latest psychological research

Discover the latest peer-reviewed research from APA PsycArticles

New special issues covering the latest targeted research from APA Journals have been added to APA PsycArticles, our comprehensive database of full-text, peer-reviewed journal content.

These special issues feature some of the most relevant topics in psychology, including how spirituality informs clinical practice, integrating digital technologies into psychology, disorders of gut-brain interaction and more.

Read on to learn more about these issues and other resources to support students, researchers, and faculty as they navigate coursework and research in the areas of cognitive, clinical, and health psychology.

The following special issues are now available in APA PsycArticles:

Recent Special Issues

Spirituality in Clinical Practice

Spirituality in clinical practice: Integrating who we are with what we do.

Inspired by the recent emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in professional psychology and in society in general, this issue explores how personal religious and spiritual identities, practices, and traditions inform professionals in their work as clinicians and clinical supervisors and trainers to integrate who they are with what they do.

Vol. 11, No. 1, March 2024

Judgment and Decision Research on the Wisdom of Crowds

The articles in this special issue represent the breadth of current research on the wisdom of crowds and also signal a wide array of ideas for future exploration.

Vol. 11, No. 1, January 2024

American Psychologist

Ethical Challenges in the Use of Digital Technologies in Psychological Science

The authors published in this special issue provide illustrative examples of the range of applications of digital technologies in psychological science research across a variety of populations.

Vol. 79, No. 1, January 2024

Journal of Threat Assessment and Management

Applications of the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders to Threat Assessment

This issue highlights cutting-edge research showcasing applications of the alternative model for personality disorders (AMPD) to threat assessment and to suggest directions for future research and application using this model.

Vol. 10, No. 4, December 2023

Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology

Innovations in the Psychological Care of Pediatric Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction

The articles in this issue seek to expand the current research base on psychological assessment and intervention for pediatric disorders of gut-brain interaction.

Vol. 11, No. 4, December 2023

Translational Issues in Psychological Science

Bilingualism and Cognition

This issue synthesizes findings from diverse linguistic populations and techniques to provide compelling evidence that knowing more than one language can benefit learning, health, and social outcomes.

Vol. 9, No. 4, December 2023

Health Psychology

Advancing Adolescent Health through the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study

The empirical reports in this special issue of Health Psychology showcase the work of a diverse array of accomplished early-stage investigators who are members of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study consortium and who are drawn from the community of female and underrepresented scientists.

Vol. 42, No. 12, December 2023

Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy

Trauma in the Military

The articles included in this special issue feature current research on trauma in the military.

Vol. 15, No. 8, November 2023

Looking for more special issues? View the full list here .

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A few years ago, Jamil Zaki , a Stanford psychologist who researches empathy, found himself split between his research and his inner life.

It was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and by day, he radiated positivity as he praised the many benefits he and his lab had discovered about how kind, generous, and open-minded most people are – qualities the world needed to hear about.

But by night, he was doomscrolling, caught in an endless loop of negative thinking.

Zaki became acutely aware of the contradiction: If a scholar dedicated to studying human goodness was losing faith in humanity, what hope did the rest of us have?

In his new book, Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness (Grand Central Publishing, 2024) Zaki, an associate professor of psychology in the School of Humanities and Sciences and director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Laboratory , shares how he escaped the cynicism trap and offers simple but effective practices to avoid our cynical tendencies from taking over.

Cynicism is a losing strategy

Zaki argues that cynicism – the idea that people tend to be selfish, greedy, and dishonest – is often more naive than we realize. Of course, bad things do happen, but cynical perceptions do not stack up to reality. Cynicism, he explains, is both personally harmful and damaging to society.

Research shows cynics tend to earn less money , experience more depression, and drink more heavily . Tragically, they are more likely to die younger than non-cynics. Cynics are also less likely than optimists to take part in collective action, protest, or sign a petition and vote .

“By never trusting, cynics never lose,” writes Zaki. “They also never win. Refusing to trust anyone is like playing poker by folding every hand before it begins. Cynicism protects us from predators but also shuts down opportunities for collaboration, love, and community, all of which require trust. And though we forever remember people who hurt us, it’s harder to notice the friends we could have made if we’d been more open.”

Social shark attacks

Zaki saw these effects firsthand at Stanford, where students drastically underestimated each other.

In 2022, Zaki and his lab surveyed thousands of Stanford undergraduates, asking them how much they cared about their peers, whether they enjoyed helping other people, and if they wanted to connect with students they didn’t know.

The researchers also asked them about their perceptions of the average Stanford student.

His findings, published in Hope for Cynics , were startling.

“We discovered not one, but two Stanfords,” writes Zaki. “One was real, made up of students’ self-reports. This campus was extraordinarily warm. Eighty-five percent of students said they wanted to meet new friends. Ninety-five percent said they enjoyed helping peers who were feeling down. Their empathy was through the roof.”

But in students’ minds, they saw the Stanford community as uncongenial.

“They believed their ‘average’ peer was relatively unfriendly, judgmental, and callous,” Zaki adds, noting how these beliefs made the students less willing to share their struggles with friends or start a conversation with their classmates. 

Grand Central Publishing, 2024

Students were experiencing what Jamil Zaki calls “social shark attacks,” imagining worst-case scenarios as inevitable, even though the likelihood of them actually playing out was incredibly unlikely.

To counter this, Zaki’s lab worked with Frosh 101 , a program for first-year students, to launch an advertising campaign to correct these misperceptions. They put up posters in target dorms, presenting students with real data about how much their peers wanted to connect, and had conversations with residents to discuss the findings. The intervention helped students feel more positive and willing to engage with their peers.

Being a ‘hopeful skeptic’

In addition to questioning our assumptions of other people, Zaki encourages replacing cynicism with “hopeful skepticism,” which combines openness to new information with critical thinking.

Hope, he explains, is not to be mistaken for naivety or even optimism. Optimism is idealistic, and in excess, can turn into “toxic positivity” which brushes away negative feelings and emotions.

Hope, on the other hand, acknowledges those experiences. By recognizing them, hope can galvanize people towards change and action.

