectification and Sexualization and Their Impact on Attitudes Towards Online Sex Work , Storm Balint

Body Image Disturbance and Social Networking Site Behaviours , Alicia Marie Berze-Butts

Neurocognitive Profiles Associated with Limited English Proficiency in Cognitively Intact Adults , Maeme Adwoa Brantuo

Asian Canadian Therapists’ Experience and Coping with Racial Microaggression: A Qualitative Examination with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis , Yiu-Yin Chang

Good Risk or Bad Risk: Development of a Holistic Assessment of Risk Perception , Joan C. Craig

Therapist Effects on the Outcomes of Psychotherapy and Their Perspectives on Training , Chris Edmondstone

Understanding Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Aggression in Young Children: An Affective Dyadic Systems Approach , Lerna Hanceroglu

Moral Centrality Predicts Better Mental Health: Evidence for the Protective Effects of Integrating Agency and Communion , Joseph John Hoyda

Further Investigating the Predictors of Aggressive Driving: Vulnerable Narcissism, Implicit Self-Esteem, and Rebelliousness , Cassidy Kost

Pathological Personality Traits and Social Behaviour: Informant and Within-Person Variability Perspectives , Paige Brianne Lamborn

Victim Perpetrator Relationship Characteristics and Perceptions of Personal Sexual Assault and Coercion Experiences , Frasia Margaret Morrison

Control, Alter, and Delete: Investigating the Manipulation of Memory and Memorial Beliefs By Suspected Psychopaths in Interpersonal Relationships , Kendra Nespoli

Influence of Sexual Socialization, Gender Roles and Patriarchal Norms on Rape Myth Acceptance among South Asian Students in Canada , Dayanga Radeniya

The Association between Self-Reported Psychiatric Symptoms and Performance Validity Test Failure across Brain Injury Severity Levels , Alana G. Sabelli

The Role of Protective Factors in Relation to Attentional Abilities in Emerging Adults , Sanya Sagar

Think First: Examining Impulsivity among University Students , Antonette Scavone

The Role of Anxiety Sensitivity in the Etiology of Anxiety and Cognitive Symptoms of Eating Disorders , Rachel Small-Crevier

Social Contexts in Ethnic Identity Development: How Does it Affect Bicultural Stress Between Generations? , Carolyn Tran

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Barriers to Reporting Sexual Harassment: What Encourages Disclosure? , Emma Claire Bailey

A Hybrid Hypothesis for Understanding the Relation Between ADHD Symptoms, Facebook Use, and Social Distress and Loneliness , Shanna Deasley

Perception and Performance of Working Memory: Insights into Test Anxiety , Rebecca Grossman

Coping with Intergenerational Conflict Among Chinese Canadian Emerging Adults: Testing a Cultural and Contextual Model with a Mixed-Methods Approach , Siqi Huang

Distinguishing Appraisals of Memory Accuracy and Occurrence: A Functional Neuroimaging Study , Kassandra Helena Korcsog

Image-based sexual violence: Victim experiences and bystander responses , Michelle A. Krieger

What Trying to Forget Tells Us About Trying to Remember: A Link Between Associative Memory and Directed Forgetting , Brette E. Lansue Burns

What Do You See When You Look at Me? Social Media, Socialized Gender Variables, and Disordered Eating Among Adolescent Girls , Annamaria McAndrew

The Effect of Motivation Status on Performance Validity in Concussion Baseline Testing , Isabelle Messa-Hamidi

What Clients Say about their Single Largest Change in Treatment: Comparing Sudden Gains across Treatment Approaches and Phases of Therapy , Orrin-Porter Morrison

Aggression in Dark Personalities: The Role of Self-Esteem , Anastasia Skobkareva

The Role of Psychological Safety in Predicting Proactive Behaviour , Siddardh Thirumangai Alwar

Navigating Online and Offline Social Spaces: Interpersonal Relationships and Problematic Gaming Behaviour in MMORPG Players , Aranda Christine Wingsiong

Narrative Coherence of Child Maltreatment Memories in Adults , Na Zhu

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Performance Validity Testing for Individuals with Limited English Proficiency , Kelly An

The Influence of Coparenting Support on Fathers’ Involvement with their Children with Autism , Jason L. Bloom

The Aphasia Friendly Business Campaign , Julia Borsatto

Resolving Distressing Autobiographical Memories: The Role of Perspective in Imagery, Writing, and Self-Reflection , Chantal M. Boucher

The effects of an Internet-delivered mindfulness-based intervention on perceived stress, psychological symptoms, and emotion regulation , Molly Cairncross

Selfies On Social Media: The Role Of Appearance Contingent Self-Worth And Impact On Self-Esteem , Felicia M. Chang

Supporting Treatment Selection in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Educational Workshop with Acceptance and Commitment Training , Brianne E. Drouillard

Therapeutic Benefits of Online Psychological Screening for Depressive Symptomology , Natalie Frost

An empirical investigation of Barriga’s mediational model of moral cognition and antisocial behaviour: Moral reasoning recognition versus response generation assessments in models for general delinquency and sexually coercive behaviours , Sarah Gardiner

Mapping Patterns of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours and Media Use in Youth Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typically Developing Youth , Eric Gilliland

Social Information Processing Deficits, Intimate Partner Violence, and Coercive Control in Dating Couples , Jillian Glasgow

Rape Acknowledgement in the Context of the #MeToo Movement , Brandin Glos

Measuring the Flexibility of Delusion-Like Beliefs in Non-Clinical Samples: Development and Validation of the Windsor Belief Flexibility Scale (WBFS) , Bahar Haji-Khamneh

Help Seeking Behaviours of Adolescents in Foster Care: Multiple Perspectives , Emily Marie Johnson

The Role of Pornography Consumption in Intimate Partner Aggression/Violence in Emerging Adult Couples: A Prospective Longitudinal Study , Katherine Jongsma

Eye-Tracking Attentional Deployment: Emotion Regulation and Processing Visual Information in University Students , Abirami R. Kandasamy

Measuring Affective Processes In Traumatic Brain Injury , Eva Keatley

Exploring Causes of Academic Entitlement: A Mixed-Method Approach , Chelsea McLellan

Contributions of Emotional Competence to the Link between Childhood Maltreatment and Adult Attachment , Ashley Erica Mlotek

Page 1 of 14

Advanced Search

Notify me via email or RSS
Collections
Disciplines
Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Author Corner

How to Submit
About Open Access
Department of Psychology

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

Home > School, College, or Department > CLAS > Psychology > Dissertations and Theses

Psychology Dissertations and Theses

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Faculty Mentors' Influence on Latino/a/x STEM Undergraduates' STEM Identity Development , Sandy Cerda-Lezama

Individual and Structural Contributors to Implicit and Explicit Anti-Muslim Bias in the United States , Aeleah M. Granger

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Juvenile Offender Typology , Aliza Beth Lipman

The Exploration of Latino BIP Participants' Experiences of Oppression and Expressions of Critical Consciousness , Adrian Luis Manriquez

The Wage of Wellness: The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status, Race, and Work Recovery , Emily Julia Ready

It Takes a Village: An Examination of Social Relationships and Mental Health , Em Francis Trubits

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Examining Factors Impacting the Service Needs of Unhoused Women , Holly Brott

Main, Mediated, and Moderated Effects of Participating in an After-School Social and Emotional Learning Program on Young Children's Development of Social-Emotional Skills , Amy L. Cordier

Who Puts the "Support" in Supportive Housing? The Impact of Housing Staff on Resident's Well-Being, and the Potential Moderating Role of Self-Determination , Kenna Estell Dickard

Motivation to Collaborate: A Qualitative Exploration of the Perspectives of Service Providers on an Alternative First Response Program , Desiree' J. DuBoise

