Psy 330
Formulating a Topic

For the topic assignment, please hand in one paragraph describing your general area of interest. In a second paragraph, please suggest at least two general project possibilities....specifying IV(s) and DV(s) for each possibility.  The two possibilities may be very similar (with slightly different arrangements of IVs and DV). 

 The main point of the assignment is to show that your topic may be studied by manipulating at least one variable and measuring the outcome in some way.  If this is the case, your topic is worth pursuing.  If not, I will provide you feedback indicating you should pursue other possibilities. This topic assignment is worth 5 points.

Keep in mind:

1) Any project you choose needs to be justified in terms of (a) making a unique contribution to the field and (b) being based on some theoretical rationale or previous pattern of results. That is why I am giving you some time to sift through the literature and read some abstracts/full articles before settling on an area. Even then, you will be specifying a general area with some possibilities for manipulations. There will be time to modify and adjust. You need to continually progress on your project throughout the semester.

2) Propose a topic and method that is do-able with our time constraints and limited resources. If you choose to carry out your study in Psy 430, we will be using the Psychology Department participant pool consisting of college students (mostly General Psychology students). You will only have one semester to collect data, so collecting data from special populations will not be feasible. Keep in mind the type of equipment to which you have access.

Some popular areas:

How does learning environment affect test performance, memory, or reading comprehension? (music and learning, background noise, irrelevant speech effect, context effects, encoding specificity principle)

What types of study or encoding activities lead to better test performance? (note taking, levels of processing, elaboration, verbal learning, face recognition)

What factors influence the accuracy of a witness' testimony? (misinformation effect, eyewitness memory, suggestive questioning, weapon focus, repeated questioning, biased interrogation)

What factors lead to favorable first impressions or attraction or favorable perceptions of others?(first impressions, interpersonal attraction, halo effect, social perception, factors affecting employer's hiring decisions, social comparison theory)