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Interpersonal Relationships Research Topics

In interpersonal relationships, two participants are interdependent, where the behavior of each affects the outcomes of the other. Additionally, the individuals interact with each other in a series of interactions that are interrelated and affect each other. Individuals form many different kinds of relationships with other people, some of which are intimate and close (e.g., parent–child, spouse–spouse, friendships) and others which are not intimate and close (e.g., neighbor, teacher–student). Most of the research on interpersonal relationships has focused on those relationships that are close, intimate, and have high interdependence. In an influential book, Kelley and colleagues (1983) define a close relationship as one that is strong, frequent, and with diverse interdependence that lasts over a considerable period of time. In sociology, although the classic distinction between primary and secondary relationships has been expanded in the public realm (fleeting, routinized, quasi-primary, and intimate secondary relationships), these close relationships (as described above) also can be categorized as primary groups, which provide support and nurture and socialize individuals to the norms of society. Read more about  Interpersonal Relationships .

Interpersonal Relationships Research Topics:

• Close Relationships
• Communal Relationships
• Companionate Love
• Complementarity
• Dependence Regulation
• Empathic Accuracy
• Exchange Relationships
• Forgiveness
• Interpersonal Cognition
• Intimate Partner Violence
• Marital Satisfaction
• Matching Hypothesis
• Need to Belong
• Nonverbal Cues
• Propinquity
• Romantic Love
• Romantic Secrecy
• Sexual Desire
• Similarity-Attraction Effect
• Social Exclusion
• Social Support
• Social Value Orientation
• Transactive Memory
• Unrequited Love

Future Directions in Interpersonal Relationships Research

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Communication, the Heart of a Relationship: Examining Capitalization, Accommodation, and Self-Construal on Relationship Satisfaction

Priscilla maria de netto.

1 Department of Psychology, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Malaysia

Kia Fatt Quek

2 Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Malaysia

Karen Jennifer Golden

Associated data.

The raw data of this research will be made available by the corresponding authors upon request. Further enquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors.

The study of processes that enrich positive relationships has been an under-researched area within positive psychology practice. The way an individual responds during couple conflicts (accommodation response) and toward the disclosure of good news of a partner (capitalization response) has been linked to relationship quality. Although the accommodation and capitalization communication processes are part and parcel of our everyday lives, the two processes have been examined separately and dominated by the Western perspectives in past research. Prior work has suggested that Western and Asian cultures differ in expressing and perceiving beneficial communication behaviors. Yet, it is still unclear which accommodation and capitalization responses matter the most from an Asian lens. To date, there is no research examining these interconnected variables simultaneously in Asia, specifically in Malaysia. In this study, two forms of communication processes, namely, (1) accommodation and (2) capitalization, were explored concurrently to disentangle the unique associations and influence on relationship satisfaction. This study also sought to understand the moderating effects of culture in terms of interdependent self-construal on the link between these two communication processes and relationship satisfaction. Responses of 139 Malaysians in dating relationships between the age of 18 and 30 years ( M age = 23.15) were collected through online surveys. An active and constructive reaction was captured as the most favorable response through both the capitalization and accommodation processes. Prominently, an active-constructive capitalization response bore the strongest influence on relationship satisfaction above and beyond other responses. A passive and constructive response was revealed only fruitful for disclosures of positive news and not during conflicts. Conversely, in the destructive paradigm, passive-destructive responses were the most detrimental factor in relationships compared to other destructive responses. The results also uncovered that interdependent self-construal did not moderate the two forms of communication processes. However, the findings discovered unexpected individual and cultural variations. This pioneering study is a noteworthy addition to the positive psychology literature from an Asian standpoint. It highlights the significance of not only protecting relationships through better conflict management but also enriching relationships by capitalizing on the positive aspects across the lives of the couple, ultimately providing a greater holistic insight into cultivating flourishing lives.