Tell Me, Do You Feel It Too? A Meta-analysis of Dyadic Emotional Contagion in the Workplace , Stefanie Fox

Left on "Read" and All Alone: Instigated Cyber Incivility, Shame, and Experienced Ostracism at Work , Alison Lucia Hunt

Exploring Associations between Military Identity and Well-being Outcomes among Post-9/11 Veterans after Separation , James David Lee

Experiences of People with Serious Mental Illness Seeking Services at Community Mental Health Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic , Emily Leickly

Why So Serious? Using the Belongingness Need Tenet from the Self-Determination Theory to Examine Workplace Humor and Its Outcomes , Katharine Lucille McMahon

Emotion Knowledge, Its Applications, and Their Associations With African American Children's Social Relationships With Teachers and Peers in Kindergarten and First Grade , Brielle Emily Petit

Stress-Reduction from Positive Support: Impacts of Receiving Partner Capitalization Support on Veteran Stress/Work Stress , MaryAnn Dona Samson

Diversity in Recruitment: The Role of Realistic Website Job Previews for Racial and Ethnic Minority Applicants , Jennifer Saucedo

Antecedents of FSSB: Evaluating the Demographic Basis of Support , Erika Ann Schemmel

A Daily Investigation of the Recovery Paradox: Examining the Dynamic Interplay of Workload, Recovery Experiences, and Microbreaks , Morgan Rose Taylor

Not on the Menu: Customer Sexual Harassment in the Restaurant Industry , Fernanda Wolburg Martinez

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Model.Disclose(): Examination of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Disclosure at Work , Timothy Allen Carsey

Transforming Learning Communities, Transforming Ourselves: A Qualitative Investigation of Identity Processes in a Participatory Action Research-themed Undergraduate Course , Julia Sara Dancis

Clarifying and Measuring Inclusive Leadership , Kelly Mason Hamilton

Intersections of Masculinity, Culturally Relevant Factors, and Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Among Asian American Men , Jason Z. Kyler-Yano

Sleeping to Support: An Examination of the Relationship Between Leader Sleep and Positive Support Behaviors , Jordyn Jan Leslie

Work-Related IPV Among Latinos: Exploring the Roles of Fatherhood Status, Gendered Expectations, and Support for Intimate Partner's Employment , Adrian Luis Manriquez

Masculinity Instability and Ideologies as Predictors of IPV Perpetration: The Mediating Role of Relationship Power , Emma Christine Marioles O'Connor

The Benefits of Social Support on Health and Well-Being in Military Populations: Examining Mechanisms, Source of Support, and the Reach of a Workplace Well-Being Intervention , AnnaMarie Sophia O'Neill

Do Motives Matter? The Role of Motivation in Shaping the Impact of Mindfulness Training on Teachers' Psychological Distress and Wellbeing , Cristi N. Pinela

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

The Longitudinal Effects of a Family and Sleep Supportive Intervention on Service Member Anger and Resilience , Shalene Joyce Allen

Drug Conviction and Employment Restriction: Experiences of Employees with Drug-Related Criminal Histories , Liana Bernard

Sustaining Boys' Motivation Over the Transition to Middle School: Can Interpersonal Resources Protect Boys from Engagement Declines Across Sixth Grade? , Brandy Anne Brennan

Returning to Rejection: Outcomes and Boundary Conditions of Mental Illness Stereotypes , Stefanie Fox

Guarding Against Strain: The Moderating Role of Nonwork Experiences in the Relationship Between Work-Related Hypervigilance and Strain in Correctional Officers , Samantha Getzen

Anti-Muslim Bias: Investigating Individual Differences, Threat Perceptions, and Emotions in Islamophobic Policy Support , Aeleah M. Granger

Black Children's Development of Self-Regulation within Stressful Contexts of Parenting: Investigating Potential Buffering Effects of a Kindergarten Social-Emotional Learning Program , Eli Labinger

"Like I Was an Actual Researcher": Participation and Identity Trajectories of Underrepresented Minority and First-Generation STEM Students in Research Training Communities of Practice , Jennifer Lynn Lindwall

Claiming Miscommunication to Justify Rape: The Role of Liking the Perpetrator , Alyssa Marie Glace Maryn

An "I" for an "I" : A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Instigated and Reciprocal Incivility , Lauren Sarah Park

Parenting and Children's Academic Coping as a Dynamic System: Feedforward, Feedback, and Mediators of Changes Across the School Year , Kristen Elizabeth Raine

Does Experiencing Spousal Support and Strain Impact the Quality of Family-Based Support that Supervisors Provide to Employees? , Joseph Alvin Sherwood

"B-ing Flexible" : Examining Creativity in Bisexual Employees , Megan Jane Snoeyink

Exploring the Relationships Between Community Experiences and Well-Being among Youth Experiencing Homelessness , Katricia Stewart

Mothers' Drinking Motives , Sheila Kathleen Umemoto

An Examination of Nurses' Schedule Characteristics, Recovery from Work, and Well-Being , Sarah Elizabeth Van Dyck

Preventing Sexual Violence Through Understanding Perceptions of Sexual Offenders , Judith G. Zatkin

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Examining Employee Needs at Work and Home: a Self-Determination Theory Perspective , Dana Anuhea Auten

Trajectories, Time Windows, and Alternative Pathways of Engagement: Motivational Resources Underlying Academic Development during Middle School , Heather Anne Brule

Examining Mindfulness Training for Teachers: Theoretical and Methodological Extensions of Intervention Effectiveness , Jaiya Rae Choles

Detecting Reinforcement Patterns in the Stream of Naturalistic Observations of Social Interactions , James Lamar DeLaney 3rd

An Investigation of the Temporal Relationship Between Agitation and Sleep Disturbances , Emily Catherine Denning

Peers' Academic Coping as a Resource for Academic Engagement and Motivational Resilience in the First Year of Middle School , Daniel Lee Grimes

Home Resources Supporting Workplace Resources: an Investigation of Moderated Intervention Effects From the Study for Employment Retention of Veterans (SERVe) , Sarah Nielsen Haverly

"It Puts a Face to All the Knowledge We've Gotten" : a Program of Research on Intimate Partner Violence Surrogate Impact Panels , Kate Louise Sackett Kerrigan

A Daily Examination of Anger and Alcohol Use Among Post-9/11 Veterans , James David Lee

An Examination of Daily Family-Supportive Supervisor Behaviors, Perceived Supervisor Responsiveness and Job Satisfaction , Luke Daniel Mahoney

Nurse Can't Even: the Immediate Impact of Incivility on Affect, Well-being, and Behavior , Katharine Lucille McMahon

Perceptions of Police Use of Force at the Intersection of Race and Pregnancy , Emma Elizabeth Lee Money

The Impact of Paternal Caregivers for Youth Who Commit Sexual Offenses , Miranda Hope Sitney

Human Energy in the Workplace: an Investigation of Daily Energy Management Strategies, Job Stressors and Employee Outcomes , Morgan Rose Taylor

Individual and Community Supports that Impact Community Inclusion and Recovery for Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses , Rachel Elizabeth Terry

Investigating Sexual Fantasy and Sexual Behavior in Adolescent Offenders , Hayley Lauren Tews

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Integrating Work Ability into the Organizational Science Literature: Advancing Theory and Developing the Nomological Network , Grant Brady

Family Linked Workplace Resources and Contextual Factors as Important Predictors of Job and Individual Well-being for Employees and Families , Jacquelyn Marie Brady

The Role of Teacher Autonomy Support Across the Transition to Middle School: its Components, Reach, and Developmental Effects , Julia Sara Dancis

Does X Mark the Applicant? Assessing Reactions to Gender Non-Binary Job Seekers , Kelly Mason Hamilton