Adding skepticism to hope invites inquiry.

As Zaki emphasizes, hopeful skepticism is about applying a scientific mindset. Like a scientist, hopeful skeptics seek out facts and evidence instead of relying on feelings and fears. And rather than being fatalistic, they are critical and curious instead.

“Cynicism often boils down to a lack of good evidence. Being less cynical, then, is simply a matter of noticing more precisely,” Zaki said. He adds: “The cynical voice inside each of us claims that we already know everything about people. But humanity is far more beautiful and complex than a cynic imagines, the future far more mysterious than they know.”

Top psychological science research in 2022 includes flavor-sensitive fetuses, less-lonely older adults

Association for Psychological Science

From a cranky-faced fetus scowling at her mother’s healthy lunch choice to an octogenarian still benefiting from long-ago musical lessons, the most impactful psychological science research published in 2022 reveals that new understandings of human behavior—studied across the lifespan and from within a remarkable diversity of topics and scientific subdisciplines—continue to resonate with wide audiences. 

Here are the 10 most impactful articles published in the six peer-reviewed research journals  of the Association for Psychological Science in 2022. The ratings are based on a combination of the articles’ readership views and their Altmetric Attention Scores, a weighted approximation of all the attention a research output gathers online, including social media shares and mentions as well as citations. In all, the APS journals published 421 articles in 2022. 

Listen to a conversation about these findings on the APS podcast, Under the Cortex . 

#1: Flavor Sensing in Utero and Emerging Discriminative Behaviors in the Human Fetus  

By Beyza Ustun, Nadja Reissland, Judith Covey, Benoist Schaal, and Jacqueline Blissett  

Psychological Science   

An acquired taste? It turns out fetuses don’t find kale particularly delicious either. Examining 4D ultrasound scans of women who were between 32 and 36 weeks pregnant, the researchers saw that fetuses created more of a “laughter face” response when exposed to the flavor of carrots their parents consumed and more of a “cry face” response when exposed to the flavor of kale. 

#2: Experience of Playing a Musical Instrument and Lifetime Change in General Cognitive Ability: Evidence From the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936   

By Judith A. Okely, Katie Overy, and Ian J. Deary  

A win for music educators: An instrument’s effect might last well beyond the period of training. Individuals born in 1936 in Scotland were tested for general cognitive ability at age 11 and then again at age 70. The more their musical experience, the greater their cognitive gains, even adjusting for factors such as such as socioeconomic status, years of education, and disease history. 

#3: No Evidence That Siblings’ Gender Affects Personality Across Nine Countries   

By Thomas Dudek, Anne Ardila Brenøe, Jan Feld, and Julia M. Rohrer  

No, your brother (or sister) didn’t shape your personality. Using data from more than 85,000 people in 12 large representative surveys covering nine countries, the researchers investigated major personality traits including risk tolerance, trust, and agreeableness. The results suggested that the next younger or older siblings’ gender had no effect on personality. 

#4: Understanding and Addressing Older Adults’ Loneliness: The Social Relationships Expectations Framework  

By Samia C. Akhter-Khan, Matthew Prina, Gloria Hoi-Yan Wong, Rosie Mayston, and Leon Li  

Perspectives on Psychological Science 

Giving to and being valued within a community can go a long way toward preventing loneliness in older adults. The authors characterize loneliness as a perceived discrepancy between expected and actual social relationships. Their framework outlines six social relationship expectations of older adults, including generativity and contribution, and being respected and valued. The other four (e.g., having contacts, feeling cared for) are universal across age. 

# 5: Critical Ignoring as a Core Competence for Digital Citizens   

By Anastasia Kozyreva, Sam Wineburg, Stephan Lewandowsky, and Ralph Hertwig  

Current Directions in Psychological Science    

Please don't feed the trolls. Choosing what to ignore and where to invest one’s limited attention can empower online users to avoid the excesses, traps, and information disorders of today’s digital world, the authors suggest. Cognitive strategies to develop this competence include self-nudging (removing temptations from one’s digital environment); lateral reading (verifying a claim’s credibility elsewhere online); and the do-not-feed-the-trolls heuristic (not rewarding malicious actors with attention). 

6: Motivating Personal Growth by Seeking Discomfort    

Kaitlin Woolley and Ayelet Fishbach   

Psychological Science    

Embrace the squirm. Proposing that seeking discomfort as a signal of growth can increase motivation, the authors tested their theories in areas of personal growth including taking comedic risks in improvisation classes. A simple instruction to participants—to interpret immediate discomfort as a signal of self-growth—did more to motivate them than standard instructions.  

7: Test Anxiety Does Not Predict Exam Performance When Knowledge Is Controlled For: Strong Evidence Against the Interference Hypothesis of Test Anxiety   

Maria Theobald, Jasmin Breitwieser, and Garvin Brod  

Psychological Science    

Test-anxious students won’t flub what they already know, but they might miss out on learning gains during test prep. According to an analysis of mock exams that medical students completed shortly before their actual high-stakes exams, test anxiety did not affect their performance beyond their level of knowledge, but high trait test anxiety did limit their further learning during the exam-preparation phase. This points to interventions focused on knowledge acquisition instead of anxiety reduction. 

8: How to Change Negative Outcome Expectations in Psychotherapy? The Role of the Therapist’s Warmth and Competence   

Anna Seewald and Winfried Rief  

Clinical Psychological Science    

First impressions are so powerful in therapy that even the most skeptical patient is likely to expect—and experience—better results if they feel the therapist is warm and competent. In an online experiment, the researchers presented different videos of therapist-patient interactions. The more the therapist appeared to be caring and engaged, the more positive the subjects were about outcomes. 

9: Estranged and Unhappy? Examining the Dynamics of Personal and Relationship Well-Being Surrounding Infidelity   

Olga Stavrova, Tila Pronk, and Jaap Denissen  

Psychological Science     

Cheating is rarely the first sign that a relationship is in trouble. Analyzing data from German couples, the researchers found that infidelities were usually preceded by a gradual decrease in relationship functioning and both partners’ well-being. This well-being usually did not recover in the years following the infidelity, except when women were the unfaithful partners and/or the partners were less committed to the relationship to begin with.  

