clinical psychology masters thesis topics

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Clinical Psychology Research Topics

Stumped for ideas? Start here

Clinical psychology research is one of the most popular subfields in psychology. With such a wide range of topics to cover, figuring out clinical psychology research topics for papers, presentations, and experiments can be tricky.

Clinical Psychology Research Topic Ideas

Topic choices are only as limited as your imagination and assignment, so try narrowing the possibilities down from general questions to the specifics that apply to your area of specialization.

Here are just a few ideas to start the process:

• How does social media influence how people interact and behave?
• Compare and contrast two different types of therapy . When is each type best used? What disorders are best treated with these forms of therapy? What are the possible limitations of each type?
• Compare two psychological disorders . What are the signs and symptoms of each? How are they diagnosed and treated?
• How does "pro ana," "pro mia," " thinspo ," and similar content contribute to eating disorders? What can people do to overcome the influence of these sites?​
• Explore how aging influences mental illness. What particular challenges elderly people diagnosed with mental illness face?
• Explore factors that influence adolescent mental health. Self-esteem and peer pressure are just a couple of the topics you might explore in greater depth.
• Explore the use and effectiveness of online therapy . What are some of its advantages and disadvantages ? How do those without technical literacy navigate it?
• Investigate current research on the impact of media violence on children's behavior.
• Explore anxiety disorders and their impact on daily functioning. What new therapies are available?
• What are the risk factors for depression ? Explore the potential risks as well as any preventative strategies that can be used.
• How do political and social climates affect mental health?
• What are the long-term effects of childhood trauma? Do children continue to experience the effects later in adulthood? What treatments are available for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) in childhood?
• What impact does substance use disorder have on the family? How can family members help with treatment?
• What types of therapy are most effective for childhood behavioral issues ?

Think of books you have read, research you have studied, and even experiences and interests from your own life. If you've ever wanted to dig further into something that interested you, this is a great opportunity. The more engaged you are with the topic, the more excited you will be to put the work in for a great research paper or presentation.

Consider Scope, Difficulty, and Suitability

Picking a good research topic is one of the most important steps of the research process. A too-general topic can feel overwhelming; likewise, one that's very specific might have limited supporting information. Spend time reading online or exploring your library to make sure that plenty of sources to support your paper, presentation, or experiment are available.

If you are doing an experiment , checking with your instructor is a must. In many cases, you might have to submit a proposal to your school's human subjects committee for approval. This committee will ensure that any potential research involving human subjects is done in a safe and ethical way.

Once you have chosen a topic that interests you, run the idea past your course instructor. (In some cases, this is required.) Even if you don't need permission from the instructor, getting feedback before you delve into the research process is helpful.

Your instructor can draw from a wealth of experience to offer good suggestions and ideas for your research, including the best available resources pertaining to the topic. Your school librarian may also be able to provide assistance regarding the resources available for use at the library, including online journal databases.

Kim WO.  Institutional review board (IRB) and ethical issues in clinical research .  Korean Journal of Anesthesiology . 2012;62(1):3-12. doi:10.4097/kjae.2012.62.1.3

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

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.

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10 Clinical Psychology Research Topics to Explore

Whether you’re working toward a PsyD or a PhD in Clinical Psychology , landing on a research paper that will sustain your interest throughout your doctoral program can be both thrilling and challenging.

Should you go with a niche you know well or branch out to another psychology specialization ? Should you choose a research topic you’re passionate about or opt for something more topical and needed in the broader realm of behavioral and mental health?

Only you can answer these questions—however, this blog may provide you with some inspiration and direction. Let’s walk through 10 of the most fascinating clinical psychology research topics and how they might bring you closer to your educational and professional objectives.

Explore Clinical Psychology Programs

10 Emerging Research Topics in Clinical Psychology

One of the benefits of clinical psychology is that it’s far from a static field.

With each passing year, we gain more and more insight into the brain and how it affects behavior. In the last few years alone, for example, we’ve obtained a clearer picture of the negative effects of digital media on mental health and behavior. But we’ve also seen how digital media (specifically, mobile apps) can enhance mental health when used correctly. 1

Put simply, clinical psychology is a dynamic, exhilarating realm with seemingly boundless possibilities for further research.

Nonetheless, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when settling on a clinical psychology research paper topic, especially when it’s one that you may be intimate with for years. To that end, consider these top 10 psychology topics to get you started in your research area:

#1. Mental Health Technology and Digital Interventions

The pandemic dramatically altered how healthcare practitioners interact with their patients and clients. Whereas psychotherapy and other forms of counseling were once performed almost exclusively in person, COVID-19 turned mental telehealth into our new reality.

But what might the long-term effects of this be? And will it persist as we march into the future?

Exploring the impact of digital mental health interventions (such as apps, other digital tools, and teleconferences) on well-being may open up a world of possible clinical psychology research topics and questions. 2 For instance, it may compel you to ask and research thoughts like:

• How will AI alter mental health treatments, if at all?
• Will digital mental health interventions ultimately cause or worsen isolation?
• What are the downsides and perks of turning to social media for mental health information?
• What is the relevance and value of in-person counseling sessions, post-pandemic?
• Do clients feel safer in online sessions?
• How can technology be employed to monitor patients outside of sessions?
• How does mental telehealth affect the elderly?

Technology is rapidly and constantly changing. In other words, psychology and technology may be exciting subjects to explore as you work towards starting or completing your doctorate.

#2. Cross-Cultural and Global Mental Health 

Globalization has its pros and cons. Studies indicate that while it may have its advantages, it can also heighten: 4

• Discrimination

Each of these may have lasting effects, including increasing the risk of mental disorders like addiction, depression, and anxiety. In other words, it needs to be examined by experts from multiple standpoints.

As a doctoral student, you’re in an ideal spot to investigate this complex issue. It also emphasizes the need to gain cultural competency and a global mindset as a mental health practitioner, which is another possible research topic in and of itself.

#3. Neuropsychology and Cognitive Processes

The field of neuropsychology and cognitive processes continues to grow, particularly with the advent of digital tools and their ability to monitor cognition. 5 Exploring our advancing knowledge of how the brain affects behavior may allow you to look at a wide range of mental health disorders and the newest clinical interventions that are being made available, such as treating:

• Alcohol use disorder (AUD)
• Eating disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

#4. Trauma and Resilience Studies

Psychologists and psychiatrists ranging from Bessel Van der Kolk to Peter Levine forever altered our understanding of trauma. What was once thought of as a purely psychological issue is now understood as a bodily ailment. 6

But how might this look as we move forward in time and gain an enhanced understanding of neuroplasticity? Will somatics continue to play a role in treating trauma, or will technological advances send practitioners and their clients in a completely different direction?

You may be in a position to dig deeper and find out.

#5. Behavioral Health and Chronic Conditions

The unique relationship between chronic conditions and behavioral health is also up for exploration. Growing research indicates that chronic conditions (such as diabetes) can trigger mental health complications like depression, which can then perpetuate the cycle of the chronic condition.

This topic may be especially timely and relevant as it emphasizes the need to bridge the gap between a patient’s full healthcare team and points out flaws in treating chronic conditions solely from a pharmaceutical stance.

#6. Psychotherapy Process and Outcome Research

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and other forms of traditional “talk therapy” have been mainstays in the field of clinical psychology for decades. But this, too, isn’t static, especially as clients continue to look more toward body-based therapies and technology-fueled solutions, like: 8

• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
• Neurofeedback therapy 
• Brainspotting
• Somatic Experiencing (SE)

Is it too soon to know if these and other fresh forms of mental health treatments have the same staying power as, say, cognitive behavioral therapy? This might be optimal for exploration.

#7. Social Determinants of Mental Health 

Social determinants of mental health (SDOMH) refer to the external circumstances that may impact an individual’s mental well-being and make them more vulnerable to conditions ranging from depression to addiction. SDOMH includes: 9

• Unemployment 
• Social isolation
• Urban crowding

How will SDOMH change as we move forward? Will it? Additionally, what is a clinical psychologist’s role in addressing these issues? What are the most effective strategies for working with those who have been disadvantaged?

This is an important topic as we, as a society, continue to address long-buried issues of race and class.

#8. Addiction and Substance Use Disorders

Addiction remains a prevalent topic: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects roughly 10.5% of the population, while 46.8 million Americans wrestled with a substance abuse disorder in 2022 alone. 10

Analyzing the most recent treatments and the future of treatments might not only pave the way for your own work after completion of your PsyD or PhD but also do a tremendous service for those who suffer from addiction (and their loved ones and families).

#9. Child and Adolescent Mental Health

Numerous studies indicate that kids and teens now have unusually high rates of: 11

• Substance use

What plays into this? Is social media entirely to blame, or can social sites also be a resource for youngsters? And how can clinical psychologists tweak their methods to resonate with kids and teens?

These are just three of the many questions you might ask if you decide to adopt this topic for your clinical research.

#10. Ethics and Professional Issues in Clinical Psychology

Last but not least, consider the value of examining both the main and more subtle ethics and professional issues in clinical psychology at work today, such as:

• Privacy 
• Informed consent
• Cultural sensitivity 
• Termination of counseling

Shape the Future of Mental Health with Alliant International University 

From making a substantial difference in the lives of others to eradicating the stigmas that surround certain mental health conditions, clinical psychologists are in a prime position to fuel lasting change. Selecting a clinical research topic that ignites your spirit and works toward solving larger social issues takes this notion to the next level.

Alliant International University may get you closer to becoming the type of clinical psychologist who can make an impact. Whether you’re exploring our PsyD in Clinical Psychology or have just started college, we’re proud to offer doctoral programs for psychology that can help you excel in your future profession. And with online and in-person classes and training, you might find the flexibility your life requires.

Learn more about our clinical psychology programs today.

Sources: 

• “Exploring the Latest Frontiers in Clinical Psychology Research.” The Clinic, March 25, 2024. https://theclinicca.org/exploring-the-latest-frontiers-in-clinical-psyc… .
•  Park, Susanna Y, Chloe Nicksic Sigmon, and Debra Boeldt. “A Framework for the Implementation of Digital Mental Health Interventions: The Importance of Feasibility and Acceptability Research.” Cureus, September 19, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9580609/.  
• Bond, Raymond R., Maurice D. Mulvenna, Courtney Potts, Siobhan O’Neill, Edel Ennis, and John Torous. “Digital Transformation of Mental Health Services.” Nature News, August 22, 2023. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44184-023-00033-y.  
• “Cross-Cultural Mental Health.” CMHA British Columbia, July 14, 2016. https://bc.cmha.ca/documents/cross-cultural-mental-health-and-substance-use-2/.  
• “New Research Looks at the Promise of ‘Digital Neuropsychology.’” McLean News | New Research Looks at the Promise of “Digital Neuropsychology,” January 7, 2019. https://www.mcleanhospital.org/news/new-research-looks-promise-digital-neuropsychology.  
• Kuhfuß, Marie, Tobias Maldei, Andreas Hetmanek, and Nicola Baumann. “Somatic Experiencing - Effectiveness and Key Factors of a Body-Oriented Trauma Therapy: A Scoping Literature Review.” European journal of psychotraumatology, July 12, 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8276649/.  
• “The Intersection of Mental Health and Chronic Disease.” Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Accessed April 17, 2024. https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/the-intersection-of-mental-health-and-chronic-disease.  
• Theodora Blanchfield, AMFT. “What to Know about Brainspotting Therapy.” Verywell Mind, January 16, 2024. https://www.verywellmind.com/brainspotting-therapy-definition-techniques-and-efficacy-5213947.  
• Social Determinants of Health and Mental Health. Accessed April 17, 2024. https://www.ncsc.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/70864/Social-Determinants-of-Health.pdf.  
• “Alcohol and Drug Abuse Statistics (Facts about Addiction).” American Addiction Centers, April 4, 2024. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/addiction-statistics#.  
• “Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March 8, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html.  

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Research Topics & Ideas: Psychology

100+ Psychology Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Research

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 give you an idea of what these look like in the real world.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps (which we’ll explain a little later). Therefore, it’s important to recognise that this post is only the first step in finding a high-quality psychology-centred research topic. To develop a 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 all sounds a bit intimidating, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course , which covers the process of writing a dissertation or thesis from A-Z. You can also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to find a high-quality research topic. Alternatively, if you’d like hands-on help, have a look at our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Overview: Psychology-Related Topics

• How to find a research topic (video)
• Behavioural psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Cognitive psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Educational psychology
• Forensic psychology
• Social psychology
• Sports psychology
• Examples of actual dissertation topics
• Free Webinar : Topic Ideation 101
• Where to get extra help

How To Find A Research Topic

In the video below, we explain how to find suitable research ideas (in psychology or any field), and how to then refine those into well-articulated potential topics for your dissertation or thesis. We also discuss a few important evaluation criteria to help you make the right choice for your project.

Below you’ll find a list of research ideas to get your thinking started. Please note that these research topic ideas are intentionally broad and generic, so you will need to refine them a fair deal using the techniques we discussed in the video above.

We’ve grouped the topic ideas based on a few popular areas of psychology to make it a little easier for you to find something in your particular field of interest. That said, there is naturally some overlap between topics, so keep this in mind.