Introduction

“ Man is by nature a social animal … Anyone who either cannot lead the common life or is so self-sufficient as not to need to, and therefore does not partake of society, is either a beast or a god .” –Aristotle

The long-asserted avowal of Aristotle is not an unfamiliar statement to society. As social beings, we are wired to connect (Lieberman, 2013 ), and our relationships are the essence of a happy and flourishing life (Valliant, 2002 , 2012 ). Lieberman ( 2013 ) unmasked that our need to connect is as fundamental as our need for food, water, and shelter. Neuroscientists discovered that our brain responds to social pain and pleasure in the same powerful way as to physical pain and pleasure (Eisenberger, 2012 ; Hsu et al., 2015 ). The fact that we are wired as such means that our physical, emotional, and mental well-being depends on the positive interpersonal relationships in our everyday lives (Fishbane, 2007 ; Luong et al., 2011 ). In particular, our romantic relationships, which are seen as a near-universal need across cultures and various ages, have a powerful influence on our well-being (Jankowiak and Fisher, 1992 ; Kansky, 2018 ; Fletcher et al., 2019 ).

Evidence also recognizes that the impact of the relationship of an individual on well-being is contingent on the cultural values, orientation, and norms of a person germane to the social and interaction context in which the relationship exists (Kim et al., 2008 ). In general, positive psychology research studies around the world have been largely based on Caucasian samples, and more research is recommended to explore diversity in the science of positive psychology (Rao and Donaldson, 2015 ). Yet, the influence of culture on specific patterns of positive interactions regarding the realm of dating relationships in Malaysia and throughout Asia is relatively untapped. Notably, there has been a gap with limited positive psychology research and practice in Malaysia (Hashim, 2013 ; Hendriks et al., 2019 ).

The way an individual responds during couple conflicts (accommodation response) (i.e., Rusbult et al., 1991 ; Crowley, 2006 ) and toward disclosure of good news by a partner (capitalization response) (i.e., Gable et al., 2004 , 2006 ) has been linked to relationship satisfaction and stability. More specifically, constructive accommodation and capitalization responses through couple conflicts and triumphs are associated with greater relationship well-being (Gable et al., 2004 ). Although the accommodation and capitalization communication processes are part and parcel of our everyday lives, these two processes have been examined separately and dominated by the Western perspectives in past research. Prior work has suggested that Western and Asian cultures differ in expressing and perceiving beneficial communication behaviors (e.g., Wang et al., 2010 ; Choi et al., 2019 ). Of concern, it is still unclear which accommodation and capitalization responses matter the most from an Asian lens thus far. To date, there is no research examining these interconnected variables simultaneously in Malaysia and across Asia. In this exploratory study, two forms of communication processes, accommodation, and capitalization were explored to disentangle the unique associations with relationship satisfaction, contributing to positive psychology insights for enriching relationships in an Asian context, specifically in Malaysia. Since Malaysia is a country with a melting pot of ethnicities and unique historical influences (Nagaraj et al., 2015 ; Park, 2015 ; The Malaysian Administrative Modernisation Management Planning Unit, 2016 ), this study may offer a different and novel positive psychology perspective to the constructs understudied. This study also sought to understand the moderating influence of culture in terms of self-construal on the link between these two communication processes and relationship satisfaction.

Literature Review

Romantic relationships, satisfaction, and communication.

There has been a great deal of literature examining overall relationship satisfaction and its consequences due to the considerable impact of romantic relationships on well-being (Karney and Bradbury, 1995 ; Bradbury et al., 2000 ; Dush and Amato, 2005 ; Fincham and Beach, 2010 ; Gomez-Lopez et al., 2019 ). When relationships are satisfying and fulfilling, couples are happier and healthier (Proulx et al., 2007 ), but when thwarted, other pillars of well-being can be jeopardized, such as mortality (Robles et al., 2014 ) and mental health, for example, increase in depression and anxiety symptoms (Snyder et al., 2005 ). Notably, the most prominent research on relationship satisfaction has been The Harvard University Adult Study of Development, the lengthiest longitudinal study in the positive psychology literature of the world with more than 80 years of research. This research called to the attention of audiences widespread regarding the importance of relationship satisfaction for flourishing lives as they found individuals in more satisfying marriages at age 50 had greater mental, emotional, and physical health at age 80 (Valliant, 2002 , 2012 ; Waldinger and Schulz, 2010 ; Waldinger et al., 2014 ). Hence, not surprisingly, couple satisfaction has been viewed as the gold standard for assessing interventions to alleviate relationship distress and sustain thriving relationships (Fincham et al., 2018 ).