Urbanicity as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Stigma and Well-being Outcomes for Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses , Emily Leickly

The Relationship Between Undergraduate Research Training Programs and Motivational Resources for Underrepresented Minority Students in STEM: Program Participation, Self-efficacy, a Sense of Belonging, and Academic Performance , Jennifer Lindwall

Perceived Partner Responsiveness, Sleep and Pain: a Dyadic Study of Military-Connected Couples , AnnaMarie Sophia O'Neill

Recruitment Marketing: How Do Wellness and Work-Life Benefits Influence Employer Image Perceptions, Organizational Attraction, and Job Pursuit Intentions? , Amy Christine Pytlovany

The Combined Effects of Parent and Teacher Involvement on the Development of Adolescents' Academic Engagement , Nicolette Paige Rickert

Examining the Development and Classroom Dynamics of Student Disaffection Over Multiple Time Periods: Short-term Episodes and Long-term Trajectories , Emily Anne Saxton

Drinking on a Work Night: a Comparison of Day and Person-Level Associations with Workplace Outcomes , Brittnie Renae Shepherd

Development and Validation of the Workplace Mental Illness Stigma Scale (W-MISS) , Nicholas Anthony Smith

Relational Thriving in Context: Examining the Roles of Gratitude, Affectionate Touch, and Positive Affective Variability in Health and Well-Being , Alicia Rochelle Starkey

Preventing Child Sexual Abuse and Juvenile Offending Through Parental Monitoring , Kelly E. Stewart

"To Call or Not to Call?" The Impact of Supervisor Training on Call Center Employee Attitudes and Well-Being , Whitney Elan Schneider Vogel

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

The Impact of Leader Race and Gender on Perceptions of Organizations in Response to Corporate Error , Nicolas Derek Brown

Impacts of Mindfulness Training on Mechanisms Underlying Stress Reduction in Teachers: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial , Jaiya Rae Choles

Student Motivation Profiles as a Diagnostic Tool to Help Teachers Provide Targeted Support , Cailin Tricia Currie

Insufficient Effort Responding on Mturk Surveys: Evidence-Based Quality Control for Organizational Research , Lee Cyr

Affirmative Consent Endorsement and Peer Norms Supporting Sexual Violence Among Vulnerable Students on College Campuses , Alyssa Marie Glace

Gendered Partner-Ideals, Relationship Satisfaction, and Intimate Partner Violence , Sylvia Marie Ferguson Kidder

Organizational Calling and Safety: the Role of Workload and Supervisor Support , Layla Rhiannon Mansfield

Bystander Intervention to Prevent Campus Sexual Violence: the Role of Sense of Community, Peer Norms, and Administrative Responding , Erin Christine McConnell

Benevolent Sexism and Racial Stereotypes: Targets, Functions, and Consequences , Jean Marie McMahon

Perceived Overqualification and Withdrawal Among Seasonal Workers: Would Work Motivation Make a Difference? , Anthony Duy Nguyen

Differential Well-Being in Response to Incivility and Surface Acting among Nurses as a Function of Race , Lauren Sarah Park

Financial Strain and the Work-Home Interface: a Test of the Work-Home Resources Model from the Study for Employment Retention of Veterans (SERVe) , MacKenna Laine Perry

Neighbor Perceptions of Psychiatric Supportive Housing : the Role of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors , Amy Leigh Shearer

The Role of Caregiver Disruption in the Development of Juvenile Sexual Offenders , Miranda Sitney

Intrapersonal and Social-Contextual Factors Related to Psychological Well-being among Youth Experiencing Homelessness , Katricia Stewart

Age-based Differences in the Usefulness of Resources: a Multi-Study Investigation of Work and Well-being Outcomes , Lale Muazzez Yaldiz

Pathways to Kindergarten Growth: Synthesizing Theories of the Kindergarten Transition to Support Children's Development , Rita Yelverton

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

The Force of Manhood: the Consequences of Masculinity Threat on Police Officer Use of Force , Aurelia Terese Alston

Supervisor Mindfulness and Its Association with Leader-Member Exchange , Dana Anuhea Auten

Combat Experiences, Iso-strain, and Sleep Quality Affect Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress among Working Post-9/11 Veterans , Gilbert Patrick Brady Jr.

A Study of Shame-proneness, Drinking Behaviors, and Workplace Role Ambiguity Among a Sample of Student Workers , Sarah Nielsen Haverly

Intraminority Support For and Participation In Race-Based Collective Action Movements: an Intersectional Perspective , Jaboa Shawntaé Lake

Advanced Search

Notify me via email or RSS
Featured Collections
All Authors
Schools & Colleges
Dissertations & Theses
PDXOpen Textbooks
Conferences
Collections
Disciplines
Faculty Expert Gallery
Submit Research
Faculty Profiles
Terms of Use
Feedback Form

Home | About | My Account | Accessibility Statement | Portland State University

Privacy Copyright

Edinburgh Research Archive

ERA Home
Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, School of

Psychology Undergraduate thesis collection

By Issue Date Authors Titles Subjects Publication Type Sponsor Supervisors

Search within this Collection:

As part of their final year undergraduate degree examination for MA or BSC Psychology, students submit a dissertation based on an original research project supervised by academic staff in the department.

During 2006/07 it was agreed that all Psychology Undergraduate students would be required to submit an electronic copy of their dissertation to the Library to be stored in the Edinburgh Research Archive. This was agreed in order to enable the University to preserve its academic record.

Please note that only the Title and Abstract is available to the general public. Full text is only available to the ed.ac.uk domain. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by authors or by other copyright holders. All persons copying this information are expected to adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author's copyright. In most cases, these works may not be reposted without the explicit permission of the copyright holder.

Recent Submissions

The effect of sentence complexity on processing depth: a text change detection study using garden paths , a connectionist approach to causal learning , the effects of late non-proficient bilingualism and a year abroad on executive functioning , investigating the role of social media addiction in the relationship between impulsivity and disordered eating , the effect of healthy adult ageing and cognitive reserve on specific theory of mind abilities , investigating the effects of social exclusion on a child's tendency to imitate grammatical syntax , developing empathy in the digital age: the relationship between social media usage and empathic accuracy scores in young adolescents , can we learn to be more conscientious a behavioural intervention study using goal setting theory as motivation , real ghost stories: how do psychics construct their personal experiences as genuine , stepping into the shoes of another: how attachment security and parental mind-mindedness impacts the development of adolescent empathic accuracy , miraculous cures: how do individuals justify their beliefs in the authenticity and miraculous quality of faith healing cures , the brief acceptance measure: developing & testing a brief measure of psychological flexibility suitable for daily use , do garden path sentences affect the depth of semantic processing a change detection study , collaboration and emotional self-management in moba gamers , the effect of exercise on cognitive functioning in static and strategic sport , investigating human scale judgement , impulsivity in cognitive estimation formation and the influence of age , l2 response planning: effect of content and length predictability , can self-perception, personality, age, gender and duration predict addictive social media use in university students , investigating the effects of resilience, loneliness and neuroticism on social media addiction .