10: Does Objectively Measured Social-Media or Smartphone Use Predict Depression, Anxiety, or Social Isolation Among Young Adults?    

Craig J. R. Sewall, Tina R. Goldstein, Aidan G. C. Wright, and Daniel Rosen   

Digital technology isn’t making our kids unhappy. In their contribution to this popular area of study, the researchers examined the associations between three aspects of digital-technology use (duration and frequency of smartphone use, duration of social-media use) and three aspects of psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and social isolation) among a sample of young adults. Most of these relationships were statistically nonsignificant. 

Reporters: To request copies of any of these research articles, email [email protected]. 

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

Original Source

Recent Research and Developments in Psychology

Staying up to date on trends and dialogue..

Posted January 20, 2023 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

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• Longitudinal research spotlights the significance of relationships when it comes to happiness.
• An investigation revealed that TikTok has been promoting harmful content to young users.
• Conspiracy theories have been thriving on social media platforms since the pandemic.
• Chatbots now pose threat to higher education.

As I prepare for another academic semester, I have been immersing myself in recent research within the field. Here is a list of some of the most interesting and timely research and developments happening in the social sciences right now.

"Social Fitness" Is Just as Important as Physical Fitness

One of the longest longitudinal studies in psychology—starting in 1938 and continuing to the present day at Harvard University—reveals that a critical facet of happiness appears to be our relationships with others.

The researchers use the term “social fitness” to reflect on how cultivating our social ties and relationships is just as important from a longevity perspective as the effort or focus many put into their physical fitness. In lieu of the ways many of our social ties have experienced rupture since the pandemic, such a finding reiterates our interconnectedness with others and how important it is to put effort and time into connecting with our loved ones.

As reported by The Harvard Gazette:

"Close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their lives, the study revealed. Those ties protect people from life’s discontents, help to delay mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social class, IQ , or even genes . That finding proved true across the board among both the Harvard men and the inner-city participants" (Mineo, 2017, para. 9).

Moreover, the results from this longitudinal study are also consistent with other research that has identified loneliness as a significant risk factor for negative health outcomes as a person ages.

Higher Education May Be Upended by Chatbots

A cover story from The New York Times this month identified that a popular chatbot, ChatGPT, may be used by students to create sophisticated essays for their courses that are hard to detect as having been written by machines.

As readers may imagine, this has caused quite a stir in education —particularly higher education, where there is often greater time and effort put into large-scale writing assignments as part of the coursework for students. I have received emails of concern from administrators and faculty from both of the higher education institutions where I work.

Indeed, there is growing dialogue surrounding how to combat the ever-more sophisticated opportunities for cheating that tech like this affords our students today. As reflected by the cover story in the Times:

"Across the country, university professors like Mr. Aumann [professor featured in the story who discovered the best-written essay in one of his classes was generated via this technology], department chairs, and administrators are starting to overhaul classrooms in response to ChatGPT , prompting a potentially huge shift in teaching and learning. Some professors are redesigning their courses entirely, making changes that include more oral exams, group work, and handwritten assessments in lieu of typed ones" (Huang, 2023, para. 6).

While I think it is too early for higher education to get into panic mode over this technology, it does raise significant concerns regarding how the craft of writing is taught to our students and what utility they see in cultivating this skill. Moreover, on top of all the other demands faculty has had to shoulder since the pandemic, this technology further raises the stakes for us to generate more creative and nuanced ways to measure performance in writing in our classes in ways that reduce the chances that our students will turn to these bots to generate work on their behalf.

Social Media Is Harmful for Youth

An excellent source for deep investigations into social media platforms and their potential effects on users, The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) published a report at the end of 2022 entitled, “Deadly by Design: TikTok Pushes Harmful Content Promoting Eating Disorders and Self-Harm in Users’ Feeds” (CCDH, 2020).

While the title says it all, what is particularly noteworthy regarding this investigation is that it expands the scope of social media influence beyond Facebook—a popular platform whose potential effects are studied endlessly by psychologists—to more popular platforms that younger users in particular are migrating to and spending more time on relative to Facebook.

Particularly disturbing elements of this investigation revealed that problematic content was oftentimes recommended very quickly to new and young users, and that consumers didn’t have to do much browsing to be directed towards problematic feeds such as content related to promotion of both suicide and eating disorders. Readers are strongly urged to refer to the website for more details regarding this analysis.

Conspiracy Theories Are Thriving Online

While many of us have observed both political polarization and radicalization in the culture today, it is reaffirming to have such anecdotal observations verified by scientific work. Namely, consistent with other work that has come out since the pandemic, Dow et al. (2021) have identified that conspiracy theories have thrived, noting the pandemic as a significant catalyst for such a process.

Some of the notable findings of their research include: With the widespread disruption of regular cognitive and social structures and a greater proclivity to migrate online since the pandemic, in seeking alternative cognitive and social structures, many social media users have become radicalized. Moreover, social media is a significant purveyor of conspiracy theories, triggering contagion effects of this radicalization process, a resistance to changing such beliefs, and oftentimes translating into real-world harm. Indeed, it is no longer useful to separate the online world from the world “out there” as with the ubiquity of smartphones and social media platforms; the two are now intricately connected.

Copyright Azadeh Aalai 2023

Dow, B. J., Johnson, A. L., Wang, C. S., Whitson, J., & Menon, T. (2021). The COVID-19pandemic and the search for structure: Social media and conspiracy theories. Social and Personality Psychology Compass , 15 (9), e12636. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12636

Huang, K. (2023, January 16). Alarmed by A.I. Chatbots, Universities Start Revamping How They Teach. The New York Times: Technology. Retrieved on January 20, 2023 from: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/16/technology/chatgpt-artificial-intelligence-universities.html?smid=em-share

Mineo, L. (2017, April 11). Good Genes Are Nice, But Joy is Better. The Harvard Gazette: Health & Medicine. Retrieved on January 20, 2023 from: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-live-a-healthy-and-happy-life/

Azadeh Aalai, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Psychology at Queensborough Community College in New York.

