Different types of psychology for your research paper

The field of psychology covers a vast area of specialized study. Psychology journals and articles discuss different types of psychology, such as infant development and perinatal psychology or media psychology.

The many types of psychology. (Credit: all-about-psychology.com)

You can also discuss the exciting work of a forensic psychologist. Here are some good research paper topics on other types of psychology.

Infant psychology

One interesting field of psychology that would make a good term paper is perinatal clinical psychology. This type of psychology covers care during the prenatal and perinatal periods, the way the brains of infants develop from stimuli, emotional attachment, emotional investment of parents in their children, quality of nurturing and caregiving in the early weeks and months and risks for childhood development. Research has shown that during pregnancy, the mother and child exchange biochemical material that contributes to psychological communication through sensory exchanges. After birth, the baby’s first year is the most important for successful emotional development.

Childhood psychology researchers Loredana Cena and Antonio Imbasciati have written about this issue in “Perinatal Clinical Psychology: Parent-Child Interaction in Primary Care,” published in Journal of Prenatal & Perinatal Psychology & Health, December 2010. They explained, “In the first year of life, the child begins to internalize the context of relationships and this experience is transformed into a cognitive schema, which is called the ‘Internal Working Model.’ This refers to the internal representations of the child’s self, related to his parents.… Internal representations are also based on the quality of the interactions between the child and his parents.”

Media psychology

Another fascinating research paper topic, especially in this fast-paced, social media soaked world, is to discuss the new developments of media psychology, which covers the way people respond to, interact with and interpret media and the use of new technology. Media psychology combines the study of human behavior, cognition and emotions, along with media technology, content development and perceptions and response to new technology. The study of media psychology is necessary, say researchers, because technology permeates everything we do in life from school, work, leisure and communication. The field of media psychology is exciting because it changes as often as a new app or social media site is launched to the masses.

Pamela Rutledge, Ph.D., Director of the Media Psychology Research Center (MPRC) and instructor of media psychology and social media at University of California-Los Angeles Extension, explained the scope of media psychology in “What Is Media Psychology?” posted on the MPRC website. Members of the field:

• Help people adjust to technological progress’s increasingly rapid pace

• Hold journalists accountable to professional standards by reading research reports

• “Remind everyone that the experience of media technologies varies by person, culture, context, and what you are trying to achieve.”

Forensic psychology

With the popularly of crime and detective TV shows, all forms of forensics have become interesting subjects. Forensic psychology is used to prevent crime, discover criminals and punish wrongdoers. Forensic psychologists need to be knowledgeable in a variety of fields including clinical psychology, counseling, mental illness, causes of delinquency, law and the legal system and adequate correctional methods.

For a practical, recent example, the murders of prostitutes in Suffolk, England in 2006 was the work of a serial killer. Many experts were brought in on the case to try to paint a psychological picture of the perpetrator. Forensic psychologist Keith Ashcroft believed the killer was toying with the police and had a grudge against the police force. Criminologist Joseph Diaz thought the killer was a virgin and had a dominant mother. Glenn Wilson at the Institute of Psychiatry in London cautioned in “Forensic psychologists tackle UK serial killer,” written December 13, 2006, in Daily News, posted on New Scientist: “A psychological profile amounts to nothing more than a statistical probability and if police believe it is 100% accurate they run a very real risk of ignoring other evidence.”

For more information, check out Questia’s library on Other Types of Psychology.

What other different types of psychology would make good research paper topics?

Boycott against Israel is increasing

Therapists invited to meet in Israel
Last summer over 2,200 persons, including over 500 children, died in Israel's appalling assault on Gaza. We can only imagine the ongoing physical and psychological suffering of those who survived. Just one year on, the European Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapists (EABCT) has chosen Israel as the location for its 2015 annual conference.

Rather than help participants acknowledge the dire psychological consequences of the Occupation, the organisers invite overseas participants to regard Israel as a successful, vibrant, multicultural tourist destination.