Relationship satisfaction has often been referred to as the global relationship measure (Tam et al., 2011a ) and tends to be used interchangeably in the literature with terms such as relationship success, well-being, happiness, adjustment, and quality of a relationship (e.g., Vangelisti, 2004 ; Fincham and Rogge, 2010 ; Fincham et al., 2018 ). A satisfying relationship has been identified as a significant predictor of relationship well-being and longevity (Barnes et al., 2007 ; Ruffieux et al., 2014 ), yet it can feel like an unsolvable riddle to many couples. Given the strong predictive connection between relationship satisfaction and important life implications, it is critical to explore why some relationships lead to satisfaction and some fail? Why does a once loving and promising relationship break down over time? Interestingly, longitudinal (Karney and Bradbury, 1995 ; Gottman and Silver, 1999 ; Byers, 2005 ) and cross-sectional (Woodin, 2011 ) studies have unearthed that communication is pivotal in solving this riddle.

Communication has been found to be the bedrock or the “heart” in supporting and promoting relationship satisfaction (Gottman and Krokoff, 1989 ; Gottman and DeClaire, 2002 ; Markman et al., 2010 ; Hiew et al., 2016 ; Ogolsky et al., 2017 ), with recent findings linking satisfaction with constructive responses in conflicts (accommodation) and sharing of personal triumphs (capitalization). Within the Malaysian context, good communication has been reported as a core contributing factor to harnessing a happy and satisfying marriage (Abidin, 2019 ; Noor et al., 2019 ), thereby making a lack of effective communication and misunderstandings being one of the main reasons for relationship dissolutions (National Population Family Development Board Malaysia., 2016 ). On top of that, marital research experts have suggested that it is not the sheer frequency of positive to negative communication behaviors that influences the satisfaction of a couple, but the ratio of positive behaviors outweighing negative behaviors, 5:1, that leads to satisfaction (Gottman and Levenson, 1992 ; Gottman and Gottman, 2017 ). However, what is viewed as positive communication and rewarding in Western cultures may look different in Asian cultures.

Researchers over the years have argued that Western and Asian cultures differ in how they express and perceive beneficial communication behaviors (e.g., Wang et al., 2010 ; Williamson et al., 2012 ; Yum et al., 2015 ; Wang and Lau, 2018 ; Rajaei et al., 2019 ). Further, Finkle et al. ( 2017 ) have also surmised that favorable responses need to be tailored to the unique situational context of the couple and that responsiveness (i.e., showing understanding, care, and validation) would not be entirely universal to all circumstances. Thus, the maintenance of a satisfying relationship cannot be fully understood and appreciated without sufficient knowledge of the cultural underpinnings of communication in romantic relationships and specific situational contexts. While a few studies have examined certain variables and couple satisfaction in Malaysia (e.g., Hoesni et al., 2016 ; Abdullah et al., 2017 ; Abidin et al., 2018 ), knowledge about the psychology of positive communication processes through conflicts and triumphs and how culture impacts these interactional processes are rather oblique.

Communication and Self-Construal

An underlying assumption of this current research was that individuals who vary in culture in terms of self-construal also differ in the way they perceive beneficial responses of their partner. Culture influences the behavior of an individual indirectly through molding personality dispositions such as self-construal (Yum, 2004 ), and research has shown that the variations in communicative behaviors could be explained by considering self-construal (Markus and Kitayama, 1991 ). Self-construal signifies the culturally contingent beliefs, feelings, and actions of an individual related to the understanding of the self as associated to others, in terms of members of in-groups (interdependence; InterSC) or separate from others (independence; IndSc) (Markus and Kitayama, 1991 ; Cross et al., 2011 ). The dominant self-construal of an individual is fundamentally driven by an individualism-collectivism cultural environment (Triandis, 1995 ). Generally, Western cultures adopt individualistic values while Eastern cultures are described to hold collectivistic values (Hofstede, 2001 ). In individualistic societies, people lean toward developing an independent self (IndSc) and value unique feelings and ideas, where asserting personal desires, goals, and emotions are favorable (Markus and Kitayama, 1991 ). Contrarily, people in collectivistic societies tend to view the self as interdependent with values of relational harmony and are socialized to accommodate groups and subordination of personal desires (Morling et al., 2002 ).

While verbal expression and direct communication is common practice in IndSc dominant cultures (Kim and Markus, 2002 ), indirect and less expressive communication is preferred by InterSc cultures as verbalizing internal states may be seen as disruptive to group harmony (Kim and Sherman, 2007 