Research Ideas: Behavioural Psychology

• Cultural variation in behaviour and mental health of adolescents during a disaster: a case study
• The impact of parental drug use and risky behaviour on early child development
• The effects of video game violence on aggressive behaviour among teenage boys in school
• The relationship between adverse childhood experiences and adult risk-seeking behaviour
• The impact of physical exercise on anxiety and health-harming behaviour
• The relationship between personality traits and addiction behaviour
• The effects of reinforcement schedules on decision-making and associative learning
• The effects of daily mindfulness practice on stress and anxiety in middle-aged women
• The use of behavioural interventions in the treatment of eating disorders in poorer communities
• Understanding implicit cognitive processes involved in the over-consumption of fast food
• The use of cognitive behavioural therapy for alcohol addiction treatment
• The impact of extensive technology use in children on long-term attention and focus
• The impact of social media on self-destructive behaviour and poor mental health outcomes
• Exploring the role of sleep and sleep deprivation on healthy behaviours

Research Ideas: Clinical Psychology

• The use of mindfulness-based approaches in the treatment of anxiety disorders among college students
• The use of technology in the delivery of psychological services in war-torn countries
• The effectiveness of dialectical behaviour therapy for borderline personality disorder
• The use of virtual reality technology in the treatment of phobias and PTSD among war veterans
• The role of childhood adversity on adult mental health in immigrant populations in the USA
• The role of genetics and epigenetics in the development of bipolar disorder in Pakistani women: an integrative review
• The effectiveness of pharmacotherapy in the treatment of social anxiety among hikikomori in Japan
• The perception of healthcare workers and patients on the use of teletherapy for the delivery of psychological services
• The impact of social support on mental health outcomes among single parents.
• The effectiveness of integrative therapeutic approaches in the treatment of schizophrenia
• The effectiveness of trauma-focused therapies on post-traumatic growth in domestic abuse survivors
• The role and use of cognitive-behavioural therapy for depression among first-generation students
• The effectiveness of family therapy in addressing childhood trauma and depression
• The impact of cultural mistrust on the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues in culturally-diverse populations
• The effectiveness of group therapy on post-traumatic stress symptoms among survivors of sexual assault

Research Ideas: Cognitive Psychology

• The impact of lifelong aerobic exercise on cognitive function in old age
• The effects of evening screen use on cognitive development in preschool children
• The impact of sleep deprivation on decision-making among graduate students
• The use of neuroimaging to understand the neural basis of memory retrieval
• The effect of conservative religious homes on social functioning in LGBT+ adolescents
• The role of positive emotions in working memory among high school learners
• The neural basis of decision-making and problem-solving during undergraduate statistic assessments
• The neural basis of language processing among adults learning English as a second language
• The role of technological tools in improving working memory in older adults
• The role of attention in emotional face processing among adult males
• The impact of depression on cognitive function during ageing The impact of daily meditation and mindfulness practice on cognitive function
• The relationship between increased protein intake and improved cognitive function
• The effects of stress on cognitive function among final-year learners

Research Ideas: Developmental Psychology

• The impact of maternal affection on cognitive, social, and emotional development
• The effects of parenting styles on children’s executive function
• The impact of late-night screen use on child development
• The role of digital play on child development outcomes
• Exploring the impact of poverty on early child development in Brazil
• The trauma-informed care as moderating the impact of trauma on child development
• Evaluating the relationship between peer relationship quality and child social development
• The impact of child-targeted media and advertising on child behavioural development
• The role of parental attachment in child resilience
• The moderating impact of culture on bullying and child social development
• The impact of single-parenting on child development in India
• The impact of early educational interventions on child socio-emotional development
• The impact of digital technology use on adolescent development and mental health
• The impact of socioeconomic status on child executive function
• The role of genetics and epigenetics on child neurodevelopmental outcomes linked to depression

Need a helping hand?

Research Ideas: Educational Psychology

• The relationship between self-regulated learning and academic performance in asynchronous versus synchronous learning environments
• Exploring effective parental involvement strategies and their impact on student achievement
• The role of intrinsic motivation in formative assessment in the classroom
• The impact of classroom management and practice on student learning and behaviour
• University students’ preference regarding online learning environments
• The effects of gentrification on student achievement in traditionally poor neighbourhoods
• The impact of teacher expectations and academic self-concept on K12 student mathematics performance
• The use and effectiveness of game-based learning in a high school biology classroom
• The impact of prejudice on the relationship between student motivation and academic performance among Black university students
• The impact of culture on second language English student learning preferences
• The effects of student self-efficacy and engagement on academic performance in secondary school mathematics
• The role of metacognition in learning musicality in hip hop
• The role of small group instruction on teacher efficacy and stress in early childhood education
• The perception and use of multimedia among high school biology teachers in France
• The use of augmented reality applications and its impact on student learning, motivation and attitude

Research Ideas: Forensic Psychology

• The impact of trauma on the psychological functioning of police officers and first responders
• Understanding cultural considerations during forensic psychological assessment and treatment of trauma
• Ethical considerations of the use of AI in forensic psychology in the legal system
• The psychological factors related to recidivism among white collar female offenders in the USA
• The psychological factors related to false confessions among juveniles
• Understanding the use of psychological assessment in the evaluation of eyewitness testimony in criminal courts in England
• The impact of trauma on the reflective functioning of adult female sexual assault victims
• The use and effectiveness of psychological interventions in reducing recidivism among non-violent criminals
• The impact of domestic violence on the mental health and forensic evaluation of men
• Exploring the ethical considerations and use of behavioural analysis in the study of criminal behaviour
• The use and limitations of neuropsychological assessment in forensic evaluations
• The use of social media forensics in evaluating criminal behaviour in violent crimes
• The racialised use of psychological assessment in the evaluation of competency to stand trial in Canada
• Exploring the use and availability of virtual reality technologies in forensic psychology in Spain
• The impact of motivational interviewing-based interventions among criminalized drug users

Research Ideas: Social Psychology

• The impact of prejudice and discrimination on social behaviour among African immigrants in South Africa
• The impact of social networks on behaviour and well-being among young adult females
• The effects of social identity on non-conformity in University students
• The effects of group dynamics on risk-seeking behaviour in adult men
• The impact of social media on the quality of interpersonal relationships among high school learners
• The impact of parental emotional intelligence on pro-social behaviour in children and adolescents
• The effects of conformity and deviance on social attitudes and behaviour during a global recession
• The effects of Tik Tok on social comparison and self-esteem among teenage girls
• Understanding gendered differences in social influence and algorithms on impulsive decision-making
• The effects of social support on mental health among healthcare workers in the UK
• The effects of gender roles on social behaviour among trans teens
• The impact of perceived power and social status on the behaviour of social media influencers
• The impact of social norms on prosocial behaviour among women
• The effects of community participation on aggression and violence in middle-aged men
• The impact of culture and gender on social behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic

Research Ideas: Sports Psychology

• The moderating role of cultural factors on the relationship between mental health and sports performance in team sports
• The role of mindfulness practice in addressing stress and anxiety in young national athletes
• The relationship between team cohesion and performance in cricket teams
• The effect of transformational leadership on female sports teams in Canada
• The effect of positive self-talk on athletic performance and motivation among Olympic athletes
• The use and perception of hypnosis in New Zealand team sports Understanding stress and burnout in University team athletes
• The efficacy of personalised nutrition and diet on athletic performance among sprinters
• Exploring mental preparation techniques and their effect on athletic motivation and resilience among team-sport athletes
• Exploring the perception and understanding of goal-setting characteristics on athletic performance among team coaches
• The effects of motivational feedback on the performance of female gymnasts
• The perception and use of visualization and imagery among coaches as a means to enhance sport performance
• The impact of sports injuries on mental health and recovery in high school athletes
• The moderating role of sleep on mental toughness and sports performance in Olympic athletes
• The use and perception of technology in sports training and performance in little league softball

Psychology-Related Dissertations & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic in psychology, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various psychology degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• Effects of a Patient Question Prompt List on Outpatient Palliative Care Appointments (McDarby, 2022)
• The role of affect and exercise goals in physical activity engagement in younger and older adults (Stojanovic, 2022)
• Lay Theories about Whether Emotion Helps or Hinders Reasoning and Well-being (Karnaze, 2022)
• The effects of blast-induced traumatic brain injury on two transgenic models of Alzheimer’s Disease (Gann, 2020)
• Understanding the parental mind: Examining the stability of parental reflective functioning across the birth of a child and associations with maternal mind-mindedness (Pitzen, 2021)
• An investigation of ineffective ally behaviours (Collier, 2019)
• Response Inhibition-Related Beta Power: Distinguishing Cognitively Intact Elders by Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease (Evans, 2021)
• Recognition Memory of Extremely High-Frequency Words (Miller, 2019)
• The Relationship between Dementia Caregiver Burden and Caregiver Communications in a Memory Clinic Setting (Martin, 2021)
• Examination of Maternal Versus Paternal Ratings of Child Pre-Injury Functioning in Predicting Child Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms (Sayer, 2021)
• Electromyography As A Means of Predicting The Rubber Hand Illusion (Teaford, 2021)
• Linking Diversity Climate and Feedback Seeking Through Interpersonal Processes and Race Effects (Flores, 2021)

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are far more specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. This is an important thing to keep in mind as you develop your own research topic. That is to say, to create a top-notch research topic, you must be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

Fast-Track Your Topic Ideation

Still unsure about how to find the right topic for your research project? Check out our private coaching services , where we work with psychology students on a 1:1 basis to help them find the perfect topic.

10 Comments

Great insight

A very interesting site that offers a variety of options regarding research topics.

You’re most welcome

A good platform to get information

Amazing and interesting options 👌

Very useful but had not any field of research in health psychology

I feel honored going through this lovely stuff put together. Thank you so much

I need counseling psychology research topics

very empowering and insightful presentations. Can I be assisted in crafting a school psychology-related research topic about African context

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Home > SBH > PSYCHOLOGY > ETD-CLINICAL

Theses, Dissertations and Projects - Clinical Psychology

Theses/dissertations from 2022 2022.

Neurofeedback Training for Attentional Processing in Anxious Individuals , Caleb Benjamin Barcenas

Cultural and Psychological Predictors of Exercise-Treatment Adherence and HbA1c for People with Type 2 Diabetes , Connor M. Nance

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Body Dissatisfaction, Verbal Commentary, Social Influences and Cigarette Smoking , Nicole Bennett

Factors Related to Cognitive Reserve in Healthy Older Adults , Ann Tram Nguyen

Therapists’ Willingness to Access Client Social Media Accounts in the Context of Suicide Risk , Jacob A. Vermeersch

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Religious Doubt as a Mediator of the Relationship between Religious Identity and Well-Being , Jedd P. Alejandro

SOAR (Stage 2 Outpatient Adolescent Recovery) Clinical Interview Manual , Aniel Ponce

Mediators of the Relationship between Mindfulness and E-cigarette Use , Denise Dao Tran

The Effects of a Polyphenol-rich Diet in a Fruit-fly Model of Traumatic Brain Injury , Alexandra D. Trofimova

Chronic Disease and its Relationship with Elder Mistreatment , Ryan Wong

Nonsexual Boundary Crossings in Psychotherapy: Factors in Ethical Decision-Making , Katherine S. H. Wu

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Sociocultural Pressures, Thin Ideal Internalization, Body Appreciation, & Eating Pathology in Women , Gabriela Joanna Bolivar

Exploring the Effects of Age in a Drosophila melanogaster Model of Traumatic Brain Injury , Andrea Maria Briseño

The Complexity of the Bilingual Experience: Linguistic Variables Predict Cognition in Older Adults , K'dee D. Elsen

Education and Social Support as Mediators of Function and Cognition in Patients with Schizophrenia , Spring Flores Johnson

The relationship between cognitive function and Activities of Daily Living , Pamela V. Lorenzo

Body Dissatisfaction, Perceived Smoking Consequences, and Weight Control Smoking , Samantha N. Martinez

Fatalism and Pain Experience in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Patients with Chronic Pain , Esmeralda Ibette Nuñez

Comparison of Neurofeedback Treatment on PTSD Symptoms within Military and Non-Military Populations , Lelah S. Villalpando

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

The Role of Therapeutic Processes within MBSR for Parents of Children with Developmental Delays , Grant Griffin Boostrom

Effects of Emotional Content on Working Memory Updating: Proactive Interference and Resolution , Maria Guadalupe Corona

An Empirical Examination of Doctoral Training Models in Clinical Psychology in the United States , Katherine E. Dautenhahn

The Relationship between Psychotherapist Personality and Therapeutic Alliance , Michael Finlay

Neurocognitive and Psychosocial Effects of Repeated Concussions in Children and Adolescents , Shina Halavi

Religious Orientation, Social Identity, and Reactions to Religious Disaffiliation , Alexander Daniel Larson

Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4-Revised in Asian Americans , Dean Lim

Evaluating Cognitive Changes in Patients Receiving Outpatient Alcohol Treatment , Michelle McDonnell

Abnormal Beta and Gamma Frequency Neural Oscillations Mediate Auditory Gating in Schizophrenia , Ann Tram Nguyen

Consequences of Attributions for Unfair Healthcare Treatment among Culturally Diverse Patients , Nathalie Serna

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Parenting Stress and Emotion Dysregulation in Children with DD: The Role of Parenting Behaviors , Neilson Chan

The Impact of Interpersonal Violence on Depression and Social Support , Katherine Dautenhahn

Camp-Based Intervention for Overweight Children with Developmental Disabilities , Allyson Davis

The Effects of Poverty and Allostatic Load on the Development of Chronic Disease , Natali Do

The Effect of Language on Cognition in an Acculturated American Sample of Healthy Older Adults , K'dee D. Elsen

Preliminary Validation of the Pediatric Rating of Chronic Illness Self-Efficacy , Natacha Donoghue Emerson

Behaviorally-Induced Structural Remodeling of the Hippocampus , Michael Finlay

Coping as a Mediator between Symptom Burden and Distress in Lung Cancer Patients , Spring F. Gehring

Age of Drinking Initiation’s Association with Cognitive Functioning , Joshua Seth Goldberg

ERP and Theta Activity Associated with Facial Emotion Memory , Shaina Roxanne Herman

Relational Savoring among Intimate Partners of Cancer Patients , Adrianna Elyse Holness

Church Member Reactions to Religious Disaffiliation , Alexander Daniel Larson

Smoking, ADHD, and Problematic Video Game Use: A Structural Modeling Approach , Hyo Jin Lee

Parental Quality of Life Among Parents in the NICU: Examining Moderators of Change Over Time , Evan Lima

Water Maze Strategies used by Mice Exposed to Radiation and Pomegranate Juice , Pamela V. Lorenzo

The Role of Temporal Distraction on Short-Term Memory and Delayed Recognition , Susanna Luu

The Effect of Discrimination on Mental Health after Adverse Childhood Experiences , Maleia Mathis

AM Happy Scale: Reliability and Validity of a Single-Item Measure of Happiness , Christina P. Moldovan

An Examination of the Moderating Effect of Proactive Coping in NICU Nurses , Britan M. Moore

Stress, Depression, Social Support, and Help-Seeking in College Student-Athletes , Clint H. Norseth

The Relationship between Physical Activity, Depressive Symptoms, and Cognitive Functioning , Imari-Ashley F. Palma

Demographic Differences in Resting State EEG in Healthy Controls and Patients with Schizophrenia , Keshia M. Sanders

Parental Distress and Child Behavior Problems: Parenting Behaviors as Mediators , Catherine M. Sanner

The Effects of Seizure Modeling and Polyphenols on Behavior in Bang-Sensitive Drosophila , Alphonso A. Smith

The Influence of Health Framing on Weight Stigma and Health Knowledge , Serena D. Stevens

Role of Cultural and Psychological Factors Influencing Diabetes Treatment Adherence , Sonika Kravann Ung

Parental Stress, Emotion Regulation, Meta-Emotion, and Changes Following an MBSR Intervention , Yangmu Xu

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Neuropsychological Effects of Pomegranate Supplementation Following Ischemic Stroke , John A. Bellone

The Adolescent Smoking Prevention Project: A Web-Based Smoking Prevention for Adolescents , Whitney N. Brown

Lung Cancer Stigma: Associated Variables and Coping Strategies , Kevin R. Criswell