Therapeutic work is an ethical practice that protects against the possibility of replicating or legitimising abusive power relations between unequal participants. While psychotherapists instinctively endorse efforts at conflict resolution through interpersonal contact, to promote 'dialogue' in the abstract shows a deplorable lack of attention to these principles.

The British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists passed a critical resolution on this issue at their 2014 AGM. The Palestine Union of Social Workers and Psychologists have also condemned the choice of venue. We therefore call on the EABCT to re-locate to another country or cancel this Conference. We hope that clinicians who are seriously considering whether or not to attend will reflect on the realities of life in Jerusalem, and ask themselves if attending such an event is consistent with their ethical responsibilities as mental health professionals.

Signed:

Yasser Abujamei, Executive Director, Gaza Community Mental Health Programme Palestine

Mary Adams, Psychoanalyst UK

Aida Alayarian, Refugee Therapy Centre UK

Jane Alderton, Clinical Psychologist UK

Mohamed Altawil, Founder Palestine Trauma Centre UK

Dr Shazad Amin, Consultant Psychiatrist UK

Ben Amponsah, MBACP (Accred), MBPsS Psychotherapist UK

Mahmoud Amro, Master in Community Mental Health Palestine

Murad Amro, Clinical Psychologist Palestine

Lene Meyer Andersen, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist UK

Riad Arar, Palestine Union of Social Workers and Psychologists Hebron Branch Palestine

Paul Atkinson, Psychotherapist Free Psychotherapy Network Alliance for Counselling and Psychotherapy UK

Richard Bagnall-Oakeley, Integrative Adult & Child Psychotherapist (UKCP Reg.) UK

Teresa Bailey M.A., Psychoanalytic Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, UKPMHN Steering Group UK

James Barrett, Psychotherapist Leamington Spa UK

Carol Beck, Counsellor UK

David Bell, Psychoanalyst, Consultant Psychiatrist UK

David Bell, Counsellor and Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist UK

Dr Jessica Benjamin, Psychoanalyst USA

Elizabeth Berger MD, Child Psychiatrist, New York USA

Susan Berry, UKCP Psychotherapist UK

David Black, Psychoanalyst UK

Jacqueline Blyth, ClynPsyD, Paediatric Psychologist ABPsS UK

Steven Botticelli, PhD., NYU Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis USA

Matthew Bowes, UKCP Registered Body Psychotherapist UK

Kerry Brookfield, RMN Community Psychiatric Nurse UK

George Bunting, Systemic Practitioner/Social Worker UK

Afshan Chaudary, Psychologist in Plinical Psychology, PgDip CBT UK

Miles Clapham, Child and Adolescent Consultant Psychiatrist, UK

Isabel Clarke, Consultant Clinical Psychologist. BABCP Accredited UK

Sophia Christie, Director Organisational Consulting at UKPrime Ltd, UK

Lorenzo Cionini, Professor of Clinical Psychology University of Florence Italy

Marie-Laure Colonna, Psychoanalyst France

Dr Jacqueline Conway, General Adult Psychiatrist UK

Sarah Cooke, Jungian Psychoanalyst (SAP/BPC) UK

Catherine Corker, Psychologist In Clinical Training, PgDip in CBT UK

Dr Anne Crowley, ClinPsyD. Cat. Therapist., C.Psychol. Principal Clinical Psychologist UK

Diane Cunningham, Psychotherapist UK

Dr Mike Crawford, Psychiatrist UK

Susannah Crump, Counsellor and Mindfulness Teacher UK

Dr Nadia Taysir Dabbagh, Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist PhD MRCPsych (UK) Dubai

Yasser ad-Dab'bagh, MD, FRCPC, FIPA, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Psychoanalyst Canada

Eileen Davidson, Psychosynthesis Psychotherapist UKCP (retired) UK

Nick Davis, Psychotherapist UK

Atie Dekker, RMD Dip, BSc in MH studies, PG Dip CBT, PDU nurse lead UK

Yvonne Deutsch, (MSW), Social Worker and Therapist Israel

Gary Duffield, MBChB MRCPsych Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist UK

