This shows a more formal example of brainstorming to go from a broad topic (global warming) to
more narrower topics (like environment and political), to even more narrow topics (like rising sea
levels and roles of government).
ip #2: Write down all ideas
Sure, some of your ideas will be better than others, but you should write all of them
down for you to look back on later. Starting with bad or infeasible ideas might seem
counterintuitive, but one idea usually leads to another one. Make a list that includes all
of your initial thoughts, and then you can go back through and pick out the best one
later. Passing judgment on ideas in this first stage will just slow you down.
Tip #3: Think about what interests you most
Students usually write better essays when they’re exploring subjects that they have
some personal interest in. If a professor gives you an open-ended prompt, take it as an
opportunity to delve further into a topic you find more interesting. When trying to find a
focus for your papers, think back on coursework that you found engaging or that raised
further questions for you.
Tip #4: Consider what you want the reader to get from your paper
Do you want to write an engaging piece? A thought-provoking one? An informative one?
Think about the end goal of your writing while you go through the initial brainstorming
process. Although this might seem counterproductive, considering what you want
readers to get out of your writing can help you come up with a focus that both satisfies
your readers and satisfies you as a writer.
Tip #5: Try freewriting
Write for five minutes on a topic of your choice that you think could be worth
pursuing—your idea doesn’t have to be fully fleshed out. This can help you figure out
whether it’s worth putting more time into an idea or if it doesn’t really have any weight
to it. If you find that you don’t have much to say about a particular topic, you can switch
subjects halfway through writing, but this can be a good way to get your creative juices
flowing.
Tip #6: Draw a map of your ideas
While some students might prefer the more traditional list methods, for more visual
learners, sketching out a word map of ideas may be a useful method for brainstorming.
Write the main idea in a circle in the center of your page. Then, write smaller, related
ideas in bubbles further from the center of the page and connect them to your initial
idea using lines. This is a good way to break down big ideas and to figure out whether
they are worth writing about.
Tip #7: Enlist the help of others
Sometimes it can be difficult coming up with paper topics on your own, and family and
friends can prove to be valuable resources when developing ideas. Feel free to
brainstorm with another person (or in a group). Many hands make light work—and
some students work best when thinking through ideas out loud—so don’t be afraid to
ask others for advice when trying to come up with a paper topic.
Tip #8: Find the perfect brainstorming spot
Believe it or not, location can make a BIG difference when you’re trying to come up with
a paper topic. Working while watching TV is never a good idea, but you might want to
listen to music while doing work, or you might prefer to sit in a quiet study location.
Think about where you work best, and pick a spot where you feel that you can be
productive.
Tip #9: Play word games to help generate ideas
Whether you hate playing word games or think they’re a ton of fun, you might want to
try your hand at a quick round of Words With Friends or a game of Scrabble. These
games can help get your brain working, and sometimes ideas can be triggered by words
you see. Get a friend to play an old-fashioned board game with you, or try your hand at a
mobile app if you’re in a time crunch.
Tip #10: Take a break to let ideas sink in
Brainstorming is a great way to get all of your initial thoughts out there, but sometimes
you need a bit more time to process all of those ideas. Stand up and stretch—or even
take a walk around the block—and then look back on your list of ideas to see if you have
any new thoughts on them.
For many students, the most difficult process of paper writing is simply coming up with
an idea about what to write on. Don’t be afraid to get all of your ideas out there through
brainstorming, and remember that all ideas are valid. Take the time necessary to sort
through all of your ideas, using whatever method works best for you, and then get to
writing—but don’t be afraid to go back to the drawing board if a new inspiration strikes.
Finding the right psychology experiment idea can be a challenge, but as you can see
there are a lot of great ways to come up with inspiration. Once you have an idea in mind,
the next step is to learn more about how to conduct a psychology experiment.
Some psychology experiment ideas you might want to try:
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Do colors really impact moods? Conduct an investigation to see if the color blue
makes people feel calm, or if the color red leaves them feeling agitated.1
Can color cause physiological reactions? Perform an experiment to determine
whether certain colors cause a participant's blood pressure to rise or fall.
Can certain colors improve learning? Could the color of the paper used in a test or
assignment have an impact on academic performance? You may have heard
teachers or students claim that printing text on green paper helps students read
better, or that yellow paper helps students perform better on math exams.2
David R. Fordham and David C. Hayes. Worth repeating: paper color may have an effect on student performance.
Issues in Accounting Education. 2009;24(2):187-194. doi:10.2308/iace.2009.24.2.187
Design an experiment to see whether using a specific color of paper helps improve
students' scores on math exams.
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Can different types of music lead to different physiological responses? Measure the
heart rates of participants in response to various types of music to see if there is a
difference.
Does eating breakfast really help students do better in school? According to some,
eating breakfast can have a beneficial influence on school performance.3 One study
found that children who ate a healthy breakfast learned better and had more energy
than students who did not eat breakfast. Compare test scores of students who ate
breakfast to those who did not.
Do people who use the social media site Facebook exhibit signs of addiction?
Do action films cause people to eat more popcorn and candy during a movie?
How much information can people store in short-term memory? One classic
experiment suggests that people can store between five to nine items, but rehearsal
strategies such as chunking can significantly increase memorization and recall.4 A
simple word memorization experiment is an excellent and fairly easy psychology
science fair idea.
Do people rate individuals with perfectly symmetrical faces as more beautiful than
those with asymmetrical faces?
What is the Stroop Effect? The Stroop Effect is a phenomenon in which it is easier to
say the color of a word if it matches the semantic meaning of the word. For example,
if someone asked you to say the color of the word "Black" that was also printed in
black ink, it would be easier to say the correct color than if it were printed in green
ink. This fun experiment will be sure to impress.