The Influence of Parental Mental Health on Child Outcomes: The Role of the Parenting Process , Meredith L. Dennis

Hypertension in Older African Americans: Testing Psychosocial Mediators , Taylor L. Draper

Multi-level Model of Parent-Child Attachment, Depression & Self-Concept in Pediatric Chronic Illness , Natacha Donoghue Emerson

Phenotyping Double Transgenic Mouse Models of Alzheimer’s that Express Human APP and ApoE3 or ApoE4 , Shina Halavi

The Effects of Appearance Schemas and Commentary on Body Image and Eating Disorder Psychopathology , Alyson C. Hermé

Relationship between Crime, Psychological Diagnosis and Cognitive Functioning , Kayla M. Kinworthy

Interleukin-6, Depression, and Religious Coping in Older Seventh-day Adventists , Palak Dipak Kothari

Heart-focused Anxiety and Cardiac Treatment Adherence , Angelyna M. Lowe

The Frontal-Temporal Signature of TBI-Induced Acute Cerebral Metabolic Crisis , Christina Mannino

Emotional Memory: Examining Differences in Retrieval Methods , Audrey Martinez

Appearance-Related Commentary and Body Image in Women , Christina P. Moldovan

General Fatalism and Diabetes Fatalism as Predictors of Diabetes Treatment Adherence , Esmeralda Ibette Nuñez

NICU Parental Mental Health and Infant Outcomes: Effects of Psychological Well-Being and Psychopathology , Kathleen H. Parker

Effects of Stress, Sex Differences, and Cognitive Reserve on Cognitive Decline in Healthy Elderly Subjects , Courtney Ray

Interacting Beliefs and Processes in Mothers of Children Diagnosed with Autism , Lara L. South

An Examination of Social Media and the Tripartite Influence Model of Body Image Disturbance , Amanda F. Suplee

Survive or Thrive: Focusing on the Forest (Global) or the Trees (Local) Impacts Meaning Making , Seda Terzyan

Predictors of Adolescent E-cigarette Use , Denise Dao Tran

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Cultural Beliefs and Professional Empathy Influence Continuity of Healthcare , Jael A. Amador

Executive Dysfunction is Predictive of Clinical Symptomatology in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome , Chinonyere Kemdirim Bello

Parental Stress and Child Behavior Problems in Families of Children with Autism , Allyson Davis

Acceptability and Preferences for Empirically-Supported Psychological Treatments , Amanda Gorlick

Parent Stress and Social Skills Development in Children with Developmental Delays , Andrea Lewallen

Relationship among Psychotherapy Measurements: Predictors of ORS and OQ-45 Scores , Evan Lima

Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Adolescent Patient Treatment Dropout , Danessa Mayo

Comparison of Text Analysis Programs for Identification of Emotional Expression , Michelle McDonnell

Nondysphoric Depressive Symptoms and Cognitive Abilities in Healthy Older Adults , Clint H. Norseth

An Attribution-Emotion Approach to Political Conflict , Daniel Joel Northington

Do Clergy in Hidalgo County, Texas Serve as a Bridge or Barrier to Mental Health Services? , John C. Park

Performance of Number of Factors Procedures in Small Sample Sizes , Marc Thomas Porritt

Elections Have Consequences: Moral Value Foundations Ensure Gridlock through the Ballot Box , Gregory John Regts

Executive Functioning Outcomes among Self-Harming Adolescents Receiving DBT-A , Alphonso A. Smith

Use of an Enhanced Engagement Approach to Increase Engagement in an Online Support Group , Ketlyne Sol

Weight Stigma as a Mediator among BMI, Childhood Overweight, Body Image and Depression , Serena D. Stevens

Assessment of Geriatric Depression: Construction of a New Screening Inventory , Earl C. Thorndyke III

Cultural Beliefs and Self-Efficacy in Diet Adherence among Type 2 Diabetics , Sonika Kravann Ung

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Cognitive Function in the Alcohol Addiction Treatment Population , Suranee Abeyesinhe

Perceived Empathy and Continuity of Cancer Screening Care Among Latino and Anglo Women , Jael Aniuska Amador

Predicting Cognitive Decline in Older Adults , Kimberly M. Baerresen

Effects of Proton Radiation on Behavior in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease , John A. Bellone

The Effects of Childhood and Combat-Related Trauma on Psychological Outcomes in Veterans , Alyson C. Hermé

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101 Examples of Dissertation Research Topics for Psychology Students

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.

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.

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Clinical Psychology Dissertations Collection

This collection contains open access and campus access dissertations, made possible through Graduate Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The full content of open access dissertations is available to all, although some files may have embargoes placed on them and will be made available as soon as possible. The full content of campus access dissertations is only available to those either on the UMass Boston campus or with a UMass Boston campus username and password. Click on the "Off-Campus UMass Boston Users" link on the record page to download Campus Access publications. Those not on campus and those without a UMass Boston campus username and password may gain access to this dissertation through resources like Proquest Dissertations & Theses Global or through Interlibrary Loan.

Dissertations from 2024 2024

The Sankofa Study: Preliminary Feasibility and Outcomes of an Afrocentric Racism-Related Stress Intervention , Shannon Marie Hughley

Agreements and Discrepancies in Perceptions of Mentoring Relationship Quality: A Multi-Informant Investigation , Yui Sum Poon

Dissertations from 2023 2023

Decomposing Relational Mechanisms of Parent Engagement in Early Intervention: An Examination of Working Alliance and Family-Centered Practices , Alison E. Chavez

Sexual Racism and Mental Health Among Asian/Asian American Sexual Minority Men , Christopher Chiu

Investigating the Sexual Consent Process for Plurisexual Individuals , Kaitlyn R. Gorman

Lost in Translation: Training Experiences and Burnout Among Bilingual Trainees in Doctoral Psychology Programs , Ingrid Hastedt

Exploring the Roles of Parent Emotional Styles and Children’s Coping Skills in the Emotional and Behavioral Sequelae of Community Violence Exposure , Juliana M. Neuspiel

Exploring the Asian American Autism Family Relationship Processes Among Non-Autistic Adult Siblings from Immigrant and Confucian-Ethnic Family Background , Thanh Phuong Nguyen

Diagnosing Psychosis Among Black Americans: The Impact of White Clinicians' Colorblind Racial Attitudes and Multicultural Responsiveness , Keira E. O'Donovan

The Impact of Historical Trauma, Self-Compassion, and Resistance Against Racism among African Americans , Darrick Scott

Negotiating Acculturation: A Qualitative Study of Muslim American Women , Noor N. Tahirkheli

Resolution of Diagnosis Among Parents of Children Diagnosed with Autism , Deanna C. Toner

Dissertations from 2022 2022

Patterns of Emotional Processing and the Psychological Impact of Heterosexism , Kathleen M. Collins

Body Image Experiences Among Black American Sexual Minority Women , Alison E. A. Goldblatt

Examining Culturally Adapted, Values Based, Mental Health Stigma Reduction and Help-Seeking Messages for Asian Americans , Anna M. Ying

Dissertations from 2021 2021

Self-Compassion Among Roommates: An Investigation of Interpersonal Effects , Bryan Balvaneda

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of After-School Programs on Academic, Social, Behavioral, Mental Health, and Identity Outcomes Among Youth with Marginalized Identities , Kirsten M. Christensen

The Power of Friendships: Associations Between Friendship Quality, Satisfaction, and Well-Being for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Melanie S. Feldman

Evaluating the Cultural Validity of Social Cognition in a Latinx Sample , Mayte Forte

Beyond Borders in Chronic Schizophrenia: NEO-FFM Personality Traits, Neurocognition, and Symptoms , Lauren M. Grabowski

A Longitudinal Investigation of First-Generation College Students' Mentoring Relationships during their Transition to Higher Education , Matthew A. Hagler

My Wounds Matter Too: Associations Among Distress, Emotion Regulation, Autism Symptomology, and Self-Harm Functions Among Young Adults with ASD , Sarah Levinson

Dissertations from 2020 2020

A Preliminary Evaluation of a Culturally Adapted Stress Management Prevention Workshop for Latinx Students , Natalie Arbid

Cross-Age Peer Mentoring: A Meta-Analysis , Samantha Burton

The Experience of Misgendering Among Trans and Gender Diverse People , Hamish A. Gunn

Assessing Mental Health Provider Bias Toward Clients with Understudied Marginalized Sexual Identities and Practices , Cara Herbitter

The Effectiveness of a Mindfulness, Acceptance, Valued Action, and Flexible Coping Intervention for Race-Based Stress on Momentary Coping and Distress Symptoms , Jennifer Honculada Martinez

Dissertations from 2019 2019

Responsibility Development in Young Men in Postsecondary Settings: Construct Structure and Contextual Influences , Gabriel M. Garza Sada

A Process for Change: A Grounded Theory Investigation of Participatory Action Research as a Means for Countering Mental Illness Stigma Experienced by Transition-Aged Black Youth , Jacqueline G. Hargrove

Dismantling an Intervention Aimed at Increasing White People's Knowledge and Understanding of Racial Justice Issues , Alissa L. Hochman

The Role of Narrative Coherence and Parental Scaffolding in Buffering the Effects of Domestic Violence Exposure , Shirley Poyau

Novice Therapist Responsiveness: Description and Development , Max B. Wu

Dissertations from 2018 2018

Latino Immigrant Youth Development in Anti-Immigrant Contexts: Exploring Adaptive Cultures as Resources Promoting Competencies and Wellness , Darcy Alcantara

Treatment Engagement and Client Competence in CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder , Amber L. Calloway

“Surviving and Thriving During Stress”: Bridging the Gap with Technology, a Web-Based Acceptance-Based Behavioral Therapy Program for University Students , Elizabeth Hemenway Eustis

Diagnostic Stability of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Young Children with Diverse Backgrounds , Ivy Giserman Kiss

Examining the Moderating Role of Internalized Racism on the Relation Between Racism-Related Stress and Mental Health in Asian Americans , Danielle Godon-Decoteau

Mental Health Literacy and Stigma among Recently Returning Veterans: Cultural Correlates, Mutability, and Relations with Healthcare Utilization , Sarah Krill Williston

The Impact of Individual and Parental Confucian Attitudes on Mental Illness Stigma and Help Seeking Attitudes Among Asian Americans from Confucian Cultures , Charles M. Liu

“I Wish Katrina Wouldn’t Have Happened, But I’m Glad It Happened”: Posttraumatic Growth and Adaptive Outcomes in Low-Income Black Mothers Who Survived Hurricane Katrina , Emily E. Manove

Encouraging Toddlers with ASD to Request: An Exploration of Expectant Pausing and Engagement Strategies , Melissa P. Maye

Does Mindfulness Support Empathy? , L. G. Rollins

Exploring Perceived External Control as a Transdiagnostic Cognitive Process in Anxiety Disorders and the Investigation of a Brief Acceptance Intervention , Lauren P. Wadsworth

Mentoring as a Protective Factor for Youth with a History of Interpersonal Trauma Exposure , Elyssa Briann Weber

An Exploration of Mentoring Functions in the Context of Parental Relationships , Laura A. Yoviene Sykes

Dissertations from 2017 2017

The Challenge of Social Mobility: Habitus among Low-Income and Working-Class Students in Higher Education , J. Anna Bell

Risk, Resilience, Recovery: In Search of the Protective Factors of Mental Health , Victoria Choate Hasler

Cognitive Aspects of Children's Experience of Economic Disadvantage , Amy E. Heberle

Mothering Values of Black Student Mothers: A Grounded Theory Analysis , Sara A. Kaplan-Levy

Asian American Women Leaders' Strategies for Negotiating Intersectional Discrimination Related to Racism and Sexism , Fanny Ng

Young Children's Emotion Vocabulary and the Potential Influence on Emotion Regulation Ability , Marisa Murphy O'Boyle

Determined Wellness: The Influence of Mental Illness Models Upon Treatment Outcome Expectancies and Treatment Engagement , Francisco I. Surace

Dissertations from 2016 2016

Self-Reported Sexuality among Women with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) , Hillary Hurst Bush

The Power in the Pattern: Relationships between Out-of-School Time Activity Participation Profiles and Civic Engagement in Youth , Melody Joy Blass Fisher

The Influence of Mentor-Youth Activity Profiles on School-Based Youth Mentoring Relationship Processes and Outcomes , Stella S. Kanchewa

Experiences of Trust in Longer-Lasting Formal Youth Mentoring Relationships , Michelle Levine

Exploring the Effects of Cultural Protective Factors on Infant Development and Maternal Well-Being: A Transnational Study of Brazilian Mothers and Their Infants Living In Massachusetts and Minas Gerais , Fernanda Lucchese

The Roles of Early Intervention Providers’ Cultural Competence and the Parent-Provider Working Alliance in Early Intervention Service Receipt Outcomes of Diverse Children At-Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders , Frances D. Martinez-Pedraza

The Relationship to Internal Experiences Scale (RIES): The Development and Validation of a Self-Report Measure of Cognitive Fusion and Decentering , Shannon M. Sorenson

Evaluating the ‘Reading the Mind in the Eyes’ Test: Cultural Variations in Emotional Perception , Ashley-Ann Woodhull

Dissertations from 2015 2015

Patterns of Interaction within Parent-Child Dyads Affected by OCD and Anxiety , Catherine Kraper

Cultural Adaptation of In-Home, Community-Based Mental Health Services for Ethnic Minority Children and Families: Exploring Clinician and Family Perspectives on Effective Care , Esroruleh Tamim Mohammad

In the Face of Adversity: Valued Living and Decentering as Buffering Factors in the Relations Among Social Disadvantage, Psychological Distress, Drinking to Cope and Problem Drinking , Lucas P. K. Morgan

The Intersectionality of Racism and Sexism for Asian American Women , Shruti Mukkamala

Identifying Sensory Symptoms as a Diagnostic Indicator of Autism Spectrum Disorder , Timothy W. Soto

Individual and Dyadic Analysis of Cardiac Profiles in Response to Stress in a Longitudinal Sample of Infant-Mother Dyads , Akhila Venkatachalam Sravish

Dissertations from 2014 2014

Palestinian Refugee Family Trees of Resilience: Intergenerational Cultivation of Resistance, Return, and Perseverance, in Response to Israel State Violence and Occupation , Devin G. Atallah

The Relationship between Mental Health and Young Children's Academic Development: What We Can Learn From a National Sample of At-Risk Chilean Children , Katia M. Canenguez

Understanding the Impact of Violence on Early Language , Danielle Forbes

The Psychological and Social Processes through which Internalized Heterosexism Influences Psychological Distress in Sexual Minorities , Julia A. Puckett

Black Beauty, White Standards: Impacts on Black Women and Resources for Resistance and Resilience , Speshal T. Walker