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Psychology articles within Nature

Article 21 August 2024 | Open Access

Loss of plasticity in deep continual learning

The pervasive problem of artificial neural networks losing plasticity in continual-learning settings is demonstrated and a simple solution called the continual backpropagation algorithm is described to prevent this issue.

• Shibhansh Dohare
• , J. Fernando Hernandez-Garcia
•  &  Richard S. Sutton

Correspondence | 20 August 2024

Are brains rewired for caring during pregnancy? Why the jury’s out

• Kathryn L. Humphreys
•  &  Autumn Kujawa

More studies are needed on the long-term environmental consequences of war

• Patrick B. Newcombe

Technology Feature | 19 August 2024

Cash for catching scientific errors

The ERROR project offers researchers a bounty for spotting mistakes in published papers — a strategy borrowed from the software industry.

• Julian Nowogrodzki

News | 19 August 2024

PlayStation is good for you: video games improved mental health during COVID

But whether these findings apply more broadly remains to be seen.

• Gemma Conroy

News Feature | 31 July 2024

How pregnancy transforms the brain to prepare it for parenthood

It’s a transformational time long neglected by neuroscience. That is starting to change.

Correspondence | 09 July 2024

To explain biological sex, look to evolution

• Paul E. Griffiths
•  &  Hamish G. Spencer

Research Briefing | 03 July 2024

Eating habits of Denisovans on the Tibetan Plateau revealed

The discovery of a rib fragment from Baishiya Karst Cave greatly extends the presence of Denisovan hominins on the Tibetan Plateau. In-depth analyses of fossilized animal bones from the same site show that Denisovans made full use of the available animal resources.

Comment | 02 July 2024

Neuroscientists must not be afraid to study religion

Scientists interested in the brain have tended to avoid studying religion or spirituality for fear of being seen as unscientific. That needs to change.

• Patrick McNamara
• , William Newsome
•  &  Jordan Grafman

Article 26 June 2024 | Open Access

Megastudy shows that reminders boost vaccination but adding free rides does not

Contrary to expectations, offers of free transportation to vaccine sites did not increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake more than text message reminders, a finding that has implications for future policy decision-making to promote vaccination.

• Katherine L. Milkman
• , Sean F. Ellis
•  &  Angela L. Duckworth

Perspective | 19 June 2024

Language is primarily a tool for communication rather than thought

Evidence from neuroscience and related fields suggests that language and thought processes operate in distinct networks in the human brain and that language is optimized for communication and not for complex thought.

• Evelina Fedorenko
• , Steven T. Piantadosi
•  &  Edward A. F. Gibson

News Feature | 18 June 2024

Misinformation might sway elections — but not in the way that you think

Rampant deepfakes and false news are often blamed for swaying votes. Research suggests it’s hard to change people’s political opinions, but easier to nudge their behaviour.

Editorial | 12 June 2024

Hybrid working has benefits over fully in-person working — the evidence mounts

Some employers are backing away from hybrid working, but research suggests that they need not be concerned.

Nature Podcast | 24 May 2024

Audio long read: How does ChatGPT ‘think’? Psychology and neuroscience crack open AI large language models

To understand the 'brains' of LLMs, researchers are attempting to reverse-engineering artificial intelligence systems.

• Matthew Hutson
•  &  Benjamin Thompson

World View | 22 May 2024

Why role-playing games can spur climate action

Solving problems in a safe, collaborative environment can help us think out of the box and build empathy — crucial skills in a warming world.

• Sam Illingworth

Book Review | 14 May 2024

How men evolved to care for babies — before society got in the way

An exploration of the evolution of male nurturing shows why, unlike fathers among other great apes, human dads are biologically wired to be hands-on parents.

• Kermyt G. Anderson

News Feature | 14 May 2024

How does ChatGPT ‘think’? Psychology and neuroscience crack open AI large language models

Researchers are striving to reverse-engineer artificial intelligence and scan the ‘brains’ of LLMs to see what they are doing, how and why.

News | 12 May 2024

Is the Internet bad for you? Huge study reveals surprise effect on well-being

A survey of more than 2.4 million people finds that being online can have a positive effect on welfare.

• Carissa Wong

Obituary | 03 May 2024

Daniel Kahneman obituary: psychologist who revolutionized the way we think about thinking

Nobel prizewinner whose insights into the foibles of human decision-making launched the field of behavioural economics and sent ripples through all social sciences.

• Eldar Shafir

Research Highlight | 01 May 2024

Pandemic lockdowns were less of a shock for people with fewer ties

During periods of enforced isolation, life satisfaction for older adults took less of a hit in those who were already socially isolated.

Research Briefing | 16 April 2024

Long online discussions are consistently the most toxic

An ambitious investigation has analysed discourse on eight social-media platforms, covering a vast array of topics and spanning several decades. It reveals that online conversations increase in toxicity as they get longer — and that this behaviour persists despite shifts in platforms’ business models, technological advances and societal norms.

News Feature | 10 April 2024

The rise of eco-anxiety: scientists wake up to the mental-health toll of climate change

Researchers want to unpick how climate change affects mental health around the world — from lives that are disrupted by catastrophic weather to people who are anxious about the future.

• Helen Pearson

Editorial | 09 April 2024

Rwanda 30 years on: understanding the horror of genocide

Researchers must support and elevate the voices of Rwanda’s scholars and survivors.

News Feature | 05 April 2024

After the genocide: what scientists are learning from Rwanda

Thirty years after the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, Nature met with researchers who are gaining insights that could help to prevent other atrocities and enable healing.

• Nisha Gaind

Correspondence | 02 April 2024

Adopt universal standards for study adaptation to boost health, education and social-science research

• Dragos Iliescu
•  &  Samuel Greiff

News | 02 April 2024

Right- or left-handed? Protein in embryo cells might help decide

Gene that codes for structural protein could determine the dominant side of the human brain.