Dr Victor Duhr, Child Psychiatrist France

Gina Dunstan, Psychotherapist UK

Christine van Duuren, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist and Specialty Doctor in Psychiatry / Psychotherapy UKPMHN Steering Group UK

Liz Edwards, Psychotherapist BACP UK

Luise Eichenbaum, The Women's Therapy Centre Institute, New York City USA

Irial Eno, MSc Researcher, (Mental Health of Palestinian Children) UK

Ruth Fallenbaum, Ph.D Psychologist USA

Juliana Farha, Psychotherapy Student UK

Jason Farmer, CBT Therapist, Early Intervention Team, UK

Dr Derek Farrell, Principal Lecturer in Psychology, BABCP Accredited CBT Therapist, EMDR Europe Accredited Senior Trainer and Consultant. President of Trauma Aid Europe UK

Angie Faust, B.Ed; M.Ed. Freelance Projects Co-ordinator

Nasreen Fazal-Short, ClinPsyD Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Director of Psychological Services UK

Jean Fisher PhD, Professor emeritus, Middlesex University UK

Dr Dene Fokias, AFBPS; Clin.Psy.D; Consultant Neuropsychologist, Accredited CBT Therapist UK

Benjamin Ford, CBT Therapist UK

Michael Foulkes, Consultant Family Psychotherapist (Retired) UK

Dr Rachel Fraser, Clinical Psychologist UK

Gemma Frisby, Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist PG Dip CBT, BSc hons UK

Harriet Gaze, Trainee Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist UK

Yoad Ghanadry-Hakim, Psychologist, PCC Jerusalem Palestine

Lynda Gilbert, B.A., PGCE, Adv.Dip.Couns., MBACP (Accred.) Psychodynamic Counsellor UK

John Gleisner, Retired Consultant Psychiatrist UK

Mayte Gómez, Ph.D. Counsellor, PCSR, Spain

Kathryn Goodman, Social Worker UK

Dr Hilary Grant, Consultant Forensic Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Clinical Director Youth Services UK

Peter James Gray, Systemic Family Therapist UK

Professor Colin Green, IMET2000 UK

Dr Sapna Gupta, MRCPsych Psychiatrist UK

Dr Suhaib Bin Bilal Hafi, MBBS, MRCPsych, MSc Consultant Psychiatrist UK

Mona Abu Hamda, Psy.D. Clinical Psychologist USA

Rasha Hammami, Psychotherapist UK

Dr Carl Harris, Consultant Clinical Psychologist UK

David Harrold, Chair of Trustees, Palestine Trauma Centre UK

Sarah Hawes, Primary Mental Health Worker (retired) UK

Irwin Z. Hoffman, Ph D, Psychologist Psychoanalyst USA

Nancy Caro Hollander Ph.D., Research Psychoanalyst USA

Amanda Hon, MA, (UKCP) Transpersonal Psychotherapist; Jungian Candidate (AJA) UK

Joel Hunter, RMN Community Psychiatric Nurse UK

Filomena Ianni, Body Psychotherapist (EABP) UK

David Ingleby, Emeritus Professor of Intercultural Psychology Utrecht University The Netherlands

Maria Iturri, Psychotherapist in private practice, UK

Dr Samah Jabr, Psychiatrist, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, Jerusalem Palestine

Chris Jackson, PHD ClinPsyD AFBPS Consultant Clinical Psychologist UK

Adib Jarrar, Dr. of Psychology, Clinical Psychologist, Organisational Development and Leadership Consultant, Ramallah and Paris

Charlotte Jarvis, M Psych Psych Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist UK

Salwa Jayyusi, Psychotherapist and Counsellor UK

Anne M Jones, Psychotherapist (BACP) School Counsellor UK

Sandy Juric, Psychotherapist, MSc UK

Joe Kai, Clinical Professor & Head of Primary Care School of Medicine University of Nottingham UK