Dissertations from 2013 2013

Experiences of Latina First Generation College Students: Exploring Resources Supporting the Balancing of Academic Pursuits and Family Life , Hercilia B. Corona-Ordoñez

Linking Universal Developmental/Behavioral Health Screening and On-Site Mental Health Consultation: Examining Gaps in Service Delivery , Leandra Godoy

Racism and Anxiety in a Black American Sample: The Role of Mediators and a Brief Mindfulness Manipulation , Jessica Rose Graham

The Impact of Emotion Regulation and Interpersonal Problems on Behavioral Dysregulation in a College Student Sample: An Investigation of the Mediating Role of Mentalizing , Kelly Graling

The Role of Caregiver Insight in Young Children's Violence Exposure: Testing a Relational Model of Risk and Resilience , Sarah A. O. Gray

Understanding Ethnic-Racial Socialization and Cognition among Multiracial Youth: A Mixed Methods Study , Susan A. Lambe Sarinana

Targeted Prevention of Childhood Anxiety: Engaging Parents in an Underserved Community , Nicholas D. Mian

Maternal Self-Efficacy and Perceived Stigma Among Mothers of Children with ASD, ADHD, and Typically Developing Children , Sara D. Rosenblum-Fishman

Youth Initiated Mentoring: Investigating a New Approach to Working with Vulnerable Adolescents , Sarah E. O. Schwartz

The Influences of Social Identities and Resource Competition on Blacks' and Asians' Social Distance: A Virtual World Method , John Tawa

Dissertations from 2012 2012

Latino Immigrants' Responses to Immigration Policy and Enforcement: Strengths and Resources Promoting Empowerment and Wellness in an Urban Setting , Celeste Atallah-Gutiérrez

Measuring Exposure in Natural Disaster: A Meta-Analysis, an Integrative Data Analysis, and a Multi-Wave Longitudinal Study of Hurricane Katrina Survivors , Christian S. Chan

The Role of Difficulties in Emotion Regulation in the Relationship between Experiences of Trauma , Kathleen Sullivan Kalill

Objectification Theory and Sexual Health among Women , Kara Lustig

Bereavement among Urban University Students: The Role of Meaning Making in Adjustment to Loss , Rebecca L. Norris-Bell

The Impact of Mindfulness on Exposure and Extinction Processes in Social Anxiety , Michael Treanor

The Role of Men's Friendships in Psychological Distress, Fear of Emotions, and Adherence to Masculine Role Norms , Liza Zwiebach

Dissertations from 2011 2011

Exploring Predictors of Well-Being after Exposure to Inter-Caregiver Aggression in Childhood: Examining the Role of Emotional Support and Emotional and Cognitive Processing , Cara Fuchs

The Social Negotiation of Ambiguous In-Between Stigmatized Identities: Investigating Identity Processes in Multiracial and Bisexual People , Vali Dagmar Kahn

Trajectories of Psychological Distress among Low-Income, Female Survivors of Hurricane Katrina , Sarah Ryan Lowe

The Ecology of Cognitive Training and Aging , Anya Potter

Expanding a Model of Female Heterosexual Coercion: Are Sexually Coercive Women Hyperfeminine? , Elizabeth Anne Schatzel-Murphy

Developing an Anti-Racist Stance: How White Youth Understand Structural Racism , Catharine R. Thomann

Functioning in the Face of Racism and its Uncertainties: The Potential Buffering Role of Values Clarification and Values Consistency in a Black American Sample , Lindsey Michelle West

The Expression of Nonviolence in Communication and its Relation to Physical and Mental Health: Development and Validation of a Coding System for Measuring the Expression of Nonviolence in Communication between Intimate Partners in Conflict Situations , Lissa Brett Young

Dissertations from 2010 2010

Understanding Revictimization: The Impact of Emotion Suppression, Acceptance, and PTSD Symptomatology on Risk Detection Abilities in Sexual Assault Survivors , Heidi M. Barrett-Model

Adopted Korean Women: Influences of Becoming a Biological Mother on Racial & Ethnic Identities and Cultural Orientations , Stephanie Carole Day

Psychosis-Proneness, Mindfulness, and Positive Emotional Experience: Examining Correlational and Causal Relationships , Shannon Marie Erisman

Unattainable Beauty: An Analysis of the Role of Body Shame and Self-Objectification in Hopelessness Depression among College-Age Women , Meredith A. Evans

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Psychology Dissertation Topics

Published by Carmen Troy at January 10th, 2023 , Revised On May 17, 2024

Introduction

Psychology entails the study of mental processes and behaviour. Over the last several years, the demand for psychology graduates has continuously risen due to the growing number of people with psychic problems.

As a psychology student, you can explore one of the many areas of psychology as part of your dissertation project. You can specialise in industrial physiology, mental health, behavioural psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, personality psychology, social psychology, biological psychology, and psychosocial psychology.

While there are many topic options for psychology students, make sure that you choose one where there is a gap in the literature and more work needs to be done.

To help you get started with brainstorming for psychology topic ideas, we have developed a list of the latest topics that can be used for writing your psychology dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting  a brief research proposal  from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an  introduction  to the topic,  research question ,  aim and objectives ,  literature review  along with the proposed  methodology  of research to be conducted.  Let us know  if you need any help in getting started.

Check our  dissertation examples  to get an idea of  how to structure your dissertation .

Review the full list of  dissertation topics here.

Psychology Research Topics

Impact of automation in the manufacturing sector on employee distress and happiness in the uk- an exploratory study finding the psychoeconomic factors.

Research Aim: This study intends to find the impact of automation in the manufacturing sector on employee distress and happiness in the UK. It will explore the moderating Psychoeconomic (Psychological and Economic) factors affected by the increasing automation in the manufacturing industry, affecting the employees’ distress and happiness levels. Furthermore, it will examine the strategies implemented by the manufacturing companies to prevent their employees from the anxiety and unhappiness induced by automation after the technological revolution.

Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Cognitive Performance Among Adults Working from Home during COVID-19 in the UK

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse the impact of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance among adults working from home during COVID-19 in the UK. It will identify how sleep deprivation during COVID-19 affected various mental abilities of employees who were forced to work from home. It will also see how these abilities affect the employees’ productivity during COVID-19. Additionally, it will show the policies adopted by the companies to prevent their employees from working overtime to have proper sleep. And how does it improve their cognitive performance and productivity?

Effects of Bad Incidents on Children’s Intelligence- A Critical Assessment through a Clinical Psychology Lens

Research Aim: This research shows the effects of bad incidents on children’s intelligence. It will use a clinical psychology lens to show how clinicians see the relationship between bad incidents in childhood and their impact on children’s intelligence in later life. And in which was these incidents shape the intelligence of children while growing up. Furthermore, it will present a wide range of clinical procedures to overcome the lingering effects of bad incidents on children’s intelligence in later life.

Impact of Marriage Satisfaction on Job Performance in High-Stress Jobs- A Case of Individuals Working in Investment Firms in the UK

Research Aim: This research analyses the impact of marriage satisfaction on job performance in high-stress jobs. It will use investment firms in the UK as a case study to analyse how marriage satisfaction affects the performance of men and women working in high-stress jobs such as trading and investments. Moreover, it will explore various psychological parts of the job affected by the problems in a marriage. Lastly, it will recommend ways to offset the bad effects of unstable marriage to improve job performance.

The Role of Educational-Psychological Counseling in Career Selection among Immigrant Children in the UK

Research Aim: This research investigates the role of educational-psychological counselling in career selection among immigrant children in the UK. It will show how educational-psychological counselling different aspects of their academic life and help them decide what to pursue in later life. It will also show how this counselling can help them believe that despite coming from outside of the UK, they still have a chance to succeed.

The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) on Reducing Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression

Research Aim: This study investigates the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, It focuses on exploring the comparative efficacy of different types of MBIs and their potential mechanisms of action.

Investigate the impact of introducing mindfulness programs in school curricula to enhance mental well-being among adolescents.

Research Aim: This study aims to examine the impact of integrating mindfulness programs into school curricula to enhance mental well-being among adolescents. Through empirical investigation, it seeks to assess the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression levels, as well as promoting overall psychological resilience and positive emotional regulation. Additionally, the research aims to explore potential factors influencing program efficacy.

Exploring the Link Between Mood and Innovation in Entrepreneurship

Research Aim: This research investigates the intricate relationship between mood and innovation within the context of entrepreneurship. By exploring how varying moods influence the generation, adoption, and implementation of innovative ideas by entrepreneurs, the study seeks to uncover potential patterns and mechanisms that drive entrepreneurial creativity. The research further explores how understanding this link is crucial for informing strategies to foster innovation within entrepreneurial ventures.

An Examination of the Interplay Between Depression and Creative Writing: Case Studies in Literature

Research Aim: This research examines the complex interplay between depression and creative writing through case studies in literature. It focuses on the experiences of writers who have battled depression and analysing how their mental health condition intersects with their creative process and output, this study seeks to shed light on the relationship between mood disorders and literary creativity. 

Investigating the neurobiological basis of ADHD: brain structure, neurotransmitter function, and genetics.

Research Aim: The study explores the interplay between brain structure, neurotransmitter function, and genetic factors in individuals with ADHD. It focuses on elucidating the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the disorder.

Examine the relationship between ADHD and comorbid mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse.

Research Aim: This study explores the complex relationship between ADHD and comorbid mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. It discusses the underlying mechanisms, common risk factors, and potential therapeutic implications for effective management and treatment strategies.

Covid-19 Psychology Research Topics

Topic 1: impacts of coronavirus on the mental health of various age groups.

Research Aim: This study will reveal the impacts of coronavirus on the mental health of various age groups

Topic 2: Mental health and psychological resilience during COVID-19

Research Aim: Social distancing has made people isolated and affected their mental health. This study will highlight various measures to overcome the stress and mental health of people during coronavirus.

Topic 3: The mental health of children and families during COVID-19

Research Aim: This study will address the challenging situations faced by children and families during lockdown due to COVID-19. It will also discuss various ways to overcome the fear of disease and stay positive.

Topic 4: Mental wellbeing of patients during Coronavirus pandemic

Research Aim: This study will focus on the measures taken by the hospital management, government, and families, to ensure the mental wellbeing of patients, especially COVID-19 patients.

Psychology Dissertation Topics in Social Sciences

Topic 1: kids and their relatives with cancer: psychological challenges.

Research Aim: In cancer diagnoses and therapies, children often don’t know what happens. Many have psychosocial problems, including rage, terror, depression, disturbing sleep, inexpiable guilt, and panic. Therefore, this study identifies and treats the child and its family members’ psychological issues.

Topic 2: Hematopoietic device reaction in ophthalmology patient’s radiation therapy

Research Aim: This research is based on the analysis of hematopoietic devices’ reactions to ophthalmology radiation.

Topic 3: Psychological effects of cyberbullying Vs. physical bullying: A counter study

Research Aim: This research will focus on the effects of cyberbullying and physical bullying and their consequences on the victim’s mental health. The most significant part is the counter effects on our society’s environment and human behaviour, particularly youth.

Topic 4: Whether or not predictive processing is a theory of perceptual consciousness?

Research Aim: This research aims to identify whether predictive processing is a theory of perceptual consciousness or not.

Topic 5: Importance of communication in a relationship

Research Aim: This research aims to address the importance of communication in relationships and the communication gap consequences.

Topic 6: Eating and personality disorders

Research Aim: This research aims to focus on eating and personality disorders

Topic 7: Analysis of teaching, assessment, and evaluation of students and learning differences

Research Aim: This research aims to analyse teaching methods, assessment, and evaluation systems of students and their learning differences

Topic 8: Social and psychological effects of virtual networks

Research Aim: This research aims to study the social and psychological effects of virtual networks

Topic 9: The role of media in provoking aggression

Research Aim: This research aims to address the role of media in provoking aggression among people

Psychology Dissertation Topics Behavioral Sciences

Topic 1: assessing the advantages and disadvantages of positive reinforcement in special education.

Research Aim: The strength and importance of praise in the workplace can have a significant impact on employees and move them from apathy to more happiness and satisfaction. Positive reinforcement motivates and encourages people for their respective tasks. This research aims to assess the advantages and disadvantages of positive reinforcement in special education.

Topic 2: Assessing the relationship between depression and anxiety from the perspective of student academic performance

Research Aim: Emotional disturbance is considered to be a psychological element that can lead to the deterioration of the daily activities of students. Since academic achievements are an integral dimension of students’ lives, depression, anxiety, and other emotional disturbance might lead to poor academic performance. Therefore, this research aims to assess the relationship between depression and anxiety on student academic performance.

Topic 3: How cognitive behaviour therapy helps in dealing with depressed adolescents

Research Aim: Cognitive behavioural theory is regarded as a well-established therapy for depression and other various mental illnesses in children and adolescents. It might be because CBT can reduce suicidal behaviour and thoughts among adolescents. The main purpose of this research is to identify how cognitive behaviour therapy can help in dealing with depressed adolescents.

Topic 4: Analysing the psychological impact of bullying on children’s personality and development

Research Aim: Any public humiliation can result in a child’s misconceptions, confusion and misunderstanding about their own personality and the surrounding world. Public humiliation can damage the psychology of children and hinder their overall physical and mental development. The key purpose of this study is to analyse the psychological impact of bullying on children’s personalities and development.

Topic 5: Assessing the impact of psychological pricing on consumer purchase intention

Research Aim: Psychological pricing, also known as charm pricing and price ending, is a market pricing strategy in which certain prices can have a psychological impact on consumers. This strategy also includes a slightly less than round number, e.g. 2.99, which could incline consumers to make purchase decisions in favour of the seller. Hence, this research aims to assess the impact of psychological pricing on consumer purchase intention.

Topic 6: Borderline Personality Disorder and Self-Cutting Behaviors – Are they Inter Related?

Research Aim: Borderline Personality Disorder is a mental health disorder that impacts the thinking process of an individual. This disorder impacts the way you think and feel about yourself and others. Relationships are unstable. There are extreme emotions and distorted self-image when a person is suffering from a borderline personality disorder. This research will discuss this disorder in detail and evaluate whether self-cutting behaviours are a result of this disorder or not.

Topic 7: Depression and its risk factors – How can it be prevented?

Research Aim: Depression is a psychological issue that needs immediate attention. There are a lot of factors that lead to depression. This research will talk about the various risk factors that contribute to depression in an individual. The research will also discuss ways and strategies through which depression can be managed and eliminated in some cases. Case studies will be a part of this research.

Topic 8: Childhood trauma and its long-lasting impacts on individuals in adulthood

Research Aim: This research will talk about an important issue i.e. childhood trauma. This includes emotional and physical trauma that a child had experienced in his childhood. This research will discuss whether this trauma will impact the individual further in his life or not. If an adult’s future life is likely to be affected by childhood trauma, then in what ways will it change the individual, and how will it shape his personality? All these questions will be answered with this research.