• Sumeet Kulkarni

Arts Review | 08 March 2024

159 days of solitude: how loneliness haunts astronauts

The psychological pressures of going into space might be as hard as the physical feat, a documentary reveals.

• Alexandra Witze

Perspective | 06 March 2024

Artificial intelligence and illusions of understanding in scientific research

The proliferation of artificial intelligence tools in scientific research risks creating illusions of understanding, where scientists believe they understand more about the world than they actually do.

• Lisa Messeri
•  &  M. J. Crockett

News & Views | 21 February 2024

Why reciprocity is common in humans but rare in other animals

Reciprocal cooperation can be advantageous, but why it is more common in humans than in other social animals is a puzzle. A modelling and experimental study pinpoints the conditions needed for reciprocity to evolve.

• Sarah Mathew

Nature Podcast | 21 February 2024

Why are we nice? Altruism’s origins are put to the test

Research suggests a combination of behaviours underlie the evolution of human cooperation, and researchers make an optical disc with enormous storage capacity.

• Benjamin Thompson
•  &  Nick Petrić Howe

Analysis 21 February 2024 | Open Access

Making cities mental health friendly for adolescents and young adults

A study examining how cities can foster well-being and positive mental health in young residents synthesizes opinions from researchers, practitioners, advocates and young people, highlighting factors that policymakers and urban planners should consider.

• Pamela Y. Collins
• , Moitreyee Sinha
•  &  Lian Zeitz

Article 14 February 2024 | Open Access

Online images amplify gender bias

We find that gender bias is more prevalent in images than text, that the underrepresentation of women online is substantially worse in images and that googling for images amplifies gender bias in a person’s beliefs.

• Douglas Guilbeault
• , Solène Delecourt
•  &  Ethan Nadler

Comment | 06 February 2024

No ‘easy’ weight loss: don’t overlook the social cost of anti-obesity drugs

Ideas of diet and exercise as the ‘best’ way to lose weight could stigmatize people taking Ozempic, WeGovy and other blockbuster drugs that affect appetite. Lessons from weight-loss surgery reveal ways to help.

• Alexandra Brewis
•  &  Sarah Trainer

Career News | 06 February 2024

Economists count the cost of ‘risky’ science

A survey seeks to define risk in research and how academics approach it in their work.

• Chris Woolston

Editorial | 09 January 2024

How online misinformation exploits ‘information voids’ — and what to do about it

In 2024’s super election year, providers of online search engines and their users need to be especially aware of how online misinformation can seem all too credible.

Analysis 13 December 2023 | Open Access

A synthesis of evidence for policy from behavioural science during COVID-19

Evaluation of evidence generated to test 19 proposed policy recommendations and guidance for the future.

• Kai Ruggeri
• , Friederike Stock
•  &  Robb Willer

Book Review | 11 December 2023

The unsung geniuses who uncovered why we sleep and dream

Just 100 years ago, we understood astoundingly little about sleep and dreaming. A tight-knit band of researchers changed things, against sometimes considerable odds.

• Jennifer L. Martin

Research Briefing | 29 November 2023

The myth of cosmopolitan cities: why large urban areas are more segregated

There is a long-standing assumption that large, densely populated cities inherently foster interactions between a diverse range of people. Analysis of 1.6 billion person-to-person encounters in the United States reveals that big cities are actually pockets of extreme segregation, highlighting a need for strategic urban design that fosters more integrated environments.

News | 29 November 2023

‘Disruptive’ science: in-person teams make more breakthroughs than remote groups

Analysis of millions of papers shows that farflung collaborators produce fewer foundational discoveries than groups working together in person.

News & Views | 21 November 2023

People go the extra mile for food

GPS data reveal that people travel far from home to buy food in the United States, challenging ideas about how access to food relates to unhealthy eating habits.

• Abigail Klopper

Book Review | 20 November 2023

Migration isn’t increasing, border restrictions don’t reduce crossings — and other home truths

Prejudice, rather than facts, colours our views about human mobility, argues a new book. But the global shock of the COVID-19 pandemic means that the world is changing in front of our eyes.

• Alan Gamlen

News | 03 November 2023

Don’t overlook race and ethnicity: new guidelines urge change for psychology research

Recommendations aimed at authors, reviewers and editors establish standards for addressing issues that have often gotten short shrift.

• Heidi Ledford

Research Briefing | 01 November 2023

Personal motivations polarize people’s memories of the COVID-19 pandemic

How accurately a person recalls the COVID-19 pandemic is affected by motivational factors, including how they feel about their vaccination status. The recollections of vaccinated and unvaccinated people are skewed in opposite directions, leading to different retrospective narratives about the pandemic. This distorted recall influences how individuals evaluate past political action, and will complicate preparation for future crises.

Article | 01 November 2023

Historical narratives about the COVID-19 pandemic are motivationally biased

How people remember various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including their own behaviour, perception of risk and attitudes towards science and governmental policies, is biased by their perceptions and behaviour today.

• Philipp Sprengholz
• , Luca Henkel
•  &  Cornelia Betsch

News & Views | 31 October 2023

From the archive: Halloween horrors

Spooky snippets from Nature ’s past.

Article 25 October 2023 | Open Access

Human-like systematic generalization through a meta-learning neural network

The meta-learning for compositionality approach achieves the systematicity and flexibility needed for human-like generalization.

• Brenden M. Lake
•  &  Marco Baroni

Book Review | 23 October 2023

The plant poisons that shape our daily lives

An exploration of nature’s toxins reveals complex relationships between humans and the plant chemicals we use as foods, medicines and mind-altering drugs.

• Emily Monosson

News | 16 October 2023

Milkshake neuroscience: how the brain nudges us toward fatty foods

Brain imaging shows how high-fat foods exert their powerful pull.

Nature Podcast | 11 October 2023

Gene edits move pig organs closer to human transplantation

Monkeys with CRISPR-edited pig kidneys survive for more than a year, and why our brains struggle to count more than four objects.