Martin Kemp PhD, Psychoanalyst UKPMHN Steering Group UK

Fiona Kennedy, ClinPsyD Consultant Clinical Psychologist UK

Alan Kessedjian, ClinPsyD AFBPS Clinical Psychologist and Accredited CBT Therapist, Trainer and Supervisor UK

Fiona Kessedjian, RMN Community Psychiatric Nurse UK

Dr Hind Khalifeh, Consultant Psychiatrist, London

Dr Sobia Khan, Principal Clinical Psychologist, NHS and Freedom from Torture Charity UK

Dr Birgit Kleeberg, Consultant Adult Psychotherapist and Psychoanalyst UK

Dr. Elana Lakh, Jungian Art Psychotherapist. Jerusalem, Israel

Kieran Langan, Senior CBT Therapist UK

Phil Lapworth, Psychotherapist and author UK

Lynne Layton, Psychoanalyst Boston USA

Delia Lenzi, M.D., Ph. D. Neurologo, Psicoterapeuta Italy

Hilary Lester, Psychoanalyst, Society of Analytical Psychology UK

Julian Lousada, Psychoanalyst UK

Sissy Lykou, Psychotherapist and Senior Lecturer UK

Dr. Ian McCabe, Psychologist & Jungian Analyst Ireland

Glen Macklin, Accredited CBT Therapist, Senior Clinical Supervisor to the IAPT UK

Shaz Manir, CEO Amirah Foundation UK

Hannah Marsland, CBT therapist UK

Denise Marleyn, Psychotherapist UK

Dr François Martin-Vallas, MD, PhD, Psychiatrist, Psychoanalyst France

Dr Carola Mathers, MB BS MRCPSych, Jungian Analyst UK

Dr Dale Mathers Jungian Analyst, ACP UK

Gareth Megra, CBT therapist UK

Dr Aula Meki, Clinical Psychologist UK

Sheila Melzak, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist

Executive and Clinical Director Baobab Centre for Young Survivors in Exile UK

Sherri Meese Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist UK

François Mémier Psychiatrist, Psychoanalyst, President of Société Française de Psychologie Analytique (SFPA) France

Dr Maria Michail, Research Psychologist Senior Research Fellow Uni of Nottingham UK

Mariette Mignet, Psychoanalyst SFPA France

Beatrice Millar Psychotherapist UK

Dr Luke Mitcheson. D.Clin.Psych. UK

Leigh Morgan, Psychodynamic Psychotherapist UK

Ann Moriarty, PhD Clinical Psychologist UK

Khader Mubarak, Head of Counselling and Special Education, North Hebron

Mohammed Mukhaimar, MSc Psychotherapist, Founder of Sumud Palestine UK, UKPMHN Steering Group UK

Rana Nashashibi, Counseling Psychologist, Director Palestinian Counseling Center in the oPts Palestine

Rebecca Nawaz, Mental Health Occupational Therapist Birmingham UK

Mary Nielsen, MD Psychiatrist and Psychoanalyst St. Louis, Missouri USA

Sofia Noreen, Mental Health Nurse UK

Lucy Nuttall, UKCP Reg Psychotherapist UK

Anne O'Shea, CBT and EMDR therapist, PGDip CBT PGDip Counselling (Person Centred), Operational Lead, IAPT UK

Vera O'Shea MA in Therapeutic Methods, RMN, CQSW, Dip in Psychiatric Social Work, Dip in Counselling, AASW UK

Dr David Quinn, Consultant Clinical and Neuropsychologist, Head of Health Psychology UK

Tamara Qumseya, PhD candidate Centre for Applied Cross-cultural Research (CACR) School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington Wellington 6140, New Zealand

Eva Pattis, Psychotherapist Italy

Eliana Pinto M.A., Consultant Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist (Retired) UKPMHN Steering Group UK

