Reader Needs a Topic for a Psychology Paper

One reader writes: I'm supposed to write a five page paper for the introductory psychology course that I am taking this semester. Our instructor told us that we can pick any psychology topic that we are interested in for our paper. I have a lot of ideas, but I'm having a tough time narrowing down my choices. I don't want my topic to be too general, but I don't want it to be so narrow that I have a hard time finding material to write about. Help!

Choosing a topic for your psychology paper can be difficult, especially if your instructor gives you a lot of leeway when picking a subject. One way to start is to make a quick list of some of the things that interest you the most about psychology. For example, if you are really interested in child development, you might want to create a quick list of some of the questions you have about the subject. Once you have a list of questions, think about which ones might work for a full-length research paper.

As you look over your potential list of topics, consider some of the following factors. A great topic for a psychology research papers needs accomplish the following things:

• It needs to fulfill the requirements of the assignment. If your professor asks you to write a paper on a controversial topic, then you need to select a topic that can generate considerable debate.
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• It needs to be focused without being too narrow or esoteric. Choosing a topic that is too broad makes it tough to write within the page requirements, while selecting one that is too specific makes it difficult to find enough research to write about.
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• It needs to be interesting to both you and your intstructor. Picking something you genuinely want to know more about will make the research and writing process much easier and your enthusiasm for the topic will certainly shine through in your writing.

Do you have a great idea for a psychology research paper that fits these criteria? Please share your thoughts with our readers by submitting your ideas for psychology papers.

If you need a few ideas to spark your creativity, then be sure to check out these psychology research paper topics as well as a few more tips for finding ideas for psychology papers.

More Tips for Psychology Students

• How to Write a Psychology Paper
• How to Write a Title Page