30 Valuable Topics for Psychology Research Paper Writing
Completing a well-researched psychology paper can prove a daunting task for students. With the meticulous research and in-depth insight required to structure a psychology paper, you can easily feel overwhelmed with these types of assignments.
This guide will help you buff your writing skills and get you on track with your psychology research paper. We will also cover some psychology research paper ideas to help you select a great topic for your discipline.
How to write a psychology research paper
Writing a psychology paper does not have to trigger headaches and inspire feelings of inadequacy. You should follow these steps to help you ensure a quality paper.
- Understand the nature of the assignment
The tutor’s instructions are crucial for preparing your paper. It is crucial to understand the type of paper you are expected to write from the information provided in the assignment.
When asked to write a literature review, you are tasked with summarizing the research and findings from previous work. Literature reviews are organized into an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
On the other hand, a lab report relies on findings established from experiments. As such, this type of paper should have an abstract, a methodology, a result, and a discussion section.
- Select a relevant topic
After understanding the question, determine the limitations provided by your tutor. When a topic is prescribed, limit your research to the topic as guided by your tutor.
When provided with a general topic, it would be best to select a specific concept within the topic. This will help you focus on an argument and easily retrieve relevant materials for your paper.
When selecting topics in psychology, start by brainstorming various ideas that evoke your curiosity about the provided topic.
- Gather materials that are essential for your research
Before diving into your paper, start by searching for materials to help you structure your argument and support your case. Since research is the backbone of a psychology research paper, you cannot afford to skimp on the quality of research.
When doing your research, store a meticulous record of your resources for easy retrieval in the writing phase and reference purposes. Also, jot down some ideas from various materials and record the source material against the ideas.
- Prepare an outline
After you’ve gathered material for your paper, sort out the information in an outline, ensuring a logical flow building up to your conclusion.
Ideally, you should present the outline with ideas interlinking within the body. Also, the outline may be presented to your professor for correction before you turn your paper in for marking.
- Draft your paper and Edit
After you have mapped your argument, write your paper and edit it for various grammatical and structural errors. However, you may delegate this section to a friend or a writing expert to help you buff out various issues and save your time for other commitments.
Psychology research paper outline
Introduction
- Definition of the topic.
- Transition to thesis: background on the research and advancements in your field of study.
- A statistic/ hook to induct your reader into your topic/study.
- Thesis statement showing the relevance of your study.
Body
Paragraph one:
- Topic sentence: analyze the issue under study.
- Evidence: provide data supporting the existence of the issue and its impact on the population.
- Show how your study complements the existing data.
Paragraph two:
- Topic sentence: analyze a key factor causing the issue under study.
- Evidence: Analyze how you can control this factor to curb the emergence of the issue.
- Show how your study complements the existing data.
Paragraph three:
- Topic sentence: analyze a solution to the issue under study.
- Evidence: Analyze the considerations to be made to ensure the optimal application of your solution.
- Show how your study supports the solution you are suggesting.
Conclusion
- Restate your thesis.
- Summarize your key points.
- Highlight various counterarguments that you may make against your suggestions.
Topics for psychology research paper
Selecting relevant psychology topics for a research paper is crucial for an outstanding score in your paper. These topics should guide you in selecting an interesting topic for your psychology research paper.
Controversial topics in psychology for research paper
- Psychological markers of individuals typical of child abuse
- Are mental disorders the cause of homosexuality?
- Analyzing the influence of social media on the sexual orientation of society
- How learning disabilities impact family members and how to help children suffering such disabilities
- How parenting can help avoid the likelihood of drug abuse in adult age
- Impact of violent games on a child’s mental development
Criminal psychology research paper topics
- A case study on mental disorders and the propensity to crime
- Is capital punishment an effective deterrent to various calibers of crimes
- An analysis of peer pressure in facilitating crime and solutions to curb this phenomenon
- How divorce inspires crime in society
- A case study of parenting behavior about antisocial behavior in later stages of development.
- The role of schools in ensuring upstanding, law-abiding citizens
Cultural psychology research paper topics
- A case study of the slave trade on European cultures
- Analyzing the causes of political divisions in the USA
- The impact of multiculturalism in the entertainment industry
- How you can harness cultural diversity to help manage racism
- Approaches to teaching cross-cultural communication and culture
- How cultural norms have inspired feminism in the modern-day society
Developmental psychology research paper topics
- How food packaging can promote healthy food decisions among younger children
- An analysis of Vygotsky’s and Piaget’s principles in child development
- How can developmental psychology be applied to rehabilitating drug addicts?
- Impact of childhood attachments in one’s adult life
- Can developmental disabilities be propagated through genetics
- An analysis on causes of child abuse and mitigation approaches
Sports psychology topics for research paper
- A case study on sports injury and approaches to reduce the rate of injury among athletes
- Should athletes diagnosed with a concussion be barred from engaging in sports
- How to identify overtraining and ways to ensure efficient exercise without over-exhaustion
- Is heredity a factor behind sports success?
- A case study on body control in the success in various sports
- Analyzing the reasons for obesity regardless of a strict training routine
Final take
Are you preparing for a research paper on psychology? These tips should guide you in preparing your paper and selecting a topic relevant to your assignment. If you need assistance structuring your paper, our experts are on cue to help prepare unique outlines and guidance on your assignment.
