Whats a good topic for a psychology PhD dissertation?

Hi Elliot,

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.

But, make sure you have passion for the topic.

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.

Read more detailed tips on:
http://www.apa.org/gradpsych/2005/01/starting.aspx

Have a good work!

Hi, Elliott: all of the advice given already is excellent. I would add only one resource that should help you make the most of your graduate studies. It's called Getting What you Came For (https://www.amazon.com/Getting-What-You-Came-Students/dp/0374524777) and has excellent advice for people working their way through grad school and PhD programs.

That all depends on your focus in the field and your personal interest. The dissertation topic will be quite different if you are getting a degree in Organizational Psychology v.s. Clinical Psychology. Also, you have the discretion to work on a topic you have a personal interest in. I chose long term traumatic effects of childhood sexual abuse on adult male survivors. This is the group I was working with at the time.

What about researching on Evolution of the different genders spectrum and how their attitude is affected from psychological behaviors in the modern society