Organisational Psychology Dissertation Topics

The role of industrial psychologists, also known as organisational psychologists, is to apply the principles of psychology to marketing, sales, management, administration, and human resources problems that organisations face.

Typical tasks that organisational psychologists perform include but are not limited to organisational development and analysis, training and development, employee evaluation and selection, policymaking, and more. The following dissertation topics are developed with respect to organisational psychology:

Topic 1: Research in industrial and organisational psychology from 1980 to 2015: Changes, choices, and trends

Research Aim: This research will compare the choices, trends, and changes in industrial and organisational psychology. The years compared will be 1990-2000, 2001-2010, and 2011-2020.

Topic 2: Computerized adaptive testing in industrial and organisational psychology

Research Aim: This research will explore advanced techniques, i.e., computerised adaptive testing, in organisational and industrial psychology.

Topic 3: Leader-member exchange as a moderating variable in the relationship between well-being and job security

Research Aim: This research will analyse the leader-member exchange as a variable that moderates the relationship between job security and well-being.

Topic 4: Intelligent leadership and leadership competencies – Developing a leadership framework for intelligent organizations

Research Aim: This research will understand leadership competencies and intelligent leadership by analysing a leadership framework for intelligent organisations.

Topic 5: Burnout amongst executive staff: What are the main predictors? A review of literature from the UK and Europe.

Research Aim: This research will talk about the most pressing issue at workplaces right now, i.e. burnout, The study will include predictors of burnout by analysing literature from Europe and the UK.

Topic 6: Interior design and Industrial psychology – Investigating the role of employees' reward and motivation in shaping up the look of the factory or office

Research Aim: This research will understand the role of employee reward and motivation in shaping workplaces with a focus on how interior design can create a working environment for employees that enhances their motivation levels.

Topic 7: Investigating the impact of strategic business partnering for business organisations – A case study of any UK based company

Research Aim: This research will talk about the impact of strategic business partnering for business organisations. You can provide us with the name of the company you would want to base your research on.

Topic 8: Social science strategies for managing diversity: Industrial and organisational opportunities to enhance inclusion

Research Aim: This research will interrogate an extremely important issue of psychology, i.e., diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The study will be conducted with respect to social science strategies.

Topic 9: Studying Influencing Factors in Effective Training Programs in Organisations

Research Aim: This research will talk about the various psychological factors that influence training programs organised by companies.

Topic 10: To understand international branding in light of the concept of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions

Research Aim: This research will aim to understand international branding in light of the concept of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. The research will be descriptive in nature and make use of secondary data.

How Can ResearchProspect Help?

ResearchProspect writers can send several custom topic ideas to your email address. Once you have chosen a topic that suits your needs and interests, you can order for our dissertation outline service which will include a brief introduction to the topic, research questions , literature review , methodology , expected results , and conclusion . The dissertation outline will enable you to review the quality of our work before placing the order for our full dissertation writing service !

Clinical Psychology Dissertation Topics

Clinical psychology can be defined as integrating clinical knowledge, theory, and science to understand and prevent psychologically based dysfunction and distress. Another aim of this branch of psychology is to promote personal development and behavioural well-being.

Clinical psychologists’ job responsibilities include conducting research, teaching, drug and alcohol treatment, assessing disorders, testifying in legal settings, and creating and managing programs to prevent and treat social problems.

A well-written dissertation in this area of psychology can help students to fetch a high academic grade. Here are some interesting topics in this area:

Topic 1: Which clinical and demographic factors predict poor insight in individuals with obsessions and compulsions?

Research Aim: This research will discuss the clinical and demographic factors that predict poor insight within individuals with compulsions and obsessions.

Topic 2: Anger beliefs and behaviour; An Investigation of associations with Hypomania in a non-clinical sample

Research Aim: This research will investigate anger, behaviour, and beliefs concerning hypomania in a non-clinical sample.

Topic 3: Clinical psychologists’ experiences of accessing personal therapy during training: A narrative analysis

Research Aim: This research will discuss clinical psychologists’ experiences of accessing personal therapy during training. This will be a narrative analysis.

Topic 4: Exploring body image and identity in people who have had a heart or lung transplant

Research Aim: This research will help explore the identity and body image of people who have had a heart or lung transplant. All related issues will be discussed in this study.

Topic 5: Psychosocial adjustment to renal failure and consequent dialysis

Research Aim: This research will explore the psychosocial adjustment required during renal failure. The study will also discuss dialysis, which will result in renal failure.

Topic 6: Experiences of psychosocial formulation within a biopsychosocial model of care for psychosis

Research Aim: This research will talk about psychosocial formulation experiences within a biopsychosocial model of care for psychosis.

Topic 7: Experiences and their association with eating behaviour in adulthood

Research Aim: This research will investigate the relationship between individual experiences and eating behaviour in adulthood. The study will furthermore present suggestions as to how these conditions can be improved.

Topic 8: Barriers to communicating about sexual dysfunction following heart trauma

Research Aim: This research will talk about an important issue i.e. sexual dysfunction. However, the study will be conducted concerning the issue being developed due to heart trauma.

Topic 9: Validation of a new scale assessing the use of strategies to change another person’s mood or emotional state

Research Aim: This research will investigate and try to validate a new scale that will be used to assess strategies for changing another person’s emotional state or mood.

Topic 10: Examining Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) within a cognitive framework

Research Aim: This research will investigate an important psychological issue, i.e. depression. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) will be assessed with a cognitive framework.

Also Read: Construction Engineering Dissertation Topics

Cognitive Psychology Dissertation Topics

Cognitive Psychology can be defined as the study of mental processes such as thinking, creativity, problem solving, perception, memory, language use, and attention through neuropsychology, computer modeling, and experimentation.

Cognitive psychologists are primarily responsible for investigating how the human brain absorbs and interprets information at micro and macro levels. This area of psychology is broad. Therefore you will have many topic options to choose from. Please see below some titles if you are looking to base your dissertation on the field of cognitive psychology.

Topic 1: Adolescent perceptions and beliefs of proactive-reactive aggression explored through the social information processing model of aggression

Research Aim: This research will talk about various perceptions and beliefs of adolescents with respect to proactive-reactive aggression. These will be explored through the social information processing model of aggression.

Topic 2: Analysing how cognitive flexibility is influenced by emotions

Research Aim: This research will analyse how emotions influence the cognitive flexibility of individuals.

Topic 3: Tractable cognition: The role of complexity theory in cognitive psychology

Research Aim: This research will discuss tractable cognition. The study will discuss the role of complexity theory in cognitive psychology.

Topic 4: Conflict monitoring across sensory modalities

Research Aim: This research will discuss conflict monitoring during sensory modalities. The study will talk about various conflict monitoring methods.

Topic 5: Familiarity and its effect on facial expression recognition?

Research Aim: This research will discuss the concept of familiarity and its impact on facial expression recognition.

Topic 6: Investigating the relationship between cognitive vulnerability and depression

Research Aim: This research will investigate the relationship between depression and cognitive vulnerability.

Topic 7: Effectiveness of mindfulness training on ratings of perceived stress, mindfulness, and well-being of adolescents enrolled in an international baccalaureate diploma program

Research Aim: This research will discuss the effectiveness of mindfulness training on ratings of well-being and perceived stress in adolescents. The participants of this research will be international baccalaureate diploma students.

Topic 8: Assessing the development of implicit intergroup cognition in relation to in-groups and out-groups: social learning or pre-specified?

Research Aim: This research will assess the development of implicit intergroup cognition with respect to out-groups and in-groups. The study will conclude whether this development classifies as social learning or is pre-specified.

Topic 9: Assessing the relationship between impaired social cognition, emotion, and anxiety disorders.

Research Aim: This research will discuss the relationship between emotion, anxiety disorders, and impaired social cognition.

Topic 10: Investigating the relationship between episodic memory and emotional memory

Research Aim: This research will investigate the relationship between emotional memory and episodic memory and the underlying causes.

Also Read : Project Management Dissertation Topics

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• Social Psychology Dissertation Topics

This branch of psychology has gained tremendous importance in the world of academia in recent times. Essentially, it deals with social interactions, including their influence on the individuals and their origin.

According to Baron, Byrne, and Sulls (1989), “the scientific field seeks to understand the nature and causes of individual behaviour in social situations.”

Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that social psychology primarily investigates how human behaviour can influence other people and the surrounding social environment. Some relevant social psychology dissertation topics are listed below:

Topic 1: Cognitive, affective, and social psychological correlates of psychopathic personality traits in offenders and non-offenders

Research Aim: This research will address cognitive, affective, and social-psychological correlations of psychopathic personality traits in offenders and non-offenders.

Topic 2: A social-psychological exploration of word-of-mouth traveller information in the digital age

Research Aim: This research will explore the word of mouth exchange of traveller information in today’s age with a social-psychological perspective.

Topic 3: Investigating the concept of contemporary social and cultural psychology

Research Aim: This research will investigate the concept of contemporary social and cultural psychology.

Topic 4: Methods for social psychological research: fundamental qualitative and fundamental quantitative methods.

Research Aim: This will be an interesting study. The research will explore two major social psychological research methods; the fundamental qualitative method and the fundamental quantitative method.

Topic 5: The impact of gender mistakes on various individual attitudes and behaviours that contribute to gender inequality

Research Aim: This research will explore the impact of gender issues on different individual attitudes and behaviours. Moreover, the study will assess their impact and contribution to increasing gender inequality.

Topic 6: Personality, passion, self-esteem and psychological well-being among junior elite athletes in the UK

Research Aim: This research will study the psychological well-being of junior athletes in the UK. This includes assessing their personality, passion, and self-esteem.

Topic 7: Mad, bad, or dangerous? Assessing changing social attitudes to mental illness through a study of magazine and TV advertising.

Research Aim: This research will assess the changing social attitudes to mental illness by studying TV and magazine advertising. The study will focus on the impact of these advertisements on the mental health of the audience.

Topic 8: Use of images of women in corporate website branding – The role of gender, marketing, and internet presence

Research Aim: This research will assess the use of women’s images in website branding. The study will evaluate and analyse the role of gender, marketing, and internet presence.

Topic 9: How the use of music can help to reduce crime rate – A quantitative study of underground tube stations in London

Research Aim: The study will focus on an ignored socio-psychological aspect i.e. music. The research will assess how music helps to reduce the crime rate. A quantitative study covering underground tube stations will be conducted.

Topic 10: The enduring legacy of cognitive dissonance

Research Aim: This research will talk about the history of cognitive dissonance. It will also discuss its enduring legacy.

Also Read: Sociology Dissertation Topics

Abnormal Psychology Dissertation Topics

The abnormal patterns of thoughts, emotions, and behaviour that may lead to mental disorders are studied under the abnormal psychology branch of psychology. But what is an abnormality, and who decides what abnormal behaviour is? Historically, societies have been quick to observe and tag individuals as abnormal when they encounter situations that they cannot understand.

Abnormal psychologists are responsible for identifying the human characteristics that deviate from the norm. This branch of psychology can interest students who wish to explore unusual human behaviour and unusual conditions. The following topics on abnormal psychology can help to ease the dissertation topic selection process for your thesis project:

Topic 1: Assessing and Investigating the concepts of abnormality and mental health

Research Aim: This research will discuss the basics of abnormality and mental health. The literature review will cover the various mental health conditions and what leads them to these issues.

Topic 2: A neuropsychological investigation of frontal brain asymmetry in depression with comorbid anxiety

Research Aim: This research will investigate a neuropsychological issue, i.e., frontal brain asymmetry in depression with comorbid anxiety.

Topic 3: What is the relationship between children’s home routines and treatment for ADHD? A study of the literature

Research Aim: This research will talk about a common yet ignored issue, ADHD. The study will explore the relationship between children’s home routines and treatment procedures.

Topic 4: Investigating the relationship between depression and diet – A qualitative study of how the Mediterranean diet can help to lower depression levels

Research Aim: This research will investigate an interesting relationship – between depression and diet. The study will also explore how the Mediterranean diet can help reduce levels of depression.

Topic 5: Promoting mental health and psychological wellbeing in children: A socio-cultural activity theory analysis of professional contributions and learning in a multidisciplinary team

Research Aim: This research will aim to promote mental health and psychological well-being in children. The study will be based on a socio-cultural activity theory analysis of professional contributions and learning in a multidisciplinary team.

Topic 6: A critical inquiry into the views of professionals working with families, parents, and children.

Research Aim: This research will help conduct a critical inquiry into the views of professionals working with parents, families, and children.

Topic 7: Exploring ways of managing stress and coping with poor mental health

Research Aim: This research will help to explore stress and coping issues amongst individuals with poor mental health.

Topic 8: The role of positive irrational beliefs in mental health & wellbeing

Research Aim: This research will talk about the positive role of irrational beliefs associated with mental health and wellbeing.

Topic 9: To understand and establish the relationship between social media websites and self-harm in adolescent females

Research Aim: This research will aim to understand and establish the relationship between social media websites and self-harm in adolescent females.

Topic 10: A biographical narrative study exploring mental ill-health through the life course

Research Aim: This will be a biographical narrative study that will explore the mental illness issues that may cause difficulties in the course of life.

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Developmental and Educational Psychology Dissertation Topics

According to Kendra Cherry (2001), “Educational psychology involves the study of how people learn, including topics such as student outcomes, the instructional process, individual differences in learning, gifted learners and learning disabilities.” This branch of psychology considers not only the learning process but also the social and emotional aspects of development.

Developmental and educational psychologists are responsible for designing professional development programmes, evaluating programmes and interventions, designing training programmes, consulting with groups and individuals, counselling, designing effective treatment programmes, assessing developmental learning and behavioural problems among individuals, diagnosing disabilities and disorders, and identifying and clarifying problems.

Here’s a list of developmental and educational psychology dissertation topics for you to choose from:

Topic 1: Investigating parents’ concerns with a child’s development: A Case Study

Research Aim: This research will investigate the concerns of parents related to child development. A specific case will be examined in this research.

Topic 2: To examine the parent-child relationship issues

Research Aim: This research will explore the issues related to the parent-child bond. Solutions will also be provided as to how these should be tackled.

Topic 3: Managing a child’s difficult temperament or behaviour

Research Aim: This research will help parents understand how they can manage a child who has a difficult temperament.

Topic 4: How educational psychologists can assist a child with disabilities

Research Aim: This research will explore how educational psychologists help in assisting disabled children.

Topic 5: Exploring the causes of sibling rivalries in the family: Studying How These can Be Tackled.

Research Aim: This research will explore the causes behind sibling rivalries in families and will also suggest how these can be controlled.

