• Research: Topic Selection & Rubric: 
     Mr. Haberman - AP Psychology(Revised 2/14)
     
    You must select one topic from the list below on the first come, first serve bases, and complete an APA-style research paper once each semester. Only one student per topic and register the selection with the teacher. To insure that you get a topic of interest, highlight your top 5 research topics, in order.That way, if your top choice has already been selected by someone else in the class, you can move down the list.
     
    1. Addictions:which substance(s) most addicting?Which easiest/hardest to treat?
    2.Role of the environment in the development of personality.
    3. What do modern psychologists feel are the major weaknesses of Freud's psychoanalytic theories.
    4. Addiction: influences of genetics vs. peers/environment
    5. Anxiety:  Causes, Symptoms and Therapy
    6. Attachment Theory:relationship to parenting style & psychological health as an adult
    7. Research the literature on the psychological and physical benefits of laughter.
    8. The effects of the circadian rhythms on human beings.
    9. The effects of cognitive dissonance on behavior/values
    10. The Nightly Dream Cycle and Sleep Deprivation:impact on mental health
    11. The Validity of Psychological Tests:  how established?  Which tests more valid?  Less valid?
    12. Collectivist vs. Individualistic Cultures:impact on positive self-esteem/sense of self.
    13. Interpersonal Attraction:  causes, gender differences; is there an "ideal"?
    14. Gender differences and the Brain - separating actual differences from stereotypes
    15. Endorphins and Happiness:production, role, implications for mental health
    16. Learned Optimism/helplessness:how each come about; implications for mental health
    17. Genius: Criteria, Characteristics and Types.
    18. The Internet:  positive/negative effects on our psychological health
    19. How has Abraham Maslow's concept of self-actualization affected Psychology?
    20. Trace the Development of Humanism from 1950 till now. Review of the Literature
    21. Childhood Trauma:  impact on personality/role in personality disorders.
    22. Race and Intelligence: The Scientific View
    23. Possible Causes of Childhood Autism
    24. How is Intelligence Measured?Reasons for controversy/debate
    25. The Dual Roles of Genetics and Environment on Intelligence
    26. Inherited Behavior - The Latest Research
    27.Compare and Contrast the Learning Theories of B. F. Skinner and Jean Piaget
    28. Alzheimer's Disease:causes, treatment & role lifestyle plays
    29. Contact sports & degenerative brain disease
    30. Workplace stress:  environmental factors?Role of culture, of job type?
    31. Rational Emotive Theory:  development & modern uses
    32. Aging:changes to brain; implications, opportunities & challenges
    33. Theories of Forgetting - explanation & implications for better memory
    34. Does money buy happiness?Psychological health & socioeconomic status
    35. Theories of Intelligence (Spearman vs. Gardner):implications for schools
    36. The Theory of Persuasion - why works/doesn't work (psychology behind it)
    37. Bullying:causes, who gets bullied; what can parents/teachers do to stop it?
    38. The Effects of Over Crowding on Human Beings
    39. Subliminal Messages and How They can be Used to Influence Thought and Behavior
    40. Current Experiments in Thought Control
    41. The Psychological Effects of Torture
    42. The Psychological Effects of War
    43. How are Children Affected by War.
    44. The Theory of Memory Storage in the Human Brain:  is there a physical basis?  What happens to it?
    45. How to Motivate Children to Achieve
    46. The Function of Play in psychological health/well-being
    47. Reality Therapy:  origins, modern uses
    48. The Psychological Benefits of Pets & Pet Therapy
    49. Psychological Problems of Paraplegics
    50. The Emotional Effects of Solitary Confinement
    51. Behavior Patterns of Hyperactive Children - biological vs. environmental roots
    52. The Stages of Grief According to Elizabeth Kubler-Ross:implications for coping with loss
    53. Attractiveness & bias:are the attractive treated differently? (convictions, hiring, perceptions)
    54. Habits: How are they Formed and How They Can Be Changed?
    55. The Effects of Color on Mental States
    56. The Savant:  origins; contrast with normal intellectual functioning
    57. The Theory of Boredom:  mental/emotional determinants
    58. Managing Interpersonal Conflict:psychology of mediation
    59. Divorce:  causes, psychological impact
    60. Shyness in Adults:causes, consequences
    61. The Principles of Primal Therapy:  origins, modern uses
     