Sue Platt, Psychotherapist UKCP

Stephen Portuges, PhD Psychologist & Psychoanalyst, USA

Issa Rabadi, Palestine Union of Social Workers and Psychologists Palestine

Claire Raguet, Clinical Psychologist, Psychoanalyst, France

David Raines, MSc Cognitive Behavioural Therapist

Nicola Reid, Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist UK

Dermot Reilly, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist UK

Sigrun Reilly, BACP Accredited Counsellor in private practice UK

Dr Brian Robinson, NHS psychiatrist (Retired) Milton Keynes, UK

Anna Rose MA, UKCP Integrative Psychotherapist (retired) UK

John Rose, CBT therapist UK

Cathy Rostas. Psychotherapist FPC, BACP UK

Sylvie Rouquette, Jungian Psychologist France

Andrew Samuels, Professor of Analytical Psychology, University of Essex. Chair, UK Council for Psychotherapy, 2009-2012 UK

Wasseem el Sarraj, Writer, researcher, mental health professional UK

Nicola Saunders, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist UKCP UK

Maggie Schaedel, Psychotherapist UK

Professor Lynne Segal, Birkbeck, Psychosocial Studies, University of London UK

Taregh Shaban, Postgrad Diploma CBT, Masters Psychoanalytic Studies, NHS CBT Therapist and Supervisor UK

Linda Shampan, UKCP Regd. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist UK

Alice Lowe Shaw, Ph.D. Psychoanalysis for Social Responsibility USA

Lara Sheehi, Psy.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist USA

Stephen Sheehi Sultan Qaboos bin Said Chair of Middle East Studies Asian and Middle East Studies Program College of William and Mary

Washington Hall, 219 Williamsburg VA 23185-8795 USA

Guy Shennan, M.A., Solution-Focused Brief Therapist UK

Nida Sharia Shuibat , Community Counsellor Palestine

Stephen Soldz, Director, Center for Research, Evaluation, and Program Development

Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis USA

Dr David Sperlinger, Clinical Psychologist Retired UK

Andrew Stevens, Clinical Psychologist, NHS Consultant, Director of CBT Programme, University of Birmingham UK

Dr Derek Summerfield, Hon Sen Lect, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, Univ of London UK

Dr Lynda Tait, PhD CPsychol MBPsS CSci UK

Luma Tarazi, CBT Therapist, Palestine Counselling Centre, Jerusalem Palestine

Eric Taylor, Counsellor UK

Jean Thompson Psychiatric Social Worker, Jungian Analyst (Retired) UK

Cathy Troupp, M.A., M. Psych. Psych., Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, UKPMHN Steering Group UK

Peter Trower, Professor of Clinical Psychology at Birmingham University School of Psychology UK

Peter Tucker, ClinPsyD Consultant Clinical Psychologist in Neuropsychology UK

Sahida Uddin, Social Worker UK

Isobel Urquhart, Free Psychotherapy Network UK

Alan G. Vaughan, Ph.D, JD Core faculty & Director of Jungian Studies, Saybrook University USA

Caterina Vezzoli, Analytical psychologist Italy

Dr Imran Waheed, MBChB MRCPsych, Consultant Psychiatrist and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, UK.

Helen Wake PgDip CBT UK

Dr Shamil Wanigaratne FBPsS Consultant Clinical Psychologist UK

Julie Ward, MEP, European Parliament Mental Health Ambassador UK

Martin Weegmann Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Group Analyst UK

Jeremy Weinstein, Psychotherapist UKCP/BACP, The Mental Health Charter (SWAN) UK

Bill White, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Clin.Psy.D, CPSYCHOL, AFBPsS UK

Kate White, Attachment-based Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist UK