Topic 6: Problems parents, teachers, and children may face in the transition from early childhood to school years

Research Aim: This study will explore issues and problems parents, teachers, and children face in the transition from early childhood to school years.

Topic 7: Exploring the impact of consultation on educational psychology service users, including pupils, teachers, and parents

Research Aim: This research will explore the impacts of consultation on educational psychology services which include pupils, teachers, and parents.

Topic 8: The development of the theory of mind in deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing preschool children

Research Aim: This research will talk about the developmental theory of mind in deaf people, hard of hearing, and hearing of preschool children.

Topic 9: Cultural differences and perceptions of autism among school psychologists

Research Aim: This research will talk about the cultural differences and perceptions of autism amongst school psychologists.

Topic 10: High school special education teachers’ use of positive behaviour: Effects of a behaviour prompting routine on specific praise rates

Research Aim: This research will discuss the use of positive behaviour by high school special education teachers. Furthermore, the dissertation will also study the impact of behaviour that prompts a routine for specific praise rates.

Related Links:

• Cognitive psychology dissertationtopics
• Educational psychology dissertation topics
• Clinical psychology dissertation topics
• Counselling psychology dissertation topics
• Forensic-psychology-dissertation-topics
• Criminal Psychology Dissertation Ideas
• Sports Psychology Dissertation Ideas
• Neuro Psychology Dissertation Ideas
• Consumer Psychology Dissertation Ideas

Important Notes:

As a psychology student looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment with existing psychology theories – i.e., to add value and interest to your research topic.

Psychology is vast and interrelated with so many other academic disciplines. That is why it is imperative to create a psychology dissertation topic that is particular, sound, and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic based on your entire research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your topic wrong; your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, and there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in writing your dissertation as you may end up in the cycle of rejection at the initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

Keeping our advice in mind while developing a research topic will allow you to pick one of the best psychology dissertation topics that fulfil your requirement of writing a research paper and adds to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalising your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Please look at some of our sample psychology dissertation topics to get an idea for your own dissertation.

How to Structure Your Psychology Dissertation

A well-structured dissertation can help students to achieve a high overall academic grade.

• A Title Page
• Acknowledgements
• Declaration
• Abstract: A summary of the research completed
• Table of Contents
• Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems. An outline of the structure of a dissertation can also be added to this chapter.
• Literature Review : This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analyzing published and unpublished literature on the chosen research topic to address research questions . The purpose is to highlight and discuss the selected research area’s relative weaknesses and strengths while identifying any research gaps. Break down the topic and key terms that can positively impact your dissertation and your tutor.
• Methodology : The data collection and analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter, which usually includes research design , research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods, and data analysis strategy .
• Findings and Analysis : Findings of the research are analysed in detail under the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include graphs, charts, and tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
• Discussion and Conclusion : The researcher presents his interpretation of the results in this chapter and states whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section is establishing the link between the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regard to the implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
• References : Make sure to complete this following your University’s requirements
• Bibliography
• Appendices : Any additional information, diagrams, and graphs used to complete the dissertation but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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Home > Academic Units > SPFC > CPY Dissertations

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

The Seattle Pacific University Department of Clinical Psychology is an APA-accredited doctoral program offering both an M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.

This series contains successfully defended doctoral dissertations.

Dissertations from 2024 2024

Examining the Effects of Social Group Persecution and Traumatic Humiliation in Survivors of Torture , Tilda Cvrkel

The Survivability Hierarchy Behind Bars: Themes, Reforms, and Prevention Program Evaluations in Washington State Jail Suicides , Rocky B. Marks

Dissertations from 2023 2023

Unhealed Wounds: From Complex Trauma Exposure to Wellbeing and the Role of Coping , Mohammed K. Alsubaie

Prospective Relationship Between Co-rumination and Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescence: Brooding Rumination as a Mechanism , Katherine S. Benjamin

Understanding the Effects of Empathy and Masculine Gender Role Stress on the Relationship Between Gender and the Understanding of Consent in adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Framework , Kate Degenhardt

Suicidal Ideation and Community Connectedness in LGBTQ+ Adults: Can Emotion Regulation and Mindfulness Skills Help? , Samantha V. Jacobson

Sensory processing impacts on sleep patterns in children with neurodevelopmental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic , Julianne M. Myers

Dissertations from 2022 2022

The Impact of COVID-19 on Secondary Victimization and Resiliency Following Sexual Assault , Elena Cantorna

Developmental Trajectories of Positive Emotion Regulation: The Moderating Effects of Gender and Parenting , Hailey Caudle

The Role of Coping Self-Efficacy, Coping Strategies, and Resiliency Following Sexual Assault , Lauren Hirsch

Ableist Microaggressions and Well-being: Investigating the Moderating Effect of Coping Strategies , Whitney Morean

Relations of EEG and Perceived Response to Methylphenidate among Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder , Tara M. Rutter

Integrative Meaning, Mindfulness, and Traumatic Grief Among Bereaved Adults , Brandy Tidwell

Parental Attachment and Compassion as Predictors of Distress Disclosure Among Young Adults , Ellie N. Wilde

School Related Criminal Acts, Interpersonal Problems, and Classroom Behaviors as a Function of The Proportion of Black Students and Black Teachers , LeAnne Zaire

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Telehealth Mindful Parenting Training on Executive Function in Autistic Children and their Parents , Vanessa Zhou

Dissertations from 2021 2021

Investigating the Effects of Endurance of Marriage on the Relationship between Attachment and Love Style , Melissa Caris

Parental Accommodation as a Mediator of Parenting Style on Changes in Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Symptoms , Jennifer Cataldi

Predicting First Responder Resilience: Investigating the Indirect Effect of Posttraumatic Cognitions through Coping Processes , Michael Dolezal

How Social Support Affects Career Adaptability through the Academic Career , Megan Fox

Longitudinal Trauma Treatment Outcomes in an Immigrant and Refugee Sample , Shuen-En Ho

Attachment, Trait Mindfulness, and Expectations in Married Women: A Moderated Mediation Model , Elizabeth Larson

Depression as a Moderator of the Relationship between Perceived Injustice and Neuropsychological Performance Validity among Individuals Previously Diagnosed with a Concussion , Jeremiah Lum

Psychometrics of a Measure of Sexual Assault Coping Self-Efficacy: A Comparison of Across Age Groups , Thomas Pankau

Posttraumatic Cognitions as a Pathway from Resilience to Sleep in First Responders , Emily Peterman Cabano

Detachment and Antagonism as Moderators of Effects of Psychosocial Stressors on Emotional Distress in Daily Life , Christina My Quach

Development of the Sexual Shame Inventory , Jyssica Seebeck

School Violence and Suicidal Ideation: The Mediating Roles of Perceived School Safety and Substance Use Among Adolescents , Jordan Skalisky

Shame Proneness as a Vulnerability Factor for Negative Emotions in the Context of Interpersonal Stressors: An Experience Sampling Study , Oxana L. Stebbins

An Examination of the Role of Interpersonal Stressors and Attachment Style in Dissociative Experiences , Erin Verdi

Dissertations from 2020 2020

What Happens When Youth Talk About Their Problems? Co-Rumination as a Mechanism of Stress Generation , Jaclyn T. Aldrich

Moderation of Effects of Anxiety on Verbal and Visuospatial Short-Term Memory in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Rachael Arowolo

Impacts of Motor and Sensory Impairment on Language in Young Children with Autism , Elizabeth A. Bisi

Psychometric Evaluation of the Calling and Vocation Questionnaire-Revised (CVQ-R) and Calling and Vocation Questionnaire-10 Item (CVQ-10) , Caitlin Coyer

An Integrated Analysis of the Mechanisms by Which Parents Facilitate the Development of Emotion Regulation in Young Adolescents , Andrew Fox

Examining the Factors that Mediate the Relationship from Legal Advocacy Satisfaction to Resilience , Desta T. Gebregiorgis

The Costs of COVID-19: Loneliness, Coping, and Psychological Distress in the United States Population , Lauren Hammond

Autism and Externalizing Behaviors: Attachment as a Protective Factor , Rebecca Kramer

Generalized Anxiety Symptoms and Interpersonal Self-Perceptions During Stressors: A Prospective Examination of Psychological and Biological Stress , Jamie A. Lewis

Parent Emotion Coaching and Affect Recognition in Theory of Mind in Autism Spectrum Disorder , Audrey L. O'Connor

The Missing Moral Dimension: Perceptions of Transgressions and the Moderating Role of Moral Foundations on Psychological Distress , Hannah Reas

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms as a Moderator of Affective Reactions to Perceived Interpersonal Behaviors , Narayan B. Singh

Posttraumatic Growth in the Context of Grief: Testing the Mindfulness-to-Meaning Theory , Honey Williams

Trauma Exposure, Depressive Symptoms, and Responding to Positive Events and Affect in Young Adults , Jana DeSimone Wozniak

Dissertations from 2019 2019

The Impact of Trauma Experience, Adverse Early Circumstances and Unit Cohesion on Posttraumatic Growth in Active Duty Service Members , John Charleson

Cognitive Functioning, Depression, and Strengths as Predictors of Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis , Tara Annthea Crouch

The Roles of Pragmatic Language and Theory of Mind in the Adaptive Communication Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Taja Estrada

Campus Shootings: Does Religious Faith and Relationship with Victims Affect Psychological Well-Being? , Melissa J. Gowen

Attachment and Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Adolescence: Exploring the Mediating Role of Physiological Self-Regulation Capacity , Michelle A. Kuhn

The Effect of a Substance Use Intervention on Co-occurring Adolescent Depression Symptoms , Elizabeth Ann Lehinger PhD

The Effect of Substance Use on the Relationship between PTSD Symptom Clusters and Suicide in Adolescents , Lindsay S. Moore

Emotional Clarity in Young Adults: Operationalization, Measurement, and Associations with Mental Health Outcomes , Madeline D W Noland

Examining Depression Symptoms, Parental Stress, and Dispositional Mindfulness in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Tracey Ward

RSA in Young Adults: Identifying Naturally-Occurring Response Patterns and Correlates , Brittany K. Willey

Dissertations from 2018 2018

Examining the Interaction between Stress Exposure and Stress Reactivity as Predictors of Reward Sensitivity and Anhedonia Symptoms , Joshua Ahles

The Impact of Bully Victimization and Substance Use on Suicidal Behavior in Sexual Minority Youth , Ashley Christine Estoup

The Role of Joint Attention in Pragmatic Language Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders , Ellen F. Geib

Investigating the Effects of Adult Insecure Attachment on Interpersonal Attraction , Fiona B. Kurtz Ms.

A Grounded Theory Qualitative Research Approach to Understanding Enduring Marriage , Heather Lucas

Examining the Moderating Role of Anxiety Symptoms on Insistence on Sameness in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Wayne Eric Mason Jr

Physiological Activation as a Mediator in the Relationship Between Perseverative Cognition and Somatic Symptoms , Karly M. Murphy

Examining the Interacting Effects of Marital Role Salience and Satisfaction on Mental Health Trajectories of Female Expatriates , Kaitlin M. Patton

Sexual Violence and Legal Advocacy: Psychometric Evaluation of the Legal Advocacy Services Satisfaction Survey , Joanne K. Sparrow

The Association of Attachment and Marital Satisfaction Mediated by Implicit Theories of Relationships , Sadie Teal

Summer Treatment Program for ADHD and ASD: The Role of Physical Activity, Sleep and Inhibitory Control , Erin G. Underbrink

A program evaluation of ZGiRLS: The role of cognitive emotion regulation in predicting mental health outcomes in adolescent girls , Julie Vieselmeyer

Dissertations from 2017 2017

Risky Sex and Alcohol-Related Behaviors and Cognitions in Adolescents: Evaluating a Values-Based Intervention , Meredith K. Chapman

The Etiology and Phenomenology of Sexual Shame: A Grounded Theory Study , Noel Clark

The Effect of Emotional Vulnerability and Invalidation on Emotion Dysregulation in Early Adolescence: An Empirical Investigation of Linehan’s Biosocial Theory of Borderline Personality Disorder , Sarah Crystal

The Effectiveness of Text Coaching on Substance Use Treatment Outcomes in Adolescence , Emily Hu

Sexual Assault Coping Self-efficacy as Moderated by Legal Advocacy Social Support , Clara Jane Roberts

The Relationship Between Trauma and Well-Being: Moral Emotions in Sex-Trafficked Women , Gina M. Scarsella

Dissertations from 2016 2016

Internalizing Symptoms: Relations to Executive Functions in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Jessica L. Berg

Ecosystemic Effects of Military Sexual Trauma in Male Service Members and Veterans , Jessica A. Carlile

International Interests and Psychological Well-Being Following Global Service Learning as a Function of Sociocultural Adaptation and Cultural Distance , Elizabeth C. Dykhouse

Stress and Somatic Symptoms: Rumination and Negative Affect as Moderators , Melissa Joy Garner

Integrating Cognitive Mechanisms in the Relationship Between Trait Affect and Depressive Symptoms: The Role of Affect Amplification , Kaitlin A. Harding

Brooding, Avoidance, and Suppression as Mechanisms Linking Shame-Proneness with Depressive Symptoms , Melissa Rose Hudson

Courage, Psychological Well-being, and Somatic Symptoms , Christopher J. Keller

The Role of Emotional Distress in Predicting Opiate Analgesic Medication Use in Chronic Pain Patients , Amy E. Kupper

Temperament and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia as Contributors to Externalizing Behavior Among Early Adolescents , Tyler Laney Ph.D.

Impact of Situational Context on Gratitude and its Affective Outcomes , Adam P. McGuire

Does Use of Neutralization Techniques Predict Delinquency and Substance Use Outcomes? , Erin C. Siebert

Psychometric Evaluation of the Offender Coping Self-Efficacy Scale in the Context of Incarceration and Upon Re-entry , Minhdan Thuy Ta

Queers in the Hands of a Loving God: God Image, Strength of Faith, and Campus Climate in Predicting Self-Stigma , Sage Liam Willis

Dissertations from 2015 2015

Adaptive Functioning Deficits and Internalizing Problems in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders , Hayley A. Dauterman

The Relation of Hyperactivity to Parenting Stress within the Parent-Child Relationship in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders , Heather Davis

Negative Cognitive Style, Rumination, and Negative Emotionality as Mediators of the Antidepressive Effects of Physical Activity Among Young Adults , Kara Pegram

Examining the Relationship between Forgiveness and Subjective Well-Being as Moderated by Implicit Religiousness and Spirituality , Jessica Peterson

The ABCs of stress responding: Examining the time course of affective, biological, and cognitive responses to induced stress as prospective predictors of depressive symptoms , Marissa Erin Rudolph

Behavioral Health among Asian American and Pacific Islanders: The Impact of Acculturation and Receipt of Behavioral Health Services on Depression and Anxiety , Mari E. Yamamoto

Perspectives on a Positive Youth Development Environment for Youth with Developmental Disabilities in 4-H , Megan E. Zurawski

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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

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• Psychology Department

The Clinical Psychology Program adheres to a clinical science model of training, and is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science.  We are committed to training clinical psychologists whose research advances scientific knowledge of psychopathology and its treatment, and who are capable of applying evidence-based methods of assessment and clinical intervention. The main emphasis of the program is research, especially on severe psychopathology. The program includes research, course work, and clinical practica, and usually takes five years to complete. Students typically complete assessment and treatment practica during their second and third years in the program, and they must fulfill all departmental requirements prior to beginning their one-year internship. The curriculum meets the requirements for licensure in Massachusetts, accreditation requirements of the American Psychological Association (APA; Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation, American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, [email protected] , Tel. [202] 336-5979), and accreditation requirements of the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS). PCSAS re-accredited the program on December 15, 2022 for a 10-year term. APA most recently accredited the program on April 28, 2015 for a seven-year term, which was extended due to COVID-related delays. 