    62. How Children Develop Gender Identification
    63. Typical Mother-Daughter Conflicts in Modern America:causes, solutions
    64. The Psychological Aspects of Obesity
    65. The Psychological Profile of a Terrorist
    66. The Clinical Uses of Hypnosis - risks vs. benefits
    67. Significant Findings From Recent Research on Identical Twins
    68. The Psychological Profile of a Mercenary Soldier
    69. Abusers: A Profile - early psychological history of a future abuser
    70. Eating Disorders:why are they so resistant to treatment?Role of gender?Brain changes?
    71. Hate Crimes:impact on vicims & on communities
    72. Brain Damage and Behavior
    73. Dreams & dream interpretation:why they occur?are interpretations valid?
    74. The Limits of Artificial Intelligence
    75. Compare and Contrast the Training, Scope, and Functions of Psychiatrists and Psychologists.
    76. The Rorschach Test (ink blots): How is it Administered and Evaluated?
    77. The Psychological Problems of the Homeless.
    78.  How does social anxiety disorder effect the routine life of a person?
    79.  Cyber bullying:psychological impact and recommended responses
    80 .  ADHD:  Latest research and recommended treatment
    81.  The link between exercise and emotional health
    82  .Anger management:what makes psychological treatment effective?
    83  .Psychology of Flow:  implications for workplace satisfaction
    84  .Psychological characteristics of long-lasting marriages
    85.  Creativity and Intelligence:what makes kids creative, and is it measured by intelligence tests?
    86.  US Cultural and Marketing Trends:do they threaten children's physical and mental health?
    87  .Violence in the Media:  psychological effects on children
    88  .Tools of Sports Psychologists:  how they can also promote mental health in the workplace
    89.  Birth Order:  does it effect personality?  First-born vs. middle child vs. youngest?
    90.   Psychological profile of the serial killer:  what do they have in common - neurologically?  Personalities?  Family history?
    91.   Depersonalization/derealization Disorder:  causes, symptoms and treatment.
    92.  Antisocial Personality Disorder:  influences of nature vs. nurture; prominence in the criminal justice system
    93.  Brand New Mental Disorders:  describing the disorders first appearing in the DSM 5 - implications for psychology?
    94.  Brain Mapping:  dispelling myths & updating accuracy based on the newest maps.  What really happens where? 
    95.  Psychology Behind Attraction:  how marketing professionals influence consumer choices. 
    96. Key parenting strategies for raising children with healthy self-esteem.
    97. What is emotional intelligence and how does it relate to success and life satisfaction?
    98. The psychological benefits of forgiveness.
    99.  Optimism versus pessimism: impact on physical and psychological health.
    100. The psychopath's brain: is it structurally different from the normal brain?
    101. The most widely believed MYTHS in psychology.
    102. Do we inherit or create our personalities? A review of the evidence.
    103. The frequent selfie-taker: the social psychology behind social media use.
    104.  Near Death Experiences (NDE):  explain, explore how they are similar, and the psychological impact on those who experience them
    105.  Dissociative disorders:  causes, treatments and controversies
    106.  Psychotic disorders:  causes, treatment and challenges
    107.  Ekman's Theory of Emotions:  are emotions universal or learned?
    108.  Psychology of Diversity:  explaining the challenges from individual, institutional and cultural perspectives
    109.  Grit and Resiliency:  are they better predictors of academic success than IQ?
    110.  Online Therapy (Cybertherapy):  can it be effective?  Limitations?
    111.  The Psychology of Altruism:  don't the benefits contradict the definition?  Is it selfish?  Is it cooperation?
    112.  Causal Thinking/Attribution Error:  how does this relate to our beliefs, our superstitions, our evolution as thinking beings
    113.  The psychological risks of chronic health conditions in childhood and adolescence.
    114.  Music Therapy:  origins, effectiveness in treating psychological disorders
     
    Semester Research PaperAP Psychology – Mr. Haberman
     
    1st Semester:100 point project grade; 2nd Semester:scored as 25% of Final Exam
     
    GRADING RUBRIC:
     
    General Instructions
    Independent research allows each AP Psychology student the opportunity to explore a topic of personal interest, and delve into greater detail on the chosen topic than we would have time to cover as an entire class.Each paper (one per semester), to be submitted electronically, should be 3-4 pages typed, double-spaced with a font size of 12, not counting the cover page, abstract, and references page.Your research should include a minimum of 5 references, with at least 2 references coming from either books or professional journal articles.Your research papers are to be prepared in APA format, and as such should include:
     
    1.1” margins all around
    2.Title page centered horizontally and vertically
    3.Abstract – second page – a brief summary of your findings
    4.References within the document in APA format (NOT footnotes, but author and year in parenthesis).
    5.References page after the body of the report (not numbered, but alphabetical by author’s last name – see examples below)
     
    .APA Format for References (fictitious samples, to show you the format):
     
    For a professional journal article (as it would appear in the bibliography - alphabetically by author last name):
     
    Freud, S. (1933). The interpretation of dreams. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 5(2), 144-148.
     
    For a book: Erikson, E. (1958). Psychological and social development through the lifespan. (pp. 104-155). New York, NY: Hardcourt Brace.
     
    In-paper citations (using these two examples). 
    Paraphrase the information, ending with the citation: "For many adults, unresolved issues from childhood may show up in the latent content of their dreams, when interpreted from a psychoanalytic point of view (Freud, 1933).  In other cases, the difficulties may have more to do with their age and stage of development.  In later adulthood, conflicts may arise from career difficulties, and the feeling that it has become too late to make major life changes (Erikson, 1958)."
     
    Topic Selection
    Topics will be selected in class – only one student may select each topic. Your paper should address the following:
     
    1.Give a brief background of the subject or problem.
    2.Include a personal discussion of your thoughts, bias, feelings towards the subject or problem prior to the research you conducted.
    3.What types of research methods have been used to study this topic/problem?
    4.What is the significance of this topic/problem?Why is it important for people to understand?What areas of mental or physical health may it have an impact on?
    5.What is already known about this topic/problem?
    6.What were the limitations that effected your efforts to research this topic/problem?Are there things that currently limit what we know about this topic/problem?
    7.APPLICATION:how can your research be applied?  Address the various possible audiences:by psychologists?  By other mental health and/or medical professionals?  By individuals and/or families?  By institutions, governments or societies?
    8.Relevance:is your research important to work going on currently in the field of psychology?How?Be specific.
    9.Conclusions:what answers did your research provide for you?  What are the unanswered questions, and/or the areas where further research is needed?
     
    Grading (100 point project grade 1st semester; 25% of Final Exam 2nd semester)
    : APA Style & Format:4 points
    Grammar & Spelling:4 points
    Content (each element above):11 points
    References:6points/ 25 Total (25% of Final Exam)
Last Modified on February 19, 2019