•  &  Shamini Bundell

Correspondence | 10 October 2023

Sustainability: draw on decades of social-science research

• Paul C. Stern
• , Thomas Dietz
•  &  Kimberly S. Wolske

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Breakthroughs and Discoveries in Psychological Science: 2020 Year in Review

• Psychological Science

Many of the major news stories of 2020 were closely tied to understanding human behavior, including efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, understand political divides and social conflicts, and address enduring racial disparities and inequality.  

A wealth of research published by the Association for Psychological Science (APS) addresses these and other important topics. The following is a selection of some of APS’s most newsworthy research and highly cited publications from 2020. These stories emphasize the importance of peer-reviewed psychological research and its impact on society.  

Top 10 APS News Releases of 2020, Metrics Provided by  Newswise  

Romance, Scent, and Sleep: The Stuff that Dreams Are Made Of : Research published in the journal  Psychological Science  suggests that the scent of a romantic partner can improve your quality of sleep. This is true regardless of whether you are consciously aware that the scent is even present.  

Violent Video Games and Aggression: The Connection Is Dubious, at Best : The coronavirus pandemic put a damper on many traditional summertime activities for kids, giving them more opportunity to socialize with friends virtually through online gaming. But many hours of extra screen time worried some parents, especially in light of a 2015 report linking violent video games with aggressive behavior in children. A reanalysis of previous findings published in the journal  Perspectives on Psychological Science  found no clear link between video game violence and aggression in children. 

Stemming the Spread of Misinformation on Social Media : The dangers of COVID-19 could worsen if misinformation on social media continues to spread unchecked, according to research published in  Psychological Science . Though there is no practical way to fully stem the tide of harmful misinformation on social media, certain tactics could help improve the quality of information that people share online about this deadly disease. 

Psychological Science and COVID-19: Conspiracy Theories : Why are conspiracy theories so popular? Who believes them? Why do people believe them? What are some of the consequences of conspiracy theories, and can such theories be harmful? These questions are explored by Karen Douglas, professor of social psychology at the University of Kent, UK, whose research focuses on beliefs in conspiracy theories.  

Pandemic Effects on Marriage and Relationships : Beyond its economic toll, COVID-19 is also having a negative impact on many relationships. Expert commentary from Paula Pietromonaco, professor emerita at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, explores this facet of the pandemic and how interactions in marital and other close relationships shape each partner’s emotional and physical health. 

Trigger Warnings Fail to Help and May Even Harm : A study published in the journal  Clinical Psychological Science  shines light on the value and potential harm of trigger warnings, the term used to alert readers or viewers to potentially unsettling content. This research suggests that trigger warnings offer little to no help in avoiding painful memories and can even be harmful for the survivors of past emotional trauma.  

Contracting COVID-19: Lifestyle and Social Connections May Play a Role : Research published in  Psychological Science  indicates that unhealthy lifestyle choices, including smoking and lack of exercise, along with emotional stressors like social isolation and interpersonal conflicts are important risk factors for developing upper respiratory infections. It is possible these same factors also increase the risk of contracting COVID-19. 

Does Bedtime Media Use Harm Children’s Sleep? Only If They Struggle to Self-Regulate Behavior : Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, one concern for many parents has been the impact of additional TV or computer screen time on their children and their already disrupted sleep habits. A study published in  Psychological Science  found that media use in the hour preceding bedtime impacts the sleep only of children who struggle to self-regulate their behavior. 

Health and Happiness Depend on Each Other, Psychological Science Says : This research adds to the growing body of evidence that happiness not only feels good, but it is also good for your physical health. Research published in  Psychological Science  shows that both online and in-person psychological interventions—tactics specifically designed to boost subjective well-being—have positive effects on self-reported physical health.  

Claiming Journalism Is ‘Fake News’ May Satisfy a Personal Need for an Orderly World : Research published in  Psychological Science  reveals that the degree to which people level accusations of fake news against news outlets is at least partially associated with a personal need for an orderly and structured environment. 

Top 10 APS Journal Articles Based on  Altmetric Attention Scores  

Aging in an Era of Fake News : Older adults appear to be particularly susceptible to misinformation (e.g., they shared the most fake news during the 2016 U.S. election). In  Current Directions in Psychological Science , researchers suggest that social changes in late adulthood, including difficulty in detecting lies and less emphasis on accuracy when communicating, might be partly responsible for susceptibility to misinformation. Moreover, older adults are less experienced with social media and may struggle to evaluate the veracity of content. Interventions that take into account older adults’ social changes and digital literacy might help to reduce their susceptibility to fake news.     Sex Differences in Mate Preferences Across 45 Countries: A Large-Scale Replication :  Research published in  Psychological Science  seems to support the popular perception that men are more likely to prefer attractive young mates, and women are more likely to prefer older mates with financial prospects. These sex differences were universal across the 45 countries surveyed. In countries where gender equality was higher, both sexes appeared to have mates closer to their own age. Contrary to older studies, this study found that gender equality did not predict other differences in mate preferences, such as financial prospects. Also, different countries’ rates of communicable and infectious diseases did not predict sex differences or preferences. 

What Is the Test-Retest Reliability of Common Task-Functional MRI Measures? New Empirical Evidence and a Meta-Analysis : The reliability of measuring brain activity using task functional MRI (fMRI) for predicting disease risk and outcomes appears to be low. In  Psychological Science , researchers present a meta-analysis of prior research and an analysis of test-retest reliability of brain activity in certain regions across 11 common fMRI tasks. The authors found that reliability across studies was low, and test-retest studies did not reliably show activity in the same areas of interest for the same tasks. These findings suggest that current task-fMRI measures are not suitable for predicting clinical outcomes or studying individual differences.    Racial Inequality in Psychological Research: Trends of the Past and Recommendations for the Future :  Systematic inequality exists within psychological research.  This is the conclusion researchers published in  Perspectives on Psychological Science  after querying more than 26,000 articles published between 1974 and 2018 in top-tier psychology journals. Most publications are edited by White editors, and the few publications that highlight race were written by White authors and had few participants of color. These findings suggest the need to diversify editing, writing, and participation in psychological science. To this end, the researchers provide a set of actionable recommendations for journals and authors.  

