Thesis ideas

Nimi85

Hey Everyone,

Im new to this whole thing so I apologize if Im doing something wrong!

Im about to go into my final year of my Psychology degree and Im really confused about what to do for my thesis. I want something really different and interesting.

Anyone wants to throw out a few ideas? Cud b fun

Cheers xxx

p.pete

It's going to be difficult to come up with something really different, but hopefully you come up with something interesting. Or of interest to you at the very least.

The first thing you need to look at is what areas of psychology are of most interest to you. Research is rarely done in isolation of what's been studied previously, so if you can find one or two areas that interest you then research them further and hopefully they can spark some ideas that you think would be good for furthering that research.

In addition, maybe try to speak with tutors/lecturers for ideas of inspiration. Possibly some posters here can give you inspiration but at the very least, what areas interest you?

Best of luck also

Kevster

'ADD & Asperger's Syndrome, an Autism Spectrum disorder'

'Societal factors leading to eating disorders'

'The stages of coping with bereavement'

'The problems living a non-social life in childhood can lead to'

'The over-diagnosing of depression'

'Geniuses: Intellectuals with disorders'

'A parents' study: Coping with an Autistic child'

'Society's misconceptions of Schizophrenia'


Kevin.

chezdee

I finished my thesis this year on adolescents help-seeking intentions for depression. I would suggest you read student thesis from previous years which are usually in the college library. These would give you a good example of what is expected and also what not to do. Also read as many psychology journals as you can, this might give you some ideas. Try to find something topical like suicide, adolescent depression etc. Use a control group if possible for more reliable results. Try not to use students as your participants. Try to find something that really interests you, it makes the whole process much easier. Don't rely on other peopel to collect your data. Choose your supervisor with care, make sure its someone who is helpful and actually cares if you do well or not. Finally, find a stats genius and befriend him immediately.

Good Luck!
Chez Dee

Nimi85

Thanks so much for ur help guys.. i have a million ideas floating around in my head now...

the psychology behind tattooing/piercing being one of them.. dya think it could work??
Was thinking of like mixing it in with self-esteem and the sense of self, as well as maybe depression and self-harm?? I would probably focus on teenagers I think...

Anyone got any thoughts on this one??

Rossibaby

ya thta could be an excellent one alright,why people get them,tear their jeans,dye their hair etc

chezdee

You would need to find and review any existing research into this area and then consider if your study might add to the existing body of knowledge...

If you are dealing with persons under the age of 18 you may need permission from their parents for participation, not always easy to obtain. So you need to consider do you have access to these individuals?

chez dee

witchofagnesi

Are any of your lecturers interested in a related area? I find it's best to go and talk to someone knowledgeable about the subject area and throw some ideas around. They're usually able to point you to some recent research too :P

You should remember that, particularly where minors are involved, getting ethical approval can be a fairly drawn out process. I'm heading into my final year too and have to get my research proposal handed in when I get back

Nimi85

Yeh i know.. its so hard to think of naything interesting thats also ethically sound. but it could be done in an ethical way... I would obviously have to leave out the self-harming factor. but i thnik it wud still make for an interesting study... dnt ya think? my proposal is sue in a few weeks too :eek: scary mary!!

Nimi85

oh and i have a 16 year old sister (with two fresh tattoos ) and alot of her friends also have tattoos. Plus i have 29 teenage cousins.. so i wud probably have access to just about enough people along with other people i know.

witchofagnesi

You should probably be careful to make sure that your participants are representative of the normal population - otherwise your data could be skewed. If you're going to be interviewing a large number of relatives and friends be aware that you may all share similar characteristics which could affect the data. The fact that you would personally know all your participants may also affect how they would respond to you - maybe they would be embarrassed or feel that you might tell others. It's a great idea though so good luck with it!

Nimi85

Yeh i suppose so. I suppose i could overcome the problem by just doing it in general, like to include adults. Because then I can just use anyone and don't need permission, ya know? I dunno.. argh! IM SO CONFUSED!
Maybe i should just think up something else...

witchofagnesi

Hey don't give up yet - you should work through your idea first so you know what factors and conditions you're going to have and where you could get your participants before giving up. Why not make an appointment to talk to your sister's school principal and ask if they would allow you to do part of the study in the school and perhaps they might know an easier way to get permission from the students' parents.
If you decide to use adults as well then perhaps you could go to a tattoo parlour and ask people to take part in your exp then? Look through previous studies first as you may be able to get ideas from the way they conducted their research.

cathy01

if your doing on , like substance misuse and ADHD. or
soemthing in relation to medication to induce sleep in the hyperactive child , do it on the adhd web site
www.adhd.ie
I read that Maddies parents found her very hard to mange becasue of her hyperactiveity.Maybe something like that, the impact it has on siblings .I know a few done are on the web site.HTH,
Cathy

Nimi85

thanks so much for ur help guys. appreciate it!! xx