Digital Commons @ University of South Florida

USF Research
USF Libraries

Digital Commons @ USF > College of Education > Educational and Psychological Studies > Theses and Dissertations

Educational and Psychological Studies Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

The Cultural Relevance of the Well-Being Promotion Program , Gabrielle Francis

Parents as Reporters of Middle School Students’ Subjective Well-Being , Daijah N. Hines

Rate of Latine Caregiver Involvement in the Well-Being Promotion Program using Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Communication Practices , Nicole G. Pacateque Rodriguez

An Analysis of Therapeutic Alliance and Group Cohesion in a Group Positive Psychology Intervention Serving Middle School Students Reporting Low Life Satisfaction , Alexis Taylor

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

Exploring Time-Varying Extraneous Variables Effects in Single-Case Studies , Ke Cheng

Investigating Self-Regulation for Motivation and Creativity in Entrepreneurship: A Qualitative Study , Maham Khan

Identifying Contributors to Disproportionality: The Influence of Perception on Student Social, Emotional, and Academic Behavior Ratings , Chelsea Salvatore

Transformation Zone Schools and School Change Processes: Experiences of Families , Jesse Strong

Using Social Network Analysis to Measure and Visualize Student Clustering Within Middle and High Schools , Geoffrey David West

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Psychometric Characteristics of Academic Language Discourse Analysis Tools , Courtney (Cici) Brianna Claar

Hope 4 Boys: The Impact of a Youth Diversion Program , Justine C. Connolly

Promoting Subjective Well-Being In Middle School: Role Of Internalizing And Externalizing Behaviors In A Targeted Positive Psychology Intervention , Letty Langton DiLeo

The Impact of Teachers’ Treatment Fidelity to the Good Behavior Game on Problem Behaviors Exhibited within a Self-Contained Classroom Setting , Jennifer M. Hodnett

Distributed Leadership: Formal Leadership, Barriers, and Facilitators for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support , Joseph D. Latimer

Development and Initial Validation of the Parent and Family Engagement in Higher Education Measure , Michelle R. Mcnulty

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Mobile Response Teams and the Youth Emergency Behavioral Health System , Paige J. Alitz

Changes in Educator Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care , Amira Mattison Boylston

Sleep Hygiene Practices and Subjective Well-Being as Predictors of High School Students' Obtaining Sufficient Sleep During the School Week , Erin M. Brennan

A Longitudinal Examination of Coping and Subjective Well-Being Among High School Students in Accelerated Curricula , Hannah L. Gilfix

Retaining and Supporting Graduate Racially Minoritized Students: A Critical Analysis , Patricia Y. Gills

Educators’ Sensemaking of Data within an MTSS Framework: An Exploratory Case Study , Stephanie Marie Green

A Multi-faceted Approach to Understanding Acceptability of DOCS K-5: A Qualitative Analysis , Andrea Guarnieri

Predictors of Goal Attainment Among High School Students in Accelerated Academic Curricula Receiving School-Based Motivational Interviewing Intervention , Camille E. Hanks

Parent Engagement in an Online Behavioral Parent Training Program: A Case Study , Natalie A. Hofmann Leedy

An Investigation of the HOT DOCS Guide for Weekly Early Intervention Sessions: A Multiple Baseline Design , Cashea Holyfield

Native and Non-native English-speaking Doctoral Students' Strategies to Understand Idiomatics in Comics and Comic Strips , Himelhoch Luz-Aydé

Impact of Starting Right, Now on Unaccompanied Homeless Youth’s Mental Health and School Engagement , Camille A. Randle

Sharing Their Stories: A Qualitative Investigation of Adolescents’ Inpatient Experiences During Psychiatric Hospitalization , Jessica L. Rice

School Nurses’ Attitudes and Perceptions Toward Supporting Students with Chronic Health Conditions in an Ecological System , Destiny L. Singleton

Exploring Educators' Sensemaking Of Statewide Professional Learning For Educational Decision-Making Within An MTSS , Sarah E. Thoman

Relationship Between Working with Professional Evaluators and an Organization’s Evaluation Culture , James M. Wharton

Impacts of Model Misspecification on Individual-Level Differential Item Functioning Detection in Multilevel Data Using Hierarchical Generalized Linear Model , Yue Yin

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Counseling Clients with Traumatic Brain Injury: Exploring Counselors’ Perceived Knowledge, Comfort, and Self-Awareness , Michelle Bradham-Cousar

Predictive Validity of Standards-based and Curriculum-embedded Assessments for Predicting Readiness at Kindergarten Entry , Elizabeth Ashton DeCamilla

Parent Perceptions of the Acceptability, Effectiveness, and Experience of Engaging in the Group Stepping Stones Triple P Intervention for Parents of Children with Disabilities , Tara B. Delach

Longitudinal Examination of a Dual-Factor Model of Mental Health: Academic Adjustment and Stability of Group Membership in High School Students in Academically Accelerated Curricula , Letty Langton DiLeo

Examining Role Breadth, Efficacy, and Attitudes Toward Trauma-Informed Care in Elementary School Educators , Mikayla J. Drymond

Identifying the Academic and Emotional Risk and Resource Factors of Underrepresented Students in Accelerated Coursework , Jasmine L. Gray

Performance Based Funding and the Florida State University System: An Exploratory Analysis , Laura A. Hoffman

Distributed Leadership: Leadership Teams and Implementing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support , Joseph D. Latimer

The Gentle Artist: Empowering Warrior-Scholars through the Physical Feminism of Jiu-Jitsu , E. Emily Mahoney

Facilitating Early Intervention Through Teacher Training in Brief Functional Behavior Assessment , Casie L. Peet

Adolescent Asthma and School Disparities: An Ecological Perspective of Students and Stakeholders , Tali Schneider

Intensive Longitudinal Data Analyses and Sample Size Considerations in Intervention Studies with Dynamic Structural Equation Modeling , Zhiyao Yi

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Exploring the Behavior of Model Fit Criteria in the Bayesian Approximate Measurement Invariance: A Simulation Study , Abeer Atallah S. Alamri

Ethnic Identity as a Protective Factor in Early Adolescent Youth Depression: An Investigation of Differences by Race and Gender , Leah Bonilla

Validating the Construct of Resiliency in the Health Literacy and Resiliency Scale (HLRS-Y) with the Child and Youth Resiliency Measure (CYRM-28) , Mercedes N. Cambric

MTSS Implementation in High Schools: Expert and Stakeholder Perspectives , Julie Daye

Promoting Healthy Sleep Practices Among Parents of Young Children: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial , Kristin Lynn Edwards

An Examination of the Roles of Classroom Quality and Approaches to Learning on the Early Academic Skills of Latino Dual Language Learners Enrolled in Head Start , Marcela A. Galicia

Character Strengths of Ninth Grade Students in Accelerated Curricula: A Mixed-Methods Investigation , Hannah L. Gilfix

Play Behaviors in Latino Dual Language Learners: The Relationship between Maternal Characteristics and Classroom Peer Play , Olivia Hernandez Gonzalez

Demographic Predictors and Reasons for Chronic Absenteeism amongst Secondary Students with Disabilities , Cashea Holyfield

Statistical Models to Test Measurement Invariance with Paired and Partially Nested Data: A Monte Carlo Study , Diep Thi Nguyen

Cognitivism in School Psychologists’ Talk about Cultural Responsiveness: A Critical Discourse Analysis , Sujay Sabnis

Investigating the Effects of Motivational Interviewing compared to Action Planning on Supporting the Emotional and Academic Success of Ninth Grade Students in Advanced Placement Classes , Kai Zhuang Shum

Supporting Students with Chronic Health Conditions: An Evaluation of School Nurses’ Collaborative Practices with School Psychologists , Destiny L. Singleton

Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Systems Coaching Survey , Sarah E. Thoman

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Transitions to Preschool Special Education: The Relationship of Child, Family, and Early Intervention Characteristics , Tara B. Delach

Smart Start for Trauma: A Multiple Baseline Design , Sarah E. Dickinson

Sleep Disorders in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study of an Assessment of Pediatric Providers' Practices and Perceptions , Kristin Lynn Edwards

A Longitudinal Analysis of the Effect of the Starting Right, Now Program on Unaccompanied Homeless Adolescents' Well-Being , Emily E. Esposito

Case Study of a Collaborative Approach to Evaluation Within a School District Central Office , Oriana Eversole