Requirements

Required courses and training experiences fulfill requirements for clinical psychology licensure in Massachusetts as well as meet APA criteria for the accreditation of clinical psychology programs.  In addition to these courses, further training experiences are required in accordance with the American Psychological Association’s guidelines for the accreditation of clinical psychology programs (e.g., clinical practica [e.g., PSY 3050 Clinical Practicum, PSY 3080 Practicum in Neuropsychological Assessment]; clinical internship).

Students in the clinical psychology program are required to take the following courses:

• PSY 3900 Professional Ethics
• PSY 2445 Psychotherapy Research
• PSY 2070 Psychometric Theory and Method Using R
• PSY 2430 Cultural, Racial, and Ethnic Bases of Behavior
• PSY 3250 Psychological Testing
• PSY 2050 History of Psychology
• PSY 1951 Intermediate Quantitative Methods
• PSY 1952 Multivariate Analysis in Psychology
• PSY 2040 Contemporary Topics in Psychopathology
• PSY 2460 Diagnostic Interviewing
• PSY 2420 Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Psychological Disorders

Clinical students must also take one course in each of the following substantive areas: biological bases of behavior (e.g., PSY 1202 Modern Neuroanatomy; PSY 1325 The Emotional, Social Brain; PSY 1355 The Adolescent Brain; PSY 1702 The Emotional Mind); social bases of behavior (e.g., PSY 2500 Proseminar in Social Psychology); cognitive-affective bases of behavior (e.g., PSY 2400 Cognitive Psychology and Emotional Disorders); and individual differences (Required course PSY 2040 Contemporary Topics in Psychopathology fulfills the individual differences requirement for Massachusetts licensure). In accordance with American Psychological Association guidelines for the accreditation of clinical psychology programs, clinical students also receive consultation and supervision within the context of clinical practica in psychological assessment and treatment beginning in their second semester of their first year and running through their third year. They receive further exposure to additional topics (e.g., human development) in the Developmental Psychopathology seminar and in the twice-monthly clinical psychology “brown bag” speaker series. Finally, students complete a year-long clinical internship. Students are responsible for making sure that they take courses in all the relevant and required areas listed above. Students wishing to substitute one required course for another should seek advice from their advisor and from the director of clinical training prior to registering. During the first year, students are advised to get in as many requirements as possible. Many requirements can be completed before the deadlines stated below. First-year project:  Under the guidance of a faculty member who serves as a mentor, students participate in a research project and write a formal report on their research progress. Due by May of first year. Second-year project:  Original research project leading to a written report in the style of an APA journal article. A ten-minute oral presentation is also required. Due by May of second year. General exam:  A six-hour exam covering the literature of the field. To be taken in September before the start of the third year. Thesis prospectus:  A written description of the research proposed must be approved by a prospectus committee appointed by the CHD. Due at the beginning of the fourth year. Thesis and oral defense:  Ordinarily this would be completed by the end of the fourth year. Clinical internship:  Ordinarily this would occur in the fifth year. Students must have completed their thesis research prior to going on internship.

Credit for Prior Graduate Work

 A PhD student who has completed at least one full term of satisfactory work in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences may file an application at the Registrar’s Office requesting that work done in a graduate program elsewhere be counted toward the academic residence requirement. Forms are available  online .

No more than the equivalent of eight half-courses may be so counted for the PhD.

An application for academic credit for work done elsewhere must contain a list of the courses, with grades, for which the student is seeking credit, and must be approved by the student’s department. In order for credit to be granted, official transcripts showing the courses for which credit is sought must be submitted to the registrar, unless they are already on file with the Graduate School. No guarantee is given in advance that such an application will be granted. 

Only courses taken in a Harvard AB-AM or AB-SM program, in Harvard Summer School, as a GSAS Special Student or FAS courses taken as an employee under the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) may be counted toward the minimum academic residence requirements for a Master’s degree.

Academic and financial credit for courses taken as a GSAS Special Student or FAS courses taken as a Harvard employee prior to admission to a degree program may be granted for a maximum of four half-courses toward a one-year Master’s and eight half-courses toward a two-year Master’s or the PhD degree.

Applications for academic and financial credit must be approved by the student’s department and should then be submitted to the Registrar’s Office.

Student Admissions, Outcomes, and other data  

1. Time to Completion

Students can petition the program faculty to receive credit for prior graduate coursework, but it does not markedly reduce their expected time to complete the program.

2. Program Costs

3. Internships 

4. Attrition

5. Licensure

Standard Financial Aid Award, Students Entering 2023  

The financial aid package for Ph.D. students entering in 2023 will include tuition and health fees support for years one through four, or five, if needed; stipend support in years one and two; a summer research grant equal to two months stipend at the end of years one through four; teaching fellowship support in years three and four guaranteed by the Psychology Department; and a dissertation completion grant consisting of tuition and stipend support in the appropriate year. Typically students will not be allowed to teach while receiving a stipend in years one and two or during the dissertation completion year.    

Year 1 (2023-24) and Year 2 (2024- 25)  Tuition & Health Fees:                             Paid in Full  Academic Year Stipend:                           $35,700 (10 months)  Summer Research Award:                       $7,140 (2 months)

Year 3 (2025-26) & Year 4 (2026- 27) Tuition & Health Fees:                             Paid in Full Living Expenses:                                       $35,700 (Teaching Fellowship plus supplement, if eligible)  Summer Research Award:                       $7,140 (2 months)

Year 5 (2027-28) - if needed; may not be taken after the Dissertation Completion year Tuition & Health Fees:                             Paid in Full

Dissertation Completion Year (normally year 5, occasionally year 6) Tuition & Health Fees:                             Paid in Full  Stipend for Living Expenses:                    $35,700  

The academic year stipend is for the ten-month period September through June. The first stipend payment will be made available at the start of the fall term with subsequent disbursements on the first of each month. The summer research award is intended for use in July and August following the first four academic years.

In the third and fourth years, the guaranteed income of $35,700 includes four sections of teaching and, if necessary, a small supplement from the Graduate School. Your teaching fellowship is guaranteed by the Department provided you have passed the General Examination or equivalent and met any other department criteria. Students are required to take a teacher training course in the first year of teaching.

The dissertation completion year fellowship will be available as soon as you are prepared to finish your dissertation, ordinarily in the fifth year. Applications for the completion fellowship must be submitted in February of the year prior to utilizing the award. Dissertation completion fellowships are not guaranteed after the seventh year. Please note that registration in the Graduate School is always subject to your maintaining satisfactory progress toward the degree.

GSAS students are strongly encouraged to apply for appropriate Harvard and outside fellowships throughout their enrollment. All students who receive funds from an outside source are expected to accept the award in place of the above Harvard award. In such cases, students may be eligible to receive a GSAS award of up to $4,000 for each academic year of external funding secured or defer up to one year of GSAS stipend support.

For additional information, please refer to the Financial Support section of the GSAS website ( gsas.harvard.edu/financial-support ).

Registration and Financial Aid in the Graduate School are always subject to maintaining satisfactory progress toward the degree.

Psychology students are eligible to apply for generous research and travel grants from the Department.

The figures quoted above are estimates provided by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and are subject to change.

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation American Psychological Association 750 First Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 336-5979 E-mail:  [email protected]   www.apa.org/ed/accreditation

The Director of Clinical Training is Prof. Richard J. McNally who can be reached by telephone at (617) 495-3853 or via e-mail at:  [email protected] . 

• Clinical Internship Allowance

Harvard Clinical Psychology Student Handbook

Home > Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstone Projects > ALL-PROGRAMS > PSYC_CLINICAL_THESES

Clinical Psychology Theses

Theses/dissertations from 2024 2024.

Age-Related Microaggressions: A Semi-Replication , Stephanie Patt

Theses/Dissertations from 2023 2023

An Exploration of Differences in Perceptions of Gerotranscendent Behaviors Between Younger and Older Adults , Gabrielle E. Anderson

Stress Levels of Bisexual Individuals in Mixed-Orientation Relationships , Amanda Bartley

Examining the Effects of a Behavioral Skills Training Package on the Emotional Regulation Skills of a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Kate Flynn

Age-Related Microaggressions: A Follow-Up Descriptive Study , Hannah M. Lewis

Development of a Reinforcer Assessment: A Measure of Potential Reinforcers in the Lives of Older Adults , Nicole A. Praska

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Examining the Effects of an Online Social Skills Program Targeting Emotional Regulation Skills for a Young Adult with an Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Single Case Study. , Danielle Curtis

Satanists’ Sexual Self-Concept , Samuel Danielson

The Expression of Satanist Identity: Does Visible Identification of Satanism Predict Discrimination and Depression? , Allyson Dudley

Age-Related Microaggressions: A Descriptive Study , Luke J. Gietzen

Examining Jealousy in Mixed-Orientation Relationships: An Experimental Vignette Study , Madison Marie Glende

Investigating Anxiety-Like Behavior as a Non-Motor Side Effect of Deep Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus in a Parkinsonian Rat Model , Carter Mulder

Assessing the Appropriateness of the Cultural Formulation Interview in Conceptualizing Reverse Culture Shock , Katja Nielsen

Examining the Effects of an Online Group Social Skills Program on Emotion Regulation Skills for Adolescents and Young Adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder , Breanna Perron

An Investigation of the Perception of Elderspeak Among Community Dwelling Older Adults , Abby L. Teply

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Analyzing the Use of a Montessori-Based Activity & Its Effect on Engagement & Affect in Persons with Dementia: A Replication Study , Emilee J. Andersen

A Brief Zoom-Facilitated Mindful and Intuitive Eating Intervention to Decrease Disordered Eating , Jenna K. Anderson

The Effects of Therapist Expertise and Concerns of Involuntary Hospitalization on the Disclosure of Suicidal Ideations and Behavior , Zane Hensel

Therapist Multicultural Orientation: Client Perceptions of Cultural Humility, Sexual Identity, and the Working Alliance , Todd L. Jennings

Joint Religiosity Among Satanists as a Predicator of Sexual Satisfaction , Tayler M. Lyng

Comparing the Acceptability of Treatment Rationales for Two Psychotherapies , Marin Gail Olson

Understanding Resident-to-Resident Conflicts in Long Term Care Settings from the Perspective of Administrative Staff , John F. Walker

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Understanding Communication Dynamics in Group Home Setting , Jacinta O. Anyanwu

An Evaluation of a Brief Mindfulness and Values Training on Cyber Bullying Behavior in College Students , Emily M. Boduch

The Effects of Cognitive Training on Behavioral Functioning in Persons with Dementia , Abigail J. Dye

The Effects of a Cognitive Training Program for Healthy Older Adults: A Program Evaluation Study , Jacklyn Gehling

Sex Trafficking: A Systematic Review of Operational Definitions , Firdavs Khaydarov

An Investigation into the Perceptions of Elderspeak and How It Effects Mood Among an Assisted Living Population , Paige T. Shoutz

Assessing Preferences for Montessori-Based Activities in Persons with Memory Impairment , Katelyn Danielle Smith

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Assessing Facilitator Adherence for the Delivery of Cognitive Training Programs to Older Adults , Lydia Fry

Evaluation of a Cognitive Training Program and its Effects on Healthy Older Adults , Nathan Jensen

Using Behavioral Skills Training to Teach Children with Autism to Seek Help from Law Enforcement Officers When Lost , Greta Kos

Teacher Awareness and Perceptions of Social Media Use and Cyberbullying in Belize , Abbey Linderholm

Comparison Between Brief Acceptance and Cognitive Interventions: Assessing Public Speaking Performance in Socially-Anxious Individuals , Soultana Mpoulkoura

The Effects and Experiences of Stigma in the Minneapolis Strip Club Industry , Machensey Shelgren

Evaluating the Effects of a Stimulus Equivalence Protocol to Teach Bullying Identification to School-Aged Children , Courtney Sowle

Impact of Self-Determined Motivation on Work Behavior and Response to Cognitive Remediation in Individuals with Schizophrenia , Desmond Spann

The Effects of Elderspeak on the Mood of Older Adults with Dementia: A Preliminary Report , Kenia Torres-Soto

Working Conditions for Erotic Dancers: A Review of Health and Safety Concerns from a Minneapolis Based Needs Assessment , Alexander Twohy

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Evaluation of a Cognitive Training Program for Older Adults with Mild to Moderate Cognitive Decline , Kelly Bergstrom

Transgender Individuals among an Online Adult Baby Diaper Lover Community Sample: An Exploratory Study , Elizabeth Gibson

Evaluating Stigmatizing Attitudes among Clinicians Toward People with ABDL and Pedophilic Interests , Katlyn Hanson

Bullying in Senior Living Facilities: Resident Perspectives , Kathryn Ira

The Effects of a Cognitive Training Program for Cognitively Intact Older Adults , Caroline Kinskey

An Examination of Inattentional Blindness in Law Enforcement , Gregory Lee

Differences in the Perceptions of Gerotranscendence Between Certified Nursing Assistants and Older Adults , Amanda Perera

Motivations, Expectations and Experiences of Genital Piercings in the Transgender Community: An Exploratory Study , Haley Peterson

College Males' Attitudes Toward Sexually-Explicit Material: An Experimental Study , Cody Schulte

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

The Effect of Clinician Competence and Religiosity on the Trainee Clinician’s Ability to Identify Problematic Sexual Behavior , Cody Butcher

Developing the Family Involvement Questionnaire (FIQ): A Measure of Family Involvement in the Lives of Residents at Long-Term Care Facilities , Christopher Thomas Fast

The Effects of Pornography on Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Men's Body Image: An Experimental Study , Neil Gleason

Gender Differences in Social Media Use and Cyberbullying in Belize , Grace Mariko Kasahara