Maria Cecilia White, BA Hons Mental Health RMN MSc Public Administration UK

Emma Wignall Senior PWP BSc Hons PG Cert. UK

David Williams, Mental Health Social Worker UK

Lisa Williams, CBT therapist, Team Lead, Kent UK

Ruth Williams, Jungian Analyst-Analytical Psychologist UK

Stefania Williams, Psychotherapist UK

Dr Sara Willott, PhD, ClinPsyd, Clinical Psychologist UK

Lynda Woodroffe, MA, UKCP, Psychotherapist, London. UK

Adrian Worrall, DOccPsy, researcher, UKPMHN Steering Group UK

Bernadette Wren, Consultant Clinical Psychologist UK

Salma Yaqoob, Psychotherapist UK

Heba Zaphiriou-Zarifi, Jungian Analyst UKCP, IAAP UK

Daher Zeidani, Social Worker Palestine

Dr Felicity de Zulueta, Emeritus Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy and Hon. Senior Lecturer in Traumatic Studies UK

How men and women process emotions differently

http://wapo.st/1xP1VG7 

How men and women process emotions differently http://wapo.st/1xP1VG7 

How men and women process emotions differently http://wapo.st/1xP1VG7 

Sample Size Calculator

This Sample Size Calculator is presented as a public service of Creative Research Systems survey software. You can use it to determine how many people you need to interview in order to get results that reflect the target population as precisely as needed. You can also find the level of precision you have in an existing sample.

Before using the sample size calculator, there are two terms that you need to know. These are:confidence interval and confidence level. If you are not familiar with these terms, click here. To learn more about the factors that affect the size of confidence intervals, click here.

Enter your choices in a calculator below to find the sample size you need or the confidence interval you have. Leave the Population box blank, if the population is very large or unknown.

Determine Sample Size Confidence Level: 95% 99% Confidence Interval: Population:           Sample size needed:

Find Confidence Interval Confidence Level: 95% 99% Sample Size: Population: Percentage:           Confidence Interval:

Sample Size Calculator Terms: Confidence Interval & Confidence Level

The confidence interval (also called margin of error) is the plus-or-minus figure usually reported in newspaper or television opinion poll results. For example, if you use a confidence interval of 4 and 47% percent of your sample picks an answer you can be "sure" that if you had asked the question of the entire relevant population between 43% (47-4) and 51% (47+4) would have picked that answer.

The confidence level tells you how sure you can be. It is expressed as a percentage and represents how often the true percentage of the population who would pick an answer lies within the confidence interval. The 95% confidence level means you can be 95% certain; the 99% confidence level means you can be 99% certain. Most researchers use the 95% confidence level.

When you put the confidence level and the confidence interval together, you can say that you are 95% sure that the true percentage of the population is between 43% and 51%. The wider the confidence interval you are willing to accept, the more certain you can be that the whole population answers would be within that range.

For example, if you asked a sample of 1000 people in a city which brand of cola they preferred, and 60% said Brand A, you can be very certain that between 40 and 80% of all the people in the city actually do prefer that brand, but you cannot be so sure that between 59 and 61% of the people in the city prefer the brand.

Factors that Affect Confidence Intervals

There are three factors that determine the size of the confidence interval for a given confidence level:

• Sample size
• Percentage
• Population size

Sample Size

The larger your sample size, the more sure you can be that their answers truly reflect the population. This indicates that for a given confidence level, the larger your sample size, the smaller your confidence interval. However, the relationship is not linear (i.e., doubling the sample size does not halve the confidence interval).

Percentage

Your accuracy also depends on the percentage of your sample that picks a particular answer. If 99% of your sample said "Yes" and 1% said "No," the chances of error are remote, irrespective of sample size. However, if the percentages are 51% and 49% the chances of error are much greater. It is easier to be sure of extreme answers than of middle-of-the-road ones.

When determining the sample size needed for a given level of accuracy you must use the worst case percentage (50%). You should also use this percentage if you want to determine a general level of accuracy for a sample you already have. To determine the confidence interval for a specific answer your sample has given, you can use the percentage picking that answer and get a smaller interval.

Population Size

How many people are there in the group your sample represents? This may be the number of people in a city you are studying, the number of people who buy new cars, etc. Often you may not know the exact population size. This is not a problem. The mathematics of probability proves the size of the population is irrelevant unless the size of the sample exceeds a few percent of the total population you are examining. This means that a sample of 500 people is equally useful in examining the opinions of a state of 15,000,000 as it would a city of 100,000. For this reason, The Survey System ignores the population size when it is "large" or unknown. Population size is only likely to be a factor when you work with a relatively small and known group of people (e.g., the members of an association).