Application of the Fusion Model for Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment with Non-diagnostic Algebra-Geometry Readiness Test Data , Robert H. Fay

PRE-SERVICE TEACHER MICRO-HEGEMONIC CONSTRUCTION OF LITERACY TEACHER IDENTITY , Brian M. Flores

Resisting Essentialism in Cultural Research: A Participatory Action Research Study of Parent Involvement in Education among Spanish-Speaking Students and Families , Michael J. Frank

Assessing Readiness to Seek Formal Mental Health Services: Development and Initial Validation of the Mental Health Belief Model Assessment (MHBMA) , Jennifer A. Greene

Relationship between Extracurricular Activity Involvement and Student Success Among High School Students in Accelerated Academic Curricula , Camille E. Hanks

Improving Elementary Students’ Complete Mental Health: Examining the Added Impact of a Teacher-Focused Strengths-Based Intervention , Mollie Mccullough Headley

The Intervention Path: The Experiences of Mothers Seeking Help for Their Child with Atypical Behavioral Development , Renee Hoopes

The Experience of Coparenting Within the Parameters of Divorce: Perspectives from Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Nycole C. Kauk

Missing Data in Complex Sample Surveys: Impact of Deletion and Imputation Treatments on Point and Interval Parameter Estimates , Anh Pham Kellermann

Adult College Students' Perceptions about Learning Mathematics via Developmental Mathematical xMOOCs , Pelagia Alesafis Kilgore

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Analysis of Behavioral Patterns and Treatment Barriers , Kimberly A. Knap

A Participatory Action Research using Photovoice to Explore Well-Being in Young Adults with Autism , Gary Yu Hin Lam

Behavior Change for Children Participating in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: A Growth Curve Analysis , Kayla LaRosa

Eustress in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Students , Amanda C. Moseley

Teacher Perceptions of Students with Conduct Problems With and Without Callous Unemotional Traits , Casie L. Peet

Adolescents’ Perceptions of Parenting Practices and their Influence on Success, Academic Motivation, and School Belonging , David Rubio Jr.

An Application of the Dual Factor Model of Mental Health in Elementary School Students: Implications for Social Functioning and Psychopathology , Nicholas David W. Smith

Reduce Challenging Behaviors and Enhance Functioning in Youth with an Intellectual Disability: A Meta-Analysis of Behavioral Interventions Using Single Case Design , Brett A. Stone

Early Identification Of Students In Accelerated Curricula With Signs Of Academic And Emotional Risk: Working With Teachers To Identify At-Risk Students , Elizabeth D. Storey

Covariates in Factor Mixture Modeling: Investigating Measurement Invariance across Unobserved Groups , Yan Wang

Classroom Support and Students’ Subjective Well-Being: A Mixed-Methods Investigation , Emily J. Wingate

Predictive Validity of Florida’s Postsecondary Education Readiness Test , Alisa Murphy Žujović

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Faculty Perceptions of the Quality Enhancement Plan in a US Public Doctoral University with Highest Research Activity: A Case Study , Maha Alamoud

Benchmarks of Equality? School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports and School Discipline Risk and Disparities for Black and Hispanic Students , Christopher M. Barclay

Associations between Ethnic Identity, Academic Efficacy, Achievement Goals and School Belonging among Early Adolescents , Leah Bonilla

The Relationship between Chronic Health Conditions and Health Literacy, Resiliency and Support/Self-advocacy in Youth , Mercedes N. Cambric

Exploring the Test of Covariate Moderation Effect and the Impact of Model Misspecification in Multilevel MIMIC Models , Chunhua Cao

The Empirical Selection of Anchor Items Using a Multistage Approach , Brandon Craig

An Evaluation of IDEA Part C Interventionists’ Knowledge and Use of Evidence-Based Practices for Young Children with Challenging Behavior , Sarah Elizabeth Dickinson

Traumatic Brain Injury in Adolescence: The Relationship between High School Exiting and Future Productivity , Jeffrey S. Garofano

Promoting Happiness in Elementary Schoolchildren: Evaluation of a Multitarget, Multicomponent Classwide Positive Psychology Intervention , Brittany Valle Hearon

Students with Disabilities at Risk: Predictors of On-Time Graduation , Kelli S. Henson

Predictors of Behavior Problems in the Context of Peer Play Interactions: A Sample of Low-Income Latino Preschoolers , Olivia Hernandez Gonzalez

Parent Perceptions of Treatment Effectiveness and Attendance Rates in a Behavioral Parent Training Program: Do They Predict Treatment Outcomes for Children? , Natalie A. Hofmann Leedy

Robustness of the Within- and Between-Series Estimators to Non-Normal Multiple-Baseline Studies: A Monte Carlo Study , Seang-Hwane Joo

Extending the Model with Internal Restrictions on Item Difficulty (MIRID) to Study Differential Item Functioning , Yong "Isaac" Li

Health Literacy, Depression, Anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as Predictors of Biological Markers of Immune Functioning in Youth and Young Adults with HIV , Courtney A. Lynn

Advanced Search

Email Notifications and RSS
All Collections
USF Faculty Publications
Open Access Journals
Conferences and Events
Theses and Dissertations
Textbooks Collection

Useful Links

Psychological and Social Foundations Homepage
Rights Information
SelectedWorks
Submit Research

Privacy Copyright

2024 Theses Doctoral

Topics on Machine Learning under Imperfect Supervision

This dissertation comprises several studies addressing supervised learning problems where the supervision is imperfect. Firstly, we investigate the margin conditions in active learning. Active learning is characterized by its special mechanism where the learner can sample freely over the feature space and exploit mostly the limited labeling budget by querying the most informative labels. Our primary focus is to discern critical conditions under which certain active learning algorithms can outperform the optimal passive learning minimax rate. Within a non-parametric multi-class classification framework,our results reveal that the uniqueness of Bayes labels across the feature space serves as the pivotal determinant for the superiority of active learning over passive learning. Secondly, we study the estimation of central mean subspace (CMS), and its application in transfer learning. We show that a fast parametric convergence rate is achievable via estimating the expected smoothed gradient outer product, for a general class of covariate distribution that admits Gaussian or heavier distributions. When the link function is a polynomial with a degree of at most r and the covariates follow the standard Gaussian, we show that the prefactor depends on the ambient dimension d as d^r. Furthermore, we show that under a transfer learning setting, an oracle rate of prediction error as if the CMS is known is achievable, when the source training data is abundant. Finally, we present an innovative application involving the utilization of weak (noisy) labels for addressing an Individual Tree Crown (ITC) segmentation challenge. Here, the objective is to delineate individual tree crowns within a 3D LiDAR scan of tropical forests, with only 2D noisy manual delineations of crowns on RGB images available as a source of weak supervision. We propose a refinement algorithm designed to enhance the performance of existing unsupervised learning methodologies for the ITC segmentation problem.

Computer science
Machine learning--Statistical methods
Transfer learning (Machine learning)
Active learning
Bayesian statistical decision theory
Crowns (Botany)
Gaussian processes

thumnail for Yuan_columbia_0054D_18528.pdf

More About This Work

DOI Copy DOI to clipboard

Schools & departments

Psychological Research MSc

Awards: MSc

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Upcoming Introduction to Postgraduate Study session

Join us on the 26th June to learn more about studying at the University of Edinburgh.

Find out more and register

Programme description

This programme provides an opportunity for intensive advanced training in psychological research while giving you flexibility to select courses in the areas of psychology and cognitive neuroscience of most interest to you.

In addition to advanced training in general academic skills and statistical modelling, you will be trained in a variety of specific methodologies, typically including:

brain imaging
neurodisruption
eyetracking
clinical case analysis
psychometric modelling
discourse analysis

Key research areas

Building on the research methods training, you will take topical courses in one or more of the core research areas of our department: social psychology, cognitive neuropsychology, individual differences, psychology of language, and human development.