Your Brain Is Not an Onion With a Tiny Reptile Inside : A paper in  Current Directions in Psychological Science  describes a model of neural evolution that challenges the widespread misconception that as vertebrate animals evolved, they added “newer” brain structures to the “older” existing ones, enabling them to have more complex psychological functions (e.g., language). Neurobiologists have long discredited this misconception that the reptile brain is still part of the human brain, which just added more layers. The authors provide examples of how this inaccurate view of brain evolution has impeded progress in psychology. 

The Emotional Path to Action: Empathy Promotes Physical Distancing and Wearing of Face Masks During the COVID-19 Pandemic : Empathy for people most vulnerable to COVID-19 appears to motivate wearing face masks and practicing social distancing, according to an article published in  Psychological Science . Participants who showed more empathy for the most vulnerable to the virus were more likely to report social-distancing practices. In two experiments, inducing empathy resulted in higher motivation to wear face masks and to practice social distancing than simply informing participants about the importance of these practices, in particular for those most vulnerable to the virus.  

Fighting COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Media: Experimental Evidence for a Scalable Accuracy-Nudge Intervention :  Nudging people to think about the accuracy of news headlines might be a simple way to improve their choices about what to share on social media. When directly asked about the accuracy of COVID-19-related news, participants in a study published in  Psychological Science  were better at discriminating between true and false than when asked simply to decide whether to share it. Similarly, having participants judge the accuracy of non-COVID-19-related headlines increased their discernment about the accuracy of COVID-19-related articles and the quality of their subsequent intentions to share them.  

How Firm Are the Foundations of Mind-Set Theory? The Claims Appear Stronger Than the Evidence : Mind-set theory proposes that the beliefs one has about whether attributes are malleable ( growth mind-set ) or unchangeable ( fixed mind-set ) influence one’s motivation, type of goals, persistence, and resilience. Contrary to what the mind-set theory would predict, researchers publishing in  Psychological Science  tested 438 students and found weak associations (<.20) between mind-set, goal orientation, response to challenge, belief in effort, cognitive ability, and intelligence. The researchers suggest that these results may indicate that some claims about mind-set might be overstated. 

The Future of Women in Psychological Science :  A team of researchers analyzed 10 topics relevant for women’s professional prospects in psychological science: career advancement; financial compensation; service assignment and practices; lifestyle roles and work–family conflict; gender biases; prevalence and perceptions of positions of power; intersectionality; harassment and incivility; agency, self-esteem, and self-promotion; and lack of belonging. In  Perspectives on Psychological Science , the authors discuss empirical evidence for each of these issues and clarify gender gaps and positive change in the hope that a better understanding of these issues will spark conversation and help to mitigate remaining gender differences in the field. 

Can Bad Be Good? The Attraction of a Darker Self : We prefer fictional villains who are similar to us, according to research in  Psychological Science . Researchers explored data from an online platform that allows users to become “fans” of characters and take a quiz to evaluate their similarity with them. Individuals preferred villains who were similar to themselves. A series of laboratory studies also found an association between similarity of negative traits, when the villain was fictional but not when the villain was a real person, and attraction to the villain. 

Stories in Action

Stories may complement established policy tools. Walsh and colleagues define the elements of storytelling and discuss stories’ key features and functions, providing design principles for policymakers interested in building stories. 

SAGE 10-Year Impact Awards Honor Two APS Articles

Two 2011 APS journal articles exploring the rise of Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and the risk of accepting false-positive findings have received SAGE Publishing’s third annual 10-Year Impact Awards.

Letter from the Editor: A New Chapter for the Observer

After nearly 40 years in print, the APS member magazine is going all-digital.

Privacy Overview

Psychological Research

An International Journal of Perception, Attention, Memory, and Action

• Focuses on human perception, attention, memory, and action.
• Upholds impartiality, independent of any particular approach or school of thought.
• Includes theoretical and historical papers alongside applied research if they contibute to basic understanding of cognition
• Adheres to firm experimental ground in its publications.
• Bernhard Hommel

Latest issue

Volume 88, Issue 6

Special issue on the Neurocognitive Mechanisms of imagery and imagery practice of motor actions

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Attentional boost effect: research based on source memory and emotional materials.

• Tongtong Xin

The impact of task measurements on sequential dependence: a comparison between temporal reproduction and discrimination tasks

• Zhuanghua Shi

The association between physical activity and memory interference

• Paul D. Loprinzi
• Myungjin Jung
• Monika Undorf

What pupil size can and cannot tell about math anxiety

• Elvio Blini
• Giovanni Anobile
• Roberto Arrighi

Social cues tip the scales in emotional processing of complex pictures

• Veronica Dudarev
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Journal updates

Psychological research is seeking a new editor-in-chief for 2025.

Psychological Research is seeking nominations for a new, incoming Editor-in-Chief, term beginning January 1 2025.

Interested candidates should email their CV and a letter of interest, indicating their expertise, editorial experience, and a vision statement (2 pages or so) for the journal to [email protected]

The call will be open until May 1st, 2024, and candidates will be contacted shortly after. 

Psychological Research celebrates 100 years in Publication!

Special Issue on 100 years Psychologische Forschung/ Psychological Research edited by Bernhard Hommel (pp 2305 - 2365) and Special Issue on Concrete constraints on abstract concepts edited by Anna M. Borghi, Samuel Shaki and Martin H. Fischer (pp 2366 - 2560)

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The top 10 most popular psychology studies of 2021

(Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay )

PsyPost received approximately 42.7 million pageviews in 2021. The top ten stories of the year are listed below:

People exposed to phubbing by their romantic partner are less satisfied with their romantic relationship

An online survey in Turkey found that people who are more exposed to partner phubbing (being ignored by their partner...

The desire to have a romantic partner is associated with lower life satisfaction, but more so in older adults

A study published in Personal Relationships found that among single individuals aged 18 to 75, those who had a stronger...

New psychology research reveals men’s motives for sending unsolicited dick pics

Men who send unsolicited images of their private parts primarily do so with the hopes of receiving either similar images...

