Three Topic Questions You Should Have

Three Topic Questionsyou Should Have At Least Three Topics That You

Three Topic Questionsyou Should Have At Least Three Topics That You

Three Topic Questions You should have (at least) three topics that you would be interested in pursuing. Your homework is to start turning them into good, answerable, psychological questions, and we'll do that by making them more specific and more psychological. How we can do that is by fitting them into the framework for psychological thinking that I presented last week, with three levels (neuroscience, cognitive science, and social science) and three methods (development, abnormal, and individual differences) of psychological analysis. Here are some examples of topics that have been fit into this framework. Please include the level and method in parentheses after the question, so I can be sure what you're getting at. (Note: this is exactly how your homework should look) 1. How does drug use change the brain over time? (neuroscience, development) 2. Do better basketball players think differently than worse basketball players? (cognitive science, individual differences) 3. How does being transgender affect a person's ability to make friends? (social science, abnormal) Next, I'd like you to come up witha list of at least 5-10 keywords for each of your topics (meaning at least 15 total keywords--that's words, not phrases). The more keywords you have, the more you'll have to work with when we go to the library and start looking for articles, but 5 will be a good start for everyone.

Paper For Above instruction

The assignment requires formulating at least three specific, answerable psychological questions based on topics of personal interest, and then expanding each into keywords to facilitate research. To fulfill this task effectively, it is essential first to develop questions that are rooted in psychological frameworks, specifically situated within the three levels—neuroscience, cognitive science, and social science—and the three methods—development, abnormal, and individual differences. These categories help to narrow the scope and deepen the scientific relevance of each question.

For instance, starting with broad topics such as drug use, athletic performance, or gender identity provides a foundation, but transforming them into precise questions involves integrating psychological constructs and phenomena. An example question at the neuroscience and development level might be: “How does adolescent drug use impact neural circuitry involved in decision-making over time?” This question emphasizes brain changes (neuroscience) and developmental stages. At the cognitive science and individual differences level, a question like: “Are there cognitive differences between high-performing and low-performing athletes?” could be formulated. For social science and abnormal categories, a question such as: “How does transgender identity influence social integration and friendship formation?” fits well, highlighting social processes and atypical gender development.

Once the questions are established, the second part of the assignment involves generating a set of 5 to 10 keywords for each question. Keywords should include relevant terms, concepts, and variables that will facilitate effective literature searches. For the first example, keywords might include “neuroplasticity,” “adolescence,” “substance use,” “brain development,” “decision-making,” “dopamine,” “neural circuitry,” “addiction,” “prefrontal cortex,” and “long-term effects.” For the athlete cognition question, keywords could comprise “sport psychology,” “cognitive performance,” “athletic intelligence,” “reaction time,” “performance profiling,” “mental toughness,” “attention,” “brain function,” “motor skills,” and “skill acquisition.” Regarding transgender social interaction, keywords might include “gender identity,” “social belonging,” “friendship,” “transgender community,” “social perception,” “mental health,” “discrimination,” “social support,” “gender dysphoria,” and “adaptation.”

Through this methodical approach—crafting specific questions integrated into psychological frameworks and generating targeted keywords—you will facilitate focused research efforts. This process enhances understanding of complex psychological phenomena and supports the development of evidence-based insights grounded in rigorous scientific inquiry.

References

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