Your MSc culminates in a research dissertation in a core research area: an original, publication-quality piece of research, undertaken in close collaboration with researchers in the relevant group.

Psychology is rated 3rd in the UK by Times Higher Education for the quality and breadth of the research using the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).

What will I learn?

You will take courses on the theoretical and methodological aspects of psychological science and conduct an original research dissertation in your area of interest.

You will receive thorough training in advanced academic skills and research methods within psychology, including a comprehensive coverage of statistical modelling and research design using the R statistical language.

Is this MSc for me?

This programme teaches you core research methods and specialist techniques, and you can flexibly choose optional courses to customise your learning in areas you are most passionate about.

It provides excellent preparation for further psychological research, whether you choose to pursue this in a professional setting or as part of a PhD programme. So whether you want to continue in academic research or move into professional training in psychology, this programme is for you.

Reputation, relevance and employability

The University of Edinburgh has a long tradition of research expertise in psychological research. Our large Psychology department is home to academics leading research in the field.

You will benefit from the breadth and strength of the interdisciplinary academic community at Edinburgh, having the opportunity to select option courses and attend research seminars across different disciplines.

Our students’ research projects are often published in academic or professional journals.

Our programme has an excellent reputation amongst employers and educators. Many of our graduates have gone onto PhD training and academic careers, or advanced professional training in psychology.

We maintain close contacts with professional organisations such as the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Find out more about our community

The School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences is home to a large, supportive and active student community, hosting events and activities you can join in with throughout the year. As a postgraduate student, you will have access to a range of research resources and projects, state of the art facilities, research, seminars and reading groups.

Programme structure

This programme comprises two semesters of taught core and optional courses followed by a dissertation.

The taught courses and their assessments take place between September and December (Semester 1) and January and April (Semester 2). Planning for the dissertation will take place before April, and it is carried out between April and August.

Core courses

The core courses cover advanced research skills (how to plan for, conduct, publish and communicate research), statistics and qualitative research methods, and provide a grounding in computer programming using the R language.

Semester 1 core courses

Psychological Research Skills - General advanced research methodology
Univariate Statistics and Methodology using R - Introduction to R and statistical models

Semester 2 core courses

Multivariate Statistics and Methodology using R – Advanced statistical modelling
Qualitative Methodologies in Psychological Research Methods

Optional courses

The optional course can be selected to tailor the programme to your interests. These are normally selected from the core research areas of Psychology, but may also be selected from associated areas such as linguistics or informatics. Examples of optional courses are:

Brain Imaging in Cognitive Neuroscience
Clinical Neuropsychology
Psychology of Language
Neuroscience of Language
Applied Psychometrics
Any other course open to MSc students subject to approval from the programme director

Dissertation

The dissertation involves conducting an empirical research project in close collaboration with an expert supervisor, sometimes also working with fellow MSc students.

You will produce a written report, similar to an academic journal article. Indeed, some dissertations are published as journal articles.

You should liaise with potential supervisors and determine your choice of topic in the months before April. It is useful to start thinking about dissertation topics and supervisors early if possible. The empirical work and writing takes place between April and August and it is due in August.

The dissertation can be based on data collected by the student or existing datasets (e.g., from large cohort studies, biobanks or other projects).

How will I learn?

Most courses are taught through lectures, and some include seminars/tutorials and practical sessions. The number of contact hours and the teaching format will depend to some extent on the option courses chosen.

After classes finish in April, you will spend all your time working independently on coursework, exam revision and on your dissertation. When you carry out your supervised dissertation research, you will receive guidance from your supervisor through one-to-one meetings, comments on written work and email communication.

Learning outcomes

This programme provides you with a range of knowledge and skills to prepare you for a variety of career paths. On successful completion of this programme, you will have gained:

an understanding of advanced topics, methodologies and issues in the areas of psychological science that are of most interest to you
an understanding of the basic and advanced principles of research design and application
competency in applying a range of methods and research tools, including statistical models and programming
skills in research management, including managing data and conducting and disseminating research in ways consistent with both professional practice and the normal principles of research ethics
transferable skills in written and verbal communication, group and teamwork, computing, programming and numeracy, time and project management
the ability to work as an independent researcher and as part of a team

Career opportunities

The programme is primarily designed for students who aspire to pursue a research-oriented career in psychological science. However, students interested in careers outside research will obtain a broad range of highly desirable transferable skills applicable to a wide range of modern jobs, such as:

research design
data science
data management and processing
critical evaluation and synthesis of scientific literature
statistical modelling and interpretation
synthesis and communication of complex ideas
Careers Service

Our award-winning Careers Service plays an essential part in your wider student experience at the University, providing:

tailored advice
individual guidance and personal assistance
internships and networking opportunities (with employers from local organisations to top multinationals)
access to the experience of our worldwide alumni network

We invest in your future beyond the end of your degree. Studying at the University of Edinburgh will lay the foundations for your future success, whatever shape that takes.

Important application information

Your application and personal statement allow us to make sure that you and your chosen MSc are good matches for each other, and that you will have a productive and successful year at Edinburgh.

We strongly recommend you apply as early as possible. You should avoid applying to more than one degree. Applicants who can demonstrate their understanding and commitment to a specific programme are preferred. If you plan to apply to more than one programme, you should discuss your choices with us before you submit your application.

Personal statements

When applying you should include a personal statement detailing your academic abilities and your reasons for applying for the programme

The personal statement helps us decide whether you are right for the MSc programme you have selected, but just as importantly, it helps us decide whether the MSc programme is right for you.

Your personal statement should include:

What makes this particular MSc programme interesting for you?
What are the most important things you want to gain from the MSc programme?
The key courses you have taken and that are relevant for this specific programme.
Your experience with collecting empirical data (e.g., preparing and carrying out experiments, surveys or interviews).
Your experience with statistical analysis and programming or qualitative research methods.
Your experience with writing empirical research reports (including any that have been published).
Any other information which you feel will help us ensure that you are a good match to your intended MSc programme.

A good personal statement can make a big difference to the admissions process as it may be the only opportunity to explain why you are an ideal candidate for the programme.

You will be asked to add contact details for your referees. We will email them with information on how to upload their reference directly to your online application. Alternatively, they can email their comments to:

[email protected]

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

How to apply

Psychology at Edinburgh

Entry requirements.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in psychology or a related discipline.

We may also consider candidates with a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a non-psychology subject if they can demonstrate evidence of their aptitude for research or research methods.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

Entry requirements by country
English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Tuition fees, scholarships and funding.

There are a number of highly competitive scholarships and funding options available to MSc students.

Deadlines for funding applications vary for each funding source - please make sure to check the specific deadlines for the funding opportunities you wish to apply for and make sure that you submit your application in good time.

Drever Trust Scholarship

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

your programme
the duration of your studies
your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

Search for funding

Further information

PPLS Postgraduate Office
Phone: +44 (0)131 651 5002
Contact: [email protected]
Programme Director, Prof Martin Corley
Phone: +44 (0)131 650 6682
Contact: [email protected]
Dugald Stewart Building
3 Charles Street
Central Campus
School: Philosophy, Psychology & Language Sciences
College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This programme is not currently accepting applications. Applications for the next intake usually open in October.

Start date: September

Awards: MSc (12 mth FT, 24 mth PT)

Application deadlines

This MSc programme operates a gathered field approach to applications. This means that all complete applications which meet our minimum entry requirements will be held until the nearest deadline at which point the Admissions Panel will meet to consider all applications received at this time.

Gathered field deadlines for this programme are as follows:

Round	Application deadline	Places awarded
1	30 November 2023	01 February 2024
2	04 March 2024	30 April 2024
3	01 May 2024	26 June 2024

Applications submitted after the deadline date will unfortunately not be considered.