A Survey Of Rewards For Teens: Extension, Replication, and 25-year Follow-up , Hunter King

Evaluation of a Mindfulness Intervention for Children with Emotion Regulation Difficulties , Stephanie Jo Pirsig

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Characteristics and How Social Support Plays a Role , Stephanie Smith-Kellen

Comparing Brief Acceptance and Control-Based Interventions: Evaluating Public Speaking Performance in Socially-Anxious Individuals , Samuel Spencer

Addressing Cognitive Decline: Evaluating the Effects of a Cognitive Training Program for Individuals with Mild to Moderate Cognitive Impairment , Katherine Ann Stypulkowski

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

Parent Participation in Child Therapeutic Settings , Robert Doss

The Impact of Pornography on the Genital Body Image and Sexual Self-Efficacy of Female College Students , Monica Elizondo

An Analysis of Reinforcers Maintaining Caregiving Behaviors of Long-Term Care Facility Staff , Sandra Garcia

Mental Health of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Heterosexual, and Questioning Youth in Rural, Micropolitian, and Metropolitan Regions in Minnesota: Assessing Internalizing and Externalizing Self-report Behaviors , Jessica Louann Jorgenson

Perceptions of Female Sexual Pathology: The Role of Racial Biases in Clinical Decision Making , Jerusha Sanjeevi

Bullying in Senior Living Facilities: A Qualitative Study , Felicia Jo VandeNest

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Treating Public Speaking Anxiety: A Comparison of Exposure and Video Self-Modeling , Emily Marie Bartholomay

Evaluation of a Home Visiting Program Aimed at Facilitating Refugee and Immigrant Children's Acclimation and Development , Laurie Lynn Grad

Efficacy of a Cognitive Training Program for Individuals with Moderate Cognitive Impairment: Evaluating Cognition , Erica Catherine Johnson

Behavioral Implications of a Cognitive Training Program for Individuals with Moderate Cognitive Impariment , Joseph L.D. Kennedy

The Relationship Between Sexual Functioning and Sleep Quality in A Female Undergraduate Student Sample , Alexander Kuka

The Effect of Clinician Hardiness on Posttraumatic Growth and Trauma based on Vicarious Trauma Exposure , Maria Anne Stevens

Hook Up Culture: Changing the Structure of Future Relationships? , Elise Woik

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Symptom Severity, Treatment Acceptability, and Motivational Predictors Related to Patient Improvement for Insomnia , Shelby Marie Afflerbach

The Effects of Geriatric Sexual Orientation on Caregiver Reactions to Resident Sexual Behavior Within Long-Term Care Facilities , Andrew Jonathan Ahrendt

The Difference in Perception of Gerotranscendence between College Students and Healthy, Community-Dwelling Older Adults , Duc Viet Lai

The Influence of Father-Child Relationship on Adolescents' Mental Health , Yea Seul Pyun

The Initial Response and Behavioral Patterns Exhibited by an Officer to a Weapon being drawn in a Traffic Stop Simulation , Samantha Josephine Tupy

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

The Efficacy of the Girls on the Run Program to Improve Self-Worth, Body Image, and Behavioral and Emotional Functioning: A Longitudinal Study , Morgan Marie Ames

The Use of Video Self-Modeling to Treat Public Speaking Anxiety , Alicia Kruger

Role of Health Behaviors in Sexual Quality of Life Among Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Survivors , Keagan Lee McPherson

Empirical Evaluation of a Home Visiting Intervention Targeting Immigrant and Refugee Children , Jenna Marie Miller

The Puzzle of Paradoxical Insomnia , Kristina Peltz

Differences between Core and Animal Reminder Disgust Elicitation on a Core Disgust Avoidance Task--A Replication with Modifications , Matthew Schumann

The Use of Applications on Mobile Devices in a Midwestern Population , Sherry Werkmeister

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Devaluing Sex to Cope with Anxiety: A Comparative Investigation of Sexual Delay Discounting with High and Low Socially Phobic Populations , Miranda N. Bretz

Internal Consistency of the Self-Perception Profile for Children: Using Covariance Structure Modeling to Overcome the Limitations of Cronbach's α , Ian Cero

Memory Priming in Elderly Individuals Diagnosed with Dementia , Jessica Lee Deselms

The BackPack Food Program's Effects on Self-Reported Hunger and On-Task Behavior , Meghan E. Ecker

An Examination of the Social Acceptability of Elderspeak by College Students and Community Dwelling Older Adults , Kasie Lynn Hummel

Determining Musical Preferences in Persons with Dementia: Comparing Caregiver Options to Stimulus Preference Assessment , Eva Christine Igler

Trust in the Mentor-Youth Relationship and its Correlates with Frequency of Contact, Parental Involvement, and Academic Improvements , Emily Jane Ness

Theses/Dissertations from 2011 2011

Evaluating Changes in Families with Members on Military Deployment , Jill Brink

A Multi-Method Approach to Risk Assessment among Women with Sexual Abuse Histories , Susan Elizabeth Drevo

The Illusion of Transparency and Public Speaking: A Study of Social Anxiety , Chelsea Gloth

The Effects of Amount of Contact, Relationship Quality, and Types of Activities on Child Social and Emotional Functioning in a Youth Mentoring Program , Dorothy Maria Lipski

A Functional Analysis of Elderspeak Use by Certified Nursing Assistants in Caregiving Situations , Nathaniel Joseph Lombardi

An Evaluation of Factors Leading to Mentor Satisfaction , Shannon Marie Martin

An Application of a High-P Low-P Procedure to Improve Recall Memory in Elderly Patients with Mild to Moderate Cognitive Impairment , Dawn Amber Seefeldt

A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Distractors Identified Through Stimulus Preference Assessment Versus Caregiver Opinion , Jonathan Steele

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Psychology Masters thesis collection

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This collection contains a selection of recent Masters theses from the Psychology department. Please note that only the Title and Abstract will be available for dissertations from the current academic year. All other content from previous years is available on an Open Access basis.

This material is presented to ensure timely dissemination of scholarly and technical work. 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.

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Morphosyntax of luwo transitive verbs: tenses and aspects of the luwo base and derived paradigms , changes in psychological state in character disordered and neurotic patients , measurement of identification between mothers and their adolescent children , social factors in the perception of ambiguous stimuli , aspect of inspection in industry , the effect of semantic constraint on lexical access in bilingual word recognition , on the fallibility of human memory for future actions , relationship between co-worker satisfaction and personality traits , the epigenetic clock is associated with white matter changes and cognitive decline in the eighth decade of life , the effect of increased cognitive load on implicit moral judgement: do we deliberately override our moral intuitions , meta-analysis: using event-related potentials to identify recollection and familiarity , how do the regions of the visual field contribute to visual search in realworld scenes an eye-tracking study comparing dynamic and static scenes. , gratitude uniquely predicts well-being above the big-5 personality traits , can big five predict the competitive personality , an investigation of speech and language disturbances in patients with acute delirium , merging entropy and local boundaries , personality, social networks, and learning performance in the common squirrel monkey (saimiri sciureus) , predictors of resilience in older age: the lothian birth cohorts of 1921 and 1936 , assessing children's online behaviour and their experience of cyberbullying: a secondary analysis of the eu kids online ii , an investigation of speech and language disturbances in patients with delirium .

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Topics for Masterthesis

The specific topics for masterthesis are assigned at the end of each semester (end of june/end of january) for the following semester..

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Suggested topics

If you are interested in writing a thesis in the field of clinical psychology, please put your name on our waiting list (send a short email to dagmar.schmelzer(at)uni-graz.at) so that we can invite you to the selection date. This will take place online.

The proposed topics for the Masterthesis are based on current research in the field:

• Emotion regulation
• Skin-picking disorder
• Placebo/nocebo research
• Food cue reactivity
• Smell/taste

If you would like to write a Masterthesis on your own topic, please send a short synopsis to anne.schienle(at)uni-graz.at outlining your project.

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Thesis and Dissertation Format for Clinical Psychology

Proposal draft, proposal meeting, final draft, cover letter.

• Defense Meetings

Students are required to prepare a detailed proposal for their theses and dissertations. Generally, the proposals will include an extensive literature search,  rationale for their projects, and specific hypotheses. The methodology will detail all of the procedures that are to be utilized, including instruments, proposed participants, and a summary of the statistical procedures to be utilized.

Although the proposals need to be detailed and cover relevant background information and procedures to be utilized, the final thesis and dissertation projects should be in the format of a journal article. The Clinical Section utilizes a journal submission format because students who successfully complete our graduate program in Clinical Psychology are expected to demonstrate a wide range of competencies in research domains. Although not all of our students intend to move on to a professional position in research or academia, our department currently strives to prepare all students for this option; in addition, such training is consistent with and expected in a Scientist Practitioner model of training. Specific guidelines for the format of the thesis and dissertation include the following:

The standard proposal format requires the student to demonstrate comprehensive and critical review of the research that serves as a foundation for their study. As proposed projects may be outside of committee members’ areas of expertise, an extensive review of the theoretical and empirical literature may be necessary to evaluate the merits and needs of project hypotheses and design.

Students will initiate their 2-hour proposal meeting with a short presentation (10-15 minutes). This is to allow sufficient time for critique and discussion by the committee about the proposed project. The student and their mentor should take careful note of committee members’ critiques, concerns, and requested revisions during the proposal meeting so that the student can formally respond to these issues at the time of the defense meeting (see below). Prior to the close of the proposal meeting, the student’s mentor should confirm with committee members which of these issues are necessary for the student to address as they proceeds with the project and prepares the final draft to submit to the committee.

The final draft of thesis and dissertation projects will be formatted as a manuscript prepared for publication. Students will format sections, content, and citations using APA publication guidelines for submitted manuscripts. Final drafts will vary in length from student to student; however, overall length will fall within a range appropriate to journal submission requirements in the student’s area of research. At the very least, this will require more succinct introduction, discussion, and reference sections relative to the proposal document. In the methods section, students should include the level of methodological detail that would be necessary for publication of the study in a peer-reviewed journal. The results section may remain more comprehensive than a typical journal manuscript, as students should include a comprehensive review of all statistical strategies used in order to test research hypotheses, including initial analysis of data and statistical test assumptions.

In addition to the traditional manuscript format, final drafts to the committee will include additional content areas as Appendices. The additional sections may be removed or revised upon final preparation for submission for publication outside the university. Appendix sections are listed below.

• Introduction : If deemed necessary by the committee, the student may include an Appendix (A) to the submitted document, which would address shortcomings in the proposal introduction that were identified by the committee and that cannot be addressed in a shorter manuscript (e.g., a review of an important issue that had been neglected by the student in the proposal draft, a rewrite of a particular section of the original proposal that does not fit into the flow of the final manuscript’s introduction, a complete rewrite of the original proposal introduction).
• Methods : Copies of the instruments used in the study and detailed review of psychometric properties of instruments used in the study should be placed in Appendix B. Before submitting the document to the College of Arts and Sciences, however, copyrighted measures will need to be removed from the Appendix.
• Statistical Analyses : Supplemental, post-hoc, and exploratory analyses can appear as Appendix C to the document. The student and their mentor can decide which supplemental statistical analyses can be placed in the body of the document and which can appear as Appendix C.
• Limitations . Students will include an examination of project limitations and their potential impact on the results. If there are limitations to the study that warrant discussion during the dissertation defense but, due to journal style, may not be presented in a detailed way in the main body of the defense document, the student can either orally present a detailed examination of study limitations during their defense meeting and/or opt to include a longer limitations section as an Appendix (E) to the main document.
• Tables & Figures . Tables and figures should be submitted as separate documents attached to the draft of the manuscript text. Titles and footnotes should be included with the tables and figures and not on a separate page.

Students should also note that additional formatting may be necessary before submitting the final draft to Arts and Sciences. Please refer to the A&S website for specific formatting instructions.

In addition to the defense document described above, the student should provide each committee member with a cover letter, in which they addresses the committee members’ critiques, concerns, and requested revisions that were raised during the proposal meeting. The format of the letter should list, point by point, the specific critique, concern, or requested revision, and the specific way in which the student has addressed or will address the issue (e.g., specific places in the defense document that address an issue, changes to the methodology, additional hypotheses that were tested, indicating the concern will be discussed during the defense meeting presentation rather than in the written document).

Defense Meeting

The defense meeting format will differ from the proposal meeting in length (2½ hours), presentation requirement, and audience present.

Defense meetings will include a longer presentation from the student (approximately 45 minutes) about their project and will take a format similar to a job talk or colloquium presentation, followed by oral examination/questions from the committee regarding the project and document. Students are encouraged to use Powerpoint or other visual aids as part of their presentation. Students are reminded that during their presentation they can provide details beyond that provided in their defense document. For example, a student may choose to respond to an issue raised at the proposal meeting during their defense presentation rather than in the submitted document.

For dissertation and thesis projects, meetings will be open to the public during the presentation and questioning. Non-committee members will have the opportunity to ask questions of the student following completion of committee questions.

Students are advised to consider that, although their written document is much shorter, they are still likely to have to answer detailed questions about rationale for study, methodology, statistical analyses, and discussion/ implications/limitations of their study.

Following questions, committee members will conduct a closed evaluation of the student, dismissing both the student and the audience during this process.

Students defending their dissertation and thesis will need to schedule their defense meeting and submit their document to committee members at least two weeks in advance. At this time, students must also submit a proposal announcement form to the Chair of Graduate Studies, who will post the time, date, and location of the meeting via e-mail and in department and college postings.

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Presentation Master's thesis - Leonie Sindern - Clinical Psychology

Roeterseilandcampus, Building: , Street: Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-b, Room: GS.08

Maladaptive fear responses that are initially successfully extinguished with interventions like exposure therapy often return over time.  Latent cause theory attributes individual differences in the return of fear (ROF) to whether exposure updated the original fear memory or created a competing safety memory. If a safety memory is created, reactivation of the fear memory at a later time can explain ROF. According to latent cause theory, whether memory updating occurs depends on whether individuals attribute the situations in which fear is learned and unlearned to the same latent cause. However, individual differences in latent cause inference are not directly observable which calls for the development of new measurement tools. Mathematical models can be used to emulate cognitive and behvioural processes which makes computational modeling a promising candidate. The goal of the current study was to test this by applying two models previously developed by Zika et al. (2023) to fear conditioning data. We used simulations to understand the models’ behaviours under this experimental paradigm, and adjust them to reflect predictions of latent cause theory. Next, we applied the models to our data and classified participants as single- and multiple-state learners. Lastly, this categorization was used to predict ROF, where we expected single-state learners to have less ROF than multiple-state learners. With our study we contribute to the effort of leveraging mathematical models to describe and measure latent cognitive processes, and test the applicability of results to a commonly used research paradigm in clinical research.