Can smelling one thing while tasting another impact a person's ability to detect what
the food really is?
Are people really able to "feel like someone is watching" them?
How likely are people to conform to the opinions of a group? This conformity
experiment investigates the impact of group pressure on individual behavior.
Do creative people see optical illusions differently than more analytical people?
Does gender influence short-term memory? In this interesting experiment, you can
focus on a variety of research questions such as whether boys or girls are better at
remembering specific types of information.
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How likely are people to conform in groups? Imagine that you're in a math class and
the instructor asks a basic math question. What is 8 x 4? The teacher begins asking
individual students in the room for the answer. You are surprised when the first
student answers 27. Then the next student answers 27. And the next! When the
teacher finally comes to you, do you trust your own math skills and say 32? Or do
you go along with what the rest of the group seems to believe is the correct answer?
Try this experiment to see what percentage of people are likely to conform.
Could a person's taste in music offer hints about their personality? Previous
research has suggested that people who prefer certain styles of music tend to exhibit
similar personality traits.5
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There are plenty of other ways to come up with an experiment idea if none of the
above catch your attention. One of the most effective approaches is to start by
thinking about problems and situations from your own life. Think about the
things that interest you. During your time in psychology classes, you have
probably spent a little time wondering about the answers to various questions.
Are there any topics in particular that grab your interest? Pick two or three
major areas within psychology that interest you the most, and then make a list of
questions that you have about the topic. Any of these questions could potentially
serve as an experiment idea.
Find Psychology Experiment Ideas in Textbooks
What is the psychology behind 'panic' buying? Panic buying of food and
toilet paper forces a supermarket to cap ... limit on vegetables per customer, and has sparked
questions about social
The herd mentality of binge-buying petrol is symptomatic of a society in which people feel
little control over their lives
The logic of 'panic buying' - the crowd
Understanding Consumer Panic: a Sociological Perspective ...
Insecurities trigger panic buying drive The
psychology of blockades and stampedes is
highlighted by protests
Review the Literature on a Particular Topic
If you have a general idea about what topic you'd like to do an experiment on, then you
might want to spend a little time doing a brief literature review before you start
designing your experiment.
Visit your university library and find some of the best books and articles that cover your
particular topic. What research has already been done in this area? Are there any major
questions that still need to be answered? By tackling this step early, writing the
introduction to your lab report or research paper will be much easier later on.
Social Cognition
Social cognition is concerned with the processing, storage, and application of social
information. This research area is closely related to the field of cognitive psychology, a
research area focusing largely on the concept of schemas. Schemas are our general ideas
about the world, how things are, and how things work. These mental shortcuts allow us
to function without constantly stopping to interpret everything around us. We also
develop associations between related schemas, which plays an important role in the
thought process and social behavior.
Attitudes and Attitude Change
Another major research area in social psychology involves the study of attitudes. Social
psychologists are interested in the components of attitudes, how attitudes develop, and
how attitudes change.
Researchers have identified three core components of attitude: an effective component,
a behavioral component, and a cognitive component. Often referred to as the "ABCs of
attitude," these elements describe how we feel, behave, and understand.
Violence and Aggression
What causes violence and aggression? Social psychologists are interested in how and
why people engage in violence or act aggressively. Research in this area looks at
numerous factors that may cause aggression including social variables and media
influences. Researchers often look at the role social learning plays in producing
aggressive behaviors and actions.
Prosocial Behavior
Prosocial behavior is another major research area in social psychology. Prosocial
behaviors are those that involve helping and cooperating. Researchers often look at why
people help others, as well as why they sometimes refuse to help or cooperate. The
bystander effect is an example of a social phenomenon in the subject area.
Much of the research in this area was prompted by the murder of a young woman
named Kitty Genovese. This case captured national attention when reports revealed
that neighbors had witnessed her attack and murder, but failed to call the police for
help.
Research inspired by the Genovese case produced a great deal of information on
prosocial behavior and how and why people choose—or sometimes refuse—to help
others.
Prejudice and Discrimination
Prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes exist in any social group. Social psychologists
are interested in the origins, causes, and effects of these types of attitudes and social
categorizations. How does prejudice develop? Why are stereotypes maintained in the
face of contrary evidence? These are just a few of the questions social psychologists
seek to answer.
Self and Social Identity
Our perceptions of social identities and ourselves are another important research area
in social psychology. How do people come to know and understand themselves? How do
these self-perceptions affect our social interactions? Social psychologists are interested
in learning more about how this inner life influences our outer lives and social world.
Self-awareness, self-esteem, self-concept, and self-expression are just a few of the
factors that influence our social experience.
Group Behavior
The behavior of groups is one of the largest research areas in social psychology. Most
people realize that groups tend to behave differently than individuals. These group
behaviors are sometimes beneficial and positive, but they can also be detrimental and
negative. Social psychologists often look at topics such as group dynamics, leadership,
group decision making, conflicts, cooperation, and group influence.
Social Influence
Social psychologists are also interested in the role that social influence has on behavior
and decision making. Topics such as the psychology of persuasion, peer pressure,
conformity, and obedience are just a few of those studied in this area of social
psychology.
Research has helped reveal the power of social influence and has uncovered ways to
help people resist influence.
Interpersonal Relationships
Social relationships play a major role in shaping behavior, attitudes, feelings, and
thoughts. Social psychologists study how these interpersonal relationships affect people
by looking at the attachment, liking, love, and attraction. How close relationships affect
individuals, how important interpersonal relationships are, and what causes attraction
are just some of the areas social psychologists look at in-depth.
Social Psychology Field Overview