Please read through the ‘Important application information’ section on this page before applying.

How it works

Useful Links

How much will your dissertation cost?

Have an expert academic write your dissertation paper!

Dissertation Services

Get unlimited topic ideas and a dissertation plan for just £45.00

Order topics and plan

Get 1 free topic in your area of study with aim and justification

Yes I want the free topic

Clinical Psychology Dissertation Topics

Published by Owen Ingram at January 3rd, 2023 , Revised On August 11, 2023

Clinical psychology is a highly popular area of research for Masters and PhD nursing students. A well-thought-out and appropriate clinical psychology dissertation topic will address trending issues in the field of clinical psychology. You can develop a clinical psychology dissertation topic or idea by addressing a certain clinical experience.

If you are a nursing student looking for an intriguing topic in clinical psychology, you will find all the necessary information on this page. So without further ado, here is our selection of clinical psychology dissertation topics that you can choose from.

Hire Dissertation Specialist

Orders completed by our expert writers are

Formally drafted in an academic style
Free Amendments and 100% Plagiarism Free – or your money back!
100% Confidential and Timely Delivery!
Free anti-plagiarism report
Appreciated by thousands of clients. Check client reviews

Something is mesmerising about the human mind. By writing clinical psychology-based dissertation papers, students can engage in formally conducting research on a variety of topics, including intellect, personality, addiction, relationship dynamics, and so on. Use these clinical psychology dissertation topics to start your academic research now!

If you are struggling with your dissertation and need a helping hand, you may want to read about our dissertation writing services.

Free Dissertation Topic

Phone Number

Academic Level Select Academic Level Undergraduate Graduate PHD

Academic Subject

Area of Research

Frequently Asked Questions

How to find clinical psychology dissertation topics.

To find Clinical Psychology dissertation topics:

Study recent research in the field.
Focus on emerging therapies or disorders.
Address gaps in current literature.
Consider ethical and practical aspects.
Explore diverse populations or age groups.
Seek topics aligning with your passion and expertise.

Presentation Master's Thesis - Peyam Talman - Clinical Psychology

Roeterseilandcampus - Gebouw G, Straat: Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, Ruimte: GS.05

In this study we investigated the interplay between physical appearance, identity disturbances and borderline personality disorder (BPD). We explored visual markers of identity disturbances in physical appearance that are thought of to precede the onset of BPD, in order to recognize and possibly prevent BPD from commencing.

IMAGES

10 Unique Psychology Dissertation Ideas For PhD Students
Dissertation posters
Winning Psychology Dissertation Examples 2019
160+ Psychology Dissertation Topics and Ideas to Write About
Dissertation Topics in Counselling Psychology by Psy Dissertation
Top 20 Master’s Thesis Ideas for psychology Students

VIDEO

What I Did for My I/O Psychology Thesis
Psychology Final Year Dissertation Poster Presentation 2023
10+ Psychology Dissertation Topics for Students
How To Find Master's Thesis/ Dissertation Topic Ideas (Chat GPT and work experiences)
Dissertation Writing 101: Why You Have To Let Go #shorts
Difference Between Thesis & Dissertation| Dissertation vs Thesis

