Research in Psychology

Your Opportunity to Explore a Question in Depth

Start your Research as an Undergraduate

Perhaps you have been working with a faculty member on his or her research and have an idea that might take the research in a new direction. Maybe you became interested in a particular topic when you were studying it in a class, and want to continue studying it in a hands-on way. You may even be a double major and are interested in a question that combines your Psychology or Neuroscience major and the other major.

Independent studies are opportunities for you to explore a question in depth. With the supervision of one of our faculty members, you design a study, collect data, analyze and interpret the data, and communicate your project in writing. Students who conduct independent studies are encouraged to share their projects at North Central’s annual Rall Symposium for Undergraduate Research, at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, or at conferences of professional organizations.

A Sample of Recent Independent Studies

  • Your Body Language: What Does It Tell Others?
  • Feminist Attitudes and Body Image: Influences on College Students’ Clothing Choices
  • The Hypocrite inside Us: Can Cognitive Dissonance be Used to Reduce Procrastination?
  • The Role of Perspective Taking and Gender in Rape Myth Acceptance (RMA)
  • Music, Stress, and Resilience
  • Anxiety and Religiosity: How Scriptures Influence State Anxiety
  • Attitudes Towards American English Speakers with Accents
  • Parent-Adolescent Relationships and Adolescent Self-Esteem in Northern Ireland
  • A Cross-Cultural Investigation of Stress and Outreach Programming Among American and Scottish Undergraduates and University Counselors
  • Using Experience Sampling Method (ESM) to Assess Cognitive and Affective Engagement of Youth Volunteers at a Children’s Museum
  • The Relationship Between Social Rhythm and Quality of Life in Individuals Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder
  • An Analysis of the Relationship Between Dieting Methods and Binge Eating in College Students
  • Dieting is Stressful!  An Investigation of the Relationship Between Dieting Methods and Stress Levels in College Students
  • Perceptual Fairness of Women in Power