Psychology Research Topics

Psychology is the study of behavior and mind, embracing all aspects of human experience. It is an academic discipline and an applied science which seeks to understand individuals and groups by establishing general principles and researching specific cases.

List of Psychology Research Topics

1.     Is parental negligence a reason behind child obesity?
2.     Understanding the obsession of Americans with the popular fast food items
3.     What is the influence of a narcissist mother on her child’s mental well-being?
4.     What is the association between obesity and television?
5.     Preterm delivery and stress
6.     Understanding the situations that lead to suicidal behaviors
7.     The adverse effects of abortion on the mental health
8.     Dating violence and abuse among teenagers
9.     Understanding schizophrenia in young men and women
10.     Impact of teenage sexting on children and its consequences
11.     Can morality be enforced by stringent laws?
12.     Comprehending social interaction
13.     How is stress affected by individual differences?
14.     What are the psychological reasons behind depression?
15.     Symptoms, reasons of stress and how to manage it
16.     Is depression affected by gender?
17.     Impact of social anxiety disorder on the routine life of the affected person
18.     The different phases of human growth and development
19.     Importance of imparting sexual education to children
20.     Mental development and understanding of mentally challenged children
21.     Relationship between stress and physical illness
22.     Long term and short term memory
23.     How is a person’s life affected by bipolar disorder?
24.     Aging and mental illnesses
25.     What is the environment’s role in personality development?
26.     Influence of work environment on the motivation and self-esteem of workers
27.     Effect of counseling on the divorced individuals
28.     Impact of violent music on children
29.     How and why are psychologists involved in the military?
30.     Varied theories of motivation
31.     How is a person’s achievements and personality affected by their birth order?
32.     Physical, financial and emotional abuse of elderly people
33.     Understanding and controlling teenage suicide
34.     Comprehending the effects of postpartum depression on child and mother
35.     Analyzing harsh capital punishment for the sex offenders
36.     How is intelligence determined by the environment and genetics?
37.     Different kinds of torture and their various effects
38.     How and why are attractive people treated differently than the non-attractive ones?
39.     Pros and Cons of Hypnosis
40.     Understanding the psychological problems of the homeless people
41.     How does sports psychology help promote mental health in different  workplaces?
42.     What are the reasons behind long lasting marriages?
43.     Is it important to have school uniforms?
44.     The effect of different phobias on your personality
45.     Why is the divorce rate rising?
46.     Understanding the psychology of homophobes
47.     Understanding solitary confinement and its effects
48.     What are the effects of colors on different mental states?
49.     Understanding the roles of biology and environment in hyperactive children
50.     Psychological profile and mental development of a terrorist
51.     Understanding the psychology of sex workers
52.     How can you form and change a habit?
53.     The ethical and legal aspects of gay adoption
54.     Reasons and consequences of introvert behavior in adult.
55.     What is the effect of the hate crimes on the community and the victims?

While going through psychology research topics, remember to opt for one that falls within the area of your specialization or interest. You can visit online psychology websites and newspapers for finding out more topics. Make sure that you can form a good hypothesis on the topic you are selecting and you must choose a topic that has sufficient content easily available and accessible via online forums.

It is a good idea to consider about four to five psychology research topics before starting your research. This helps you in selecting a viable topic in case one becomes difficult to research on. Always go slow during your research, so you carry each step perfectly well. Make it a point to collect primary data first to make your research appear realistic.

General Psychology Research Topics

To choose a topic from general psychology, you should select any topic you like and then start narrowing it down. For instance, you could tackle any current issue in psychology like equality in mental health.

Moreover, you could profile a well-known psychologist and explore their theories or researches. You could also write on a popular and useful psychology experiment, such as the Stanford Prison or Milgram Obedience Experiments.

Abnormal Psychology Research Topics

Abnormal psychology deals with abnormal behavior and psychopathology. Different disorders such as obsession-compulsion, depression and sexual deviation are covered in this subject. You could research on any of the following topics in this field:

    Phobia

    Depression

    Schizophrenia

    Eating disorder: anorexia or bulimia nervosa

    Antisocial personality disorder

    Seasonal affective disorder

    Borderline personality disorder

Moreover, you can also profile any therapy such as CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), MBCT (mindfulness based cognitive therapy) or group therapy.

Cognitive Psychology Research Topics

Cognitive psychology tackles the different mental processes going on in a person’s mind. You could explore language, memory, decision making, intelligence and thinking in this sub-field. Moreover, you could research on attention span, false memories, dreams, language, perception, judgment and problem solving while working in cognitive psychology.

Developmental Psychology Research Topics

Development psychology is focused on the lifespan of human beings, so you have a number of topics to choose from. You can focus on the effects of the following topics on the personality and development of a child, adult or elderly.

    Sexual abuse

    Verbal abuse

    Bullying

    Harassment

    Media violence

    Language acquisition

    Learning disabilities

    Parenting style

    Prenatal development

    Aging process

Social Psychology Research Topics

Social psychology is pertinent to social behavior. You can explore the following topics while studying this subject.

    Discrimination and prejudice

    Homophobia

    Sexism

    Racism

    Attitudes

In addition to these topics, you can also opt for one from amongst the following psychology research topics.

    Understanding drug addictions and the causes behind them

    Weaknesses of the psychoanalytic theories of Freud

    Causes, signs and treatments of anxiety

    Effect of circadian rhythm on humans

    What is attachment theory and what are its psychological effects?

    What are the physical and psychological benefits of laughter?

    What is the effect of the cognitive dissonance on values and behaviors?

    Relationship between endorphins and happiness

    What are the negative and positive effects of the internet on your psychological health?

    What are the effects of the self-actualization concept of Maslow on psychology?