COMMENTS

101 Examples of Dissertation Research Topics for Psychology Students
In this article, we present an expansive list of dissertation topics for psychology students who are in the process of choosing a good dissertation topic. The ideas provided are designed to encourage exploration of both traditional and avant-garde topics, reflecting the current trends and enduring questions that shape the evolving landscape of ...
Psychology Dissertation Topics and Titles
Psychology Dissertation Topics in Social Sciences. Topic 1: Kids and their relatives with cancer: psychological challenges. Topic 2: Hematopoietic device reaction in ophthalmology patient's radiation therapy. Topic 3: Psychological effects of cyberbullying Vs. physical bullying: A counter study.
150+ Psychology Dissertation Topics to Write About
Top 30 psychology dissertation topics. The impact of social media on body image and self-esteem. The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques in the workplace. The role of parental involvement in children's academic achievement and emotional well-being.
Research Topics In Psychology (+ Free Webinar)
If you're starting out on the dissertation or thesis journey for your psychology degree, the very first challenge you'll face is finding a solid research topic.In this post, we'll help get the topic ideation process started by providing a meaty list of research ideas, spanning a range of psychology sub-disciplines.We'll also look at some examples from actual theses and dissertations to ...
61 intriguing psychology research topics to explore
The most effective psychological research focuses on a smaller, niche concept or disorder within the scope of a study. Psychology is a broad and fascinating area of science, including everything from diagnosed mental health disorders to sports performance mindset assessments. This gives you plenty of different avenues to explore.
32 Cognitive Psychology Dissertation Topics
32 Cognitive Psychology Dissertation Topics. Published by Owen Ingram at January 3rd, 2023 , Revised On August 11, 2023. The study of cognitive psychology focuses on how the brain processes and stores information. The underlying mechanisms are investigated using experimental methods, computer modelling, and neuropsychology.
100 Best Psychology Topic Ideas for Research
100 Psychology Thesis Topics for 2023. Students know the importance of developing great psychology dissertation topics for a graduate assignment. However, many don't have the time to brainstorm ideas that meet the requirements their professors expect. We've done a lot of the heavy lifting and have put together a list of 100 psychology ...
170 Psychology Dissertation Topics for Students [2024]
Here are 20 concise dissertation topics to explore this captivating subfield: The Five-Factor Model (OCEAN): A Comprehensive Personality Framework. Nature vs. Nurture Debate: Unveiling the Origins of Personality. Personality Traits and Career Choice: Exploring the Link. Personality and Leadership: Traits of Effective Leaders.
50+ Research Topics for Psychology Papers
Topics of Psychology Research Related to Human Cognition. Some of the possible topics you might explore in this area include thinking, language, intelligence, and decision-making. Other ideas might include: Dreams. False memories. Attention. Perception.
Choosing a Dissertation Topic
Graduate students may take several approaches to choosing a dissertation topic. While a perfunctory approach may hasten a degree, establishing a standard of quality will enable you to both advance the field and also evolve our own career. Eight steps are presented below to aid the graduate student in selecting a dissertation topic. 1.
Research Topics & Ideas: Mental Health
A comprehensive list of research topics and ideas in mental health, including mood, anxiety and personality disorders, as well as many more. ... thesis or research project, you've come to the right place. ... Research Topics & Ideas: Psychology; 4 Comments. okurut joseph on December 8, 2023 at 3:34 am
Past & Current Theses
The Psychology Undergraduate Office has hard copies of several prize-winning theses from the past five years that you may sign out to see what the best undergraduate work looks like. Above, you can browse the titles of past undergraduate theses to give you an idea of the topics of theses students typically write. Only hard copies of recent ...
Psychology Dissertation Topics: 30+ Examples You Can Explore
Social Psychology Dissertation Topics Social psychology is an interesting area of study that focuses on how people in groups interact through influential behavior. You may study behavioral factors such as social influence, non-verbal communication, and attitudes in controlled situations to investigate how the behavior of individuals influences ...
PDF YOUR PSYCHOLOGY DISSERTATION
a psychology dissertation, so you will need to look at such phenomena from a psychological perspective and apply psychological theory to help you explain it. You can also identify hot topics by keeping up to date with psychological pub-lications and social media accounts. It goes without saying that reading journal
Thesis and Capstone Requirements for Psychology Programs
Psychology thesis topics vary widely depending on your area of specialization, your research interests, and your adviser's field of expertise. A psychology thesis might examine anything from emotion regulation to cognitive performance to the development of intelligence. Completing Your Psychology Thesis. Completing a thesis involves several steps.
Starting the dissertation
Cone advises the following steps to pick a topic: Ask a favorite professor, preferably one active in research, about possible topics. Read departmental information on the research interests of the faculty to find a topic a faculty member is interested in as well. Consider asking the faculty member to be a part of your dissertation committee ...
35 Best Social Psychology Dissertation Topics
35 Best Social Psychology Dissertation Topics. Published by Carmen Troy at January 2nd, 2023 , Revised On August 11, 2023. A dissertation or a thesis paper is the fundamental prerequisite to the degree programme, irrespective of your academic discipline. The field of social psychology is not different. When working on the dissertation, the ...
Theses and Dissertations in the area of psychology
Theses/Dissertations from 2024 PDF. Pathways from Childhood Sexual Abuse to Sexual Risk Behaviour in MSM: A Mixed Methods Study, Daniel Provenzano. Theses/Dissertations from 2023 PDF. Bullying and Body Image: Body image disturbance in emerging adults with a history of bullying victimization, Rebecca Antonacci. PDF
Psychology Dissertations and Theses
Theses/Dissertations from 2022. PDF. Model.Disclose (): Examination of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Disclosure at Work, Timothy Allen Carsey. PDF. Transforming Learning Communities, Transforming Ourselves: A Qualitative Investigation of Identity Processes in a Participatory Action Research-themed Undergraduate Course, Julia Sara Dancis. PDF.
Psychology Undergraduate thesis collection
Browse By. Search within this Collection: As part of their final year undergraduate degree examination for MA or BSC Psychology, students submit a dissertation based on an original research project supervised by academic staff in the department. During 2006/07 it was agreed that all Psychology Undergraduate students would be required to submit ...
Educational and Psychological Studies Theses and Dissertations
Theses/Dissertations from 2019 PDF. Exploring the Behavior of Model Fit Criteria in the Bayesian Approximate Measurement Invariance: A Simulation Study, Abeer Atallah S. Alamri. PDF. Ethnic Identity as a Protective Factor in Early Adolescent Youth Depression: An Investigation of Differences by Race and Gender, Leah Bonilla. PDF
Topics on Machine Learning under Imperfect Supervision
This dissertation comprises several studies addressing supervised learning problems where the supervision is imperfect. Firstly, we investigate the margin conditions in active learning. Active learning is characterized by its special mechanism where the learner can sample freely over the feature space and exploit mostly the limited labeling budget by querying the most informative labels.
Psychological Research MSc
Your MSc culminates in a research dissertation in a core research area: an original, publication-quality piece of research, undertaken in close collaboration with researchers in the relevant group. Psychology is rated 3rd in the UK by Times Higher Education for the quality and breadth of the research using the latest Research Excellence ...
Best Online Doctorate In Psychology Programs
The research-based, non-clinical online psychology Ph.D. program comprises 60 credits, which degree-seekers can complete in 36-60 months. Students enroll in 20 courses, which they complete through eight-week terms. Courses focus on foundational concepts, such as behavioral neuroscience, research, and a dissertation.
Presentation Master's Thesis
This thesis investigates the role of age in the relationship between social attunement, social drinking motives and (problematic) alcohol use. Using the Social Attunement Questionnaire (SAQ), the study examines how individuals adjust their behavior and thoughts to align with social expectations, exploring its impact on social drinking motives ...
Counselling Psychology Dissertation Topics
Published by Owen Ingram at January 2nd, 2023 , Revised On June 10, 2024. Counselling psychology is one of the various subfields of psychology. It addresses a variety of situational issues that affect people from different social groups. In order to receive a psychology degree, students must complete a dissertation in their final year of college.
Presentation Master's Thesis
Chemistry: Analytical Sciences (master, joint degree) Chemistry: Molecular Sciences (master, joint degree) Chemistry: Science for Energy and Sustainability (master, joint degree) Child Development and Education (research master) Classics and Ancient Civilizations (master) Cognition, Language and Communication (bachelor)
Clinical Psychology Dissertation Topics
To find Clinical Psychology dissertation topics: Study recent research in the field. Focus on emerging therapies or disorders. Address gaps in current literature. Consider ethical and practical aspects. Explore diverse populations or age groups. Seek topics aligning with your passion and expertise.
Presentation Master's Thesis
Chemistry: Analytical Sciences (master, joint degree) Chemistry: Molecular Sciences (master, joint degree) Chemistry: Science for Energy and Sustainability (master, joint degree) Child Development and Education (research master) Classics and Ancient Civilizations (master) Cognition, Language and Communication (bachelor)
Presentation Master's Thesis
Chemistry: Analytical Sciences (master, joint degree) Chemistry: Molecular Sciences (master, joint degree) Chemistry: Science for Energy and Sustainability (master, joint degree) Child Development and Education (research master) Classics and Ancient Civilizations (master) Cognition, Language and Communication (bachelor)

101 Examples of Dissertation Research Topics for Psychology Students

What Makes a Good Dissertation Research Topic for Psychology Students?

101 Psychology Dissertation Ideas

List of 150+ Psychology Dissertation Topics and Ideas to Write About

Top 30 psychology dissertation topics

Social psychology dissertation topics

Elevate your papers with professional touch!

Clinical psychology dissertation ideas

Personality psychology dissertation topics

Cognitive psychology dissertation ideas

Dissertation topics in counseling psychology

Dissertation topics in industrial psychology

Avoid AI-related plagiarism

Forensic psychology dissertation ideas

Was this helpful?

Written by David Kidwell

Related Blog Posts

Dissertation Title Page: Key Elements & Formatting Requirements

List of 130+ Dissertation Topics in Education for in-depth Research

Join our 150K of happy users

61 intriguing psychology research topics to explore

Focus on a particular area of psychology

Read the latest clinical studies

Find a topic you enjoy and ask questions

Mental health in post-secondary students

The impacts of cyberbullying

Chronic pain and mental health

The long-term effects of insomnia

The efficacy of mental health treatment options

The impact of social media and digital platforms

Psychotropic medications for mental health

Anxiety and depression disorders

Bipolar disorder

Schizoaffective disorder

Access to mental health services

Systemic racism and mental health

LGBTQIA+ mental health concerns

Should you be using a customer insights hub?

Editor’s picks

Latest articles

Log in or sign up

100 Psychology Thesis Topics for 2023

General Psychology Topics for High School

Child Psychology Research Paper Topics

Cognitive Psychology Topics

Developmental Psychology Topics

Social Psychology Topics for College Students

Sports Psychology Research Topics

Controversial Topics in Psychology

Health Psychology Topics for College Students

More Controversial Psychology Topics

Great Educational Psychology Topics

Excellent Cultural Psychology Topics

Psychology Topics to Write About

Abnormal Psychology Topics

Developmental Psychology Research Topics

Biological Psychology Topics

More Sports Psychology Topics

Forensic Psychology Topics

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Psychology Dissertation Topics: 170 Compelling Ideas

Top 30 Psychology Dissertation Topics

Social Psychology Dissertation Topics

Clinical Psychology Dissertation Ideas

Personality Psychology Dissertation Topics

Cognitive Psychology Dissertation Ideas

Counseling Psychology Dissertation Topics

Industrial Psychology Dissertation Topics

Forensic Psychology Dissertation Ideas

Frequently asked questions

New Posts to Your Inbox!

50+ Research Topics for Psychology Papers

Research Topics Within Specific Branches of Psychology

Psychology Research Topics Involving a Disorder or Type of Therapy

Topics of Psychology Research Related to Human Cognition

Topics of Psychology Research Related to Human Development

Do a Critique of Publications Involving Psychology Research Topics

Topics of Psychology Research Related to Famous Experiments

Topics of Psychology Research About Historical Figures

Psychology Research Topics About a Specific Career