This is an overview of the research proposal that will constitute 33% of your lab grade. We are always trying to improve your Research Methods experience and this proposal format is a result of an evolutionary process.

The proposal is supposed to be "original." That is, to the best of your knowledge, no one else has ever done this particular piece of research before. Your search of the literature will provide you with the background needed to choose both your topic and your research approach. You are proposing something that will expand our knowledge in some field of psychology or neuroscience (you must choose a topic appropriate to your major).  You can't be "original" by just being bizzare - you have to have a reason (literature supporting) for your original suggestion.  For example, if someone has examined a phenomenon in 15-17 year olds, you can't say - "Oh, I'll look at 18 year olds." without being able to refer to existing literature that suggests there is reason to expect differences between 15-17 versus 18 year olds.  You also can't go off in random directions that there is no literature to support, like "I want to know if Pez candies are effective antidepressants."  

Don't restrict yourself in the proposal you write. You won't actually be performing this research this semester, so dream a dream! Don't write as a "lowly" undergraduate, put yourself in the place of a professional in the field with the full complement of resources such a professional should have. We expect that researching, writing about, and publicly presenting this proposal will provide valuable learning experiences. Pick a topic that excites you. Have fun with this assignment. Explore an area of your chosen field that could become your niche.

Choosing your topic may come to you all of a sudden or in stages. Don't get stressed if you find yourself in the "stage mode." Your grade, and your enjoyment, do not depend upon how quickly you focus on a topic. You may change your mind three or four times before you commit. You may even change your mind after you "commit"--just like real life.

Note!! You can change topics as often as you like. If you change your topic, you will never have to repeat a previous assignment due to a later change in topic. If you want to change your topic, then by all means do so!

The proposal assignments that stretch across the first three weeks are meant to facilitate your choice process. In all likelihood, you have never been asked to do anything like this before. We know that, and we have tried to expose you to situations that will give you the greatest probability of finding a topic you can be comfortable with.

If something isn't clear or if you want to get some feedback on a issue you are thinking about, ask us. Don't go off into a corner and stew about something--talk to us.

We want you to consider choosing your topic with the help of text books from the courses you have taken. This is intended to encourage you to find a proposal topic in an area in which you already have some background. You are not "required" to choose a topic in this way, however. If you are burning with desire to research a particular topic--go for it. You will be responsible for doing more background reading than the average bear but the passion you bring to the topic should make light of this extra work. Something else you might consider is the kind of research you might be doing someday with faculty. Look in the Psychology Handbook at the research interests and publications of our faculty. You could start reading these and related articles as a starting point for your proposal topic; plan for the future.