The confidence interval calculations assume you have a genuine random sample of the relevant population. If your sample is not truly random, you cannot rely on the intervals. Non-random samples usually result from some flaw in the sampling procedure. An example of such a flaw is to only call people during the day and miss almost everyone who works. For most purposes, the non-working population cannot be assumed to accurately represent the entire (working and non-working) population.

Research Aids

Research Aids

• Sample Size Calculator
• Sample Size Formula
• Significance
• Survey Design
• Correlation

"Best Survey Software" TopTenReviewsselected The Survey System as the Best Survey Software of 2014. "The Survey System gains our highest marks for survey creation, analysis and administration methods, making it the best survey software in our ranking... This is the only product in our lineup that offers all features and tools we considered. For these reasons, The Survey System earns our TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award." Read More

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change up your routine with thes unconventional tips

Tips /byGinny Gaylor

Ever thought, “If only studying were easier?” All of us are looking for ways to work smarter, not harder, especially college students. But the trick is knowing ways to study that help you learn and retain the material. Read on for ten strange, yet effective, study tips that will have you excelling in class in no time.

WHAT’S YOUR LEARNING STYLE?

We all have a unique learning style. A way that helps us best take in and remember new information.“What’s the Top Learning Style in America? Hands-On Wins Hands Down, Survey Says” ByBrandpoint for St. Joseph News-Press on April 7, 2014, shared the results from a Harris Interactive poll conducted on behalf of Everest College.

Despite all the time we now spend online, the majority of Americans polled (52 percent) said that hands-on learning, where they had to actively participate, was the best way. While overall both sexes preferred hands-on learning, the majority of women actually found visual demonstrations more effective.

FIVE STRANGE STUDY TIPS

No matter what style of learning best suits you, shaking up your study routine with some strange, but effective ways to study may be just what you need to ace that class. Vanessa Lam posted some possibilities, which may or may not work, in “Five Strange Ways to Study” for survivingcollege.com on January 15, 2013. Her quirky suggestions for college students include:

1. Lying in different positions. Whether you lie on your stomach on a bench, on your side on the bed or floor, or some other odd way, you put the book in front of you and read.

2. Sitting in the library stacks. The idea is that by spending time amongst the stacks you might pick up information by osmosis from the other books around you.

3. Hanging upside down. Because the blood will rush to your head and make you smarter?

4. Playing the insult game. Try shouting insults at your study partner with tidbits of information slipped in. See how long you last without laughing.

5. Highlighting everything. If you have ever bought a used textbook you have probably seen this method in action, but it probably doesn’t help.

FIVE EFFECTIVE STUDY TIPS

While strange and silly study tips may be fun to read, they won’t necessarily help you work smarter, not harder. So what are some ways to study that actually work for college students? “Study techniques that work — and (surprisingly) don’t” by Valerie Strauss for The Washington Post on August 27, 2013, has some answers from a 2013 study published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest:

1. Elaborate interrogation—ask why to link new and previously-learned material.

2. Self-explanation—explain concepts in your own words.

3. Interleaved practice—mix up different materials in one study session.

4. Practice testing—take an actual practice test or quiz yourself with flashcards.

5. Distributed practice—divide material over several short study sessions.

WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER

BONUS TIPS: Any other study tips college students can mine to help them get ahead in class? “Five Unusual Ways to Start Working Smarter, Not Harder, Backed by Science” was posted by Belle Beth Cooper on February 18, 2014, for bufferapp.com with some job-related tips that work as well for school.

1. Take more breaks.

2. Take more naps.

3. Take more time outside.

4. Take time to move around.

5. Take time to check email first thing.

Want to learn more about learning styles and theories? Check out Questia—particularly the section on educational theory. 

Do you have some unique, but effective study tips that have helped you? Share them in the comments.