Click here for information about Graduation Honors in Psychology
Qualified psychology majors may apply for a year-long thesis program featuring advanced, original research. The program is developmental in that it seeks to offer intellectually curious students an intensive year-long experience of mentorship and collaboration. To be part of this program, students must be willing to invest considerable time and intellectual energy. Students interested in more general research experience are encouraged to, instead, speak with a professor about coordinating an Independent Research project. To be eligible for the Thesis Program, a student must be a Junior or Senior psychology major during the thesis year, and must have a psychology grade point average of 3.30 or better. Normally, students will have also completed PSY 103, 104 and at least one semester of PSY 270, PSY 970, or equivalent experience prior to beginning their thesis.
Thesis students develop, conduct and defend a sophisticated empirical or theoretical research project. The first semester of the thesis year is spent developing a comprehensive research proposal. Thesis students will present a brief oral defense of this proposal at the beginning of the second semester of their thesis year. During the second semester, students complete their research, generate a written thesis, and orally defend the project at a public presentation.
Thesis work is advised and evaluated by a Thesis Committee. The committee is composed of the student's primary thesis advisor, one other member of the psychology department and, if desired, a third committee member. (Thesis committee members are chosen by the student in collaboration with his or her primary thesis advisor.)
Note: If the thesis advisor judges the student's first semester work as insufficient or of poor quality, he or she is free to decline to continue advising the student for the second semester. In these instances, the student would need to either find another advisor, or discontinue the project.
Students in the thesis program are additionally expected to attend a monthly thesis seminar. This student-led seminar will be scheduled for dates and times suitable for all attendees. Students will be presenting their work as appropriate, and discussing problems and process with other thesis students. The goals of these seminar meetings include:
- providing a forum for peer-review of research
- highlighting the importance of collaboration in the research process and providing structural support for this collaboration
- encouraging students to fit their research into a broader context (e.g., methodological, cultural, disciplinary)
- enhancing students' ability to effectively communicate (formally and informally) their research questions and findings
How to Apply
Students who want to apply for the thesis program, should:
- E-mail the Department Chair and indicate their interest in the program, and provide a general topic area. This must be done no later than March 15 for a Fall-Spring thesis schedule or October 1st for Spring-Fall thesis schedule. This step is informational only, and you will not receive any additional information in reply to your email.
- Students must also submit a completed application to the Department Chair no later than April 15th for Fall-Spring schedules, and no later than November 15th for Spring-Fall schedules. Prior to submitting the application, each student must obtain agreement from a faculty member to be his or her thesis advisor. The application includes a 2-4 page topic paper (w/references), and a list of 10 additional references for future reading. See below for a link to the application, which provides detailed instructions.
Important Deadlines
Application Process
- Expression of Interest: due no later than March 15th for Fall-Spring thesis schedules and no later than October 1st for Spring-Fall schedules. Email your name and proposed topic area to the Department Chair.
- Submit Application: no later than April 15th for Fall-Spring thesis schedules and no later than November 15th for Spring-Fall schedules.
- Thesis advisor and student should select 1-2 members for the thesis committee no later than the end of the 4th week of classes.
- Complete proposal paper due to committee members no later than 2 weeks before the last day of classes.
- Brief oral defense of proposal - scheduled sometime in the first month of classes.
- Completed thesis due to committee members no later than the last day of classes.
- Oral defense (approx. 40 minute talk plus question/answer session) - scheduled to take place during finals week
Psychology Thesis Topics - Recent Examples
- The relationship among perceived discrimination, racial identity, and help-seeking beliefs (Erica Gross, 2009)
- A day in the life: The effects of emotional, situational, and musical factors on uses of music in everyday life (Ben Katz, 2009)
- Environmental value orientation and individualism-collectivism (Rachel Leavitt, 2009)
- Self-esteem, appearance contingencies of worth, and the relationship between identity status and disordered eating (Sarah Goldberg, 2009)
- A feminist redefinition: Reexamining fusion with the consideration of variation in lesbian gender identity (Kaitlin Merritt, 2009)
- White racial identity development and eating disordered behaviors (Karly Rodriguez, 2009)
- Minority influence: Persuasion, processing, and investment (Adam Hirsh, 2009)
- Perceptions of divorce among adolescents: A qualitative study (Elisa Vicari, 2008)
- Clinician diagnosis and attitudes toward Asperger's and Autistic Disorders (Carey Heller, 2007)
- Examining Heterosexuals' Interpersonal Judgments of Gay Men: Does The Media Promote a Prototypical Gay Man? (Thomas J. Prevete, 2007)
- Personality and Mood in Women (Kayla Boisvert, 2007)
- Arousal as a Mediator of Stereotype Threat (David "Zeke" Strober, 2007)
- Decreasing arousal decreases working memory systems (Paige Brookstein, 2007)
- The Impact of a Having a Sibling with a Disability on Perceived Parental Expectations for Academic Achievement and Perfectionism (GraceAnn Furnari, 2007)
- Does interpreting a stressful situation as a challenge or a threat affect the development of illusion of control and learned helplessness? (Camara Murphy, 2007)
- The Intergenerational Transmission of Divorce and Reasons for Divorce (Dawn Aniess, 2006)
- A new model: Gender role orientation as a predictor for who will engage in self-mutilation (Lori Singerman, 2006)
- Individual vs. Group Decision-making: Which leads mock jurors to centrally process expert witness testimony? (Nikki Dilks, 2006)
- Perceptions of the Experience and Expression of Anger: An Obstacle for the Creation of Anger Disorders? (Adam Nodiff, 2006)
- The New Bully: Indirect Aggression and Narcissism Among First Year College Women (Sophie Minis, 2006)
- Effect of the Diagnostic Label of Autism versus Asperger’s on College Students' Assessments of a Child Given This Label (Leah Berger, 2006)
- The perceived attraction toward men among the female relatives of gay men (Gina Forchelli, 2006)
- Sociocultural influences on HIV/AIDS vulnerability for specific populations: The formulation of culturally-adaptable prevention programs (Rachel Harris, 2005)
Graduation Honors in Psychology
Students seeking graduation honors in psychology must first be admitted to the Thesis Program and successfully develop a research proposal during the first semester of the thesis year. During the second semester, the thesis advisor may choose to nominate exceptional work for honors consideration. The thesis committee decides whether or not to grant honors at a meeting immediately following the student's oral defense. Please note that being nominated does not guarantee the conferral of psychology honors. Students must maintain a psychology G.P.A. of 3.70 or higher to qualify for departmental graduation honors.