Brain health and lifestyle: Up to 40% of dementia cases can be attributed to 12 modifiable risk factors

Despite dementia being widely underdetected in high-income countries like Canada, where over 60% of cases go unnoticed, early intervention and...

People are less satisfied with their marriage when their partner is not interested in social interactions, study finds

A year-long study of newlywed couples showed that individuals with more pronounced social anhedonia (disinterest in social interactions and poor...

Physical touch from a romantic partner is linked to improved well-being, even among those with attachment avoidance

Avoidantly attached individuals tend to shun intimacy and are reluctant to form close personal relationships with others. But new research...

Psychopathic men have an extreme focus on mating at the expense of other domains and tend to be “parasitic” fathers

Why do psychopaths become parents? A study published in Evolutionary Psychological Science suggests that people high in psychopathy focus primarily...

New psychology research shows maltreatment in childhood is linked to alexithymia in adulthood

New research shows that individuals who experienced childhood maltreatment are more likely to have difficulty identifying and expressing emotions in...

Women who engage in strategic self-presentation online may be more likely to develop characteristics of self-objectification

New research in Psychology of Women Quarterly explores the relationship between how one presents themselves on social media platforms and...

Eye-tracking study suggests that people with social anxiety not only avoid looking at strangers but also their surroundings

A new study published in the journal PLOS One suggests that social anxiety is characterized by increased avoidance, rather than hypervigilance, during...

Mothers adhering to healthy dietary patterns at lower risk of having children with autism

A large study has found that pregnant women who followed a healthy diet had 22% lower odds of having children with autism and fewer social communication difficulties in their children, highlighting a potential link between prenatal diet and autism risk.

Gut health tied to psychological resilience: New research reveals gut-brain stress connection

Recent research has found that resilient individuals have healthier gut microbiomes and more active brain regions for emotion regulation, highlighting a strong gut-brain connection that supports better stress management and overall mental well-being.

New research shows dogs can smell your stress — and it affects their behavior

A new study finds that dogs can detect human stress through scent, making them more cautious and risk-averse. The findings suggest that our stress levels can influence our dogs' behavior, particularly in ambiguous situations.

“Intersectional hallucinations”: The AI flaw that could lead to dangerous misinformation

AI's reliance on synthetic data can create "intersectional hallucinations," leading to unrealistic and potentially dangerous outcomes. These errors highlight the risks of AI misinterpreting complex human data relationships.

New psychology research links parental well-being to feeling valued

Feeling appreciated by your spouse and children is linked to better mental health, lower stress, and stronger relationships, according to new research. The study emphasizes the importance of gratitude in enhancing family well-being.

Study finds little evidence linking violent video games to increased aggression in adolescents

A new study of Czech adolescents challenges the belief that violent video games increase aggression, finding no significant link between game violence and changes in aggression or empathy over time.

Surprisingly strong link found between political party affiliation and sleep quality

A study reveals that political party affiliation influences sleep quality, with Republicans in Arizona sleeping better than Democrats and Independents, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scientists discover some brain cells age faster, contributing to Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers discovered that some brain cells age faster than others, especially in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Women’s brains also show more of these rapidly aging cells, which may increase their risk for neurodegenerative disorders.

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New Faculty Profile: Associate Professor Caterina Gratton

We are thrilled to welcome Associate Professor Caterina Gratton to the Department of Psychology faculty as of Fall 2024! Dr. Gratton is primarily affiliated with the Cognitive Neuroscience area.

Can you briefly share your academic and professional background that led you to the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign?

I am originally from Champaign-Urbana, and received my undergrad degrees from UIUC in Psychology and Neuroscience, so this is a homecoming for me! During that time I worked with Prof. Kara Federmeier (who mentored me on my honors thesis), Prof. Diane Beck, and others. I received my Ph.D. in Neuroscience from UC Berkeley, where I worked with Profs. Mark D'Esposito and Michael Silver, studying how different regions of the brain interact through brain networks and the role of these interactions in attention. I continued in that line of work during my post-doc at Washington University in St. Louis, working with Steve Petersen on how brain network interactions varied with both task demands and individual differences. My lab continues these and other related studies, examining how brain networks are organized and vary over time and across the lifespan, and what happens when this organization is disrupted. Prior to this position, I was an Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at Northwestern University and an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at Florida State, where I retain affiliations.

Looking ahead, what do you hope to achieve during your time at UIUC's Department of Psychology? Are there any long-term goals you're aiming for?

Looking ahead, we're very excited to continue on some of our "precision imaging" work, that provides detailed representations of individual brain networks. We have several lines of study examining how people's brain networks relate to cognitive control, how they break down with aging and neurodegenerative disease, and how individual differences arise. I'm also excited to connect with others in the UIUC Psychology department to better understand the role of brain networks in diverse cognitive processes and their disruptions in psychiatric disorders, among other questions.

On a personal note, what do you enjoy doing outside of your academic and professional life? Any hobbies, interests, or experiences you'd like to share?

I'm a twin mom to a pair of 9-year-olds, and we have two dogs (Darwin and Rosy). They help to make our house a fun and fully chaotic environment. I'm also a soccer fan/player (go Roma!).

Related People

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More Department News

• Assistant Professor Dominik Mischkowski Receives National Science Foundation Grant Assistant Professor Dominik Mischkowski has received a National Science Foundation grant to study the role of physical pain sensitivity in regulating intimate relationship processes, specifically, perceptions of a partner being understanding, validating, and caring. The grant will support two... Read full story
• Professor Eleanor Seaton Receives Grant from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Professor Eleanor Seaton is a Co-Investigator on a grant from the NIH’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism examining the etiology of alcohol use among racially-ethnically diverse populations using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The team is using a... Read full story
• The Human Resources & Psychological Organization is More Than Networking The Human Resources & Psychology Organization (HRPO) is a Registered Student Organization (RSO) with a mission to foster a platform for developing essential business and interpersonal skills rooted in psychology, paving the way for professional success. Established in 2019, HRPO has opened... Read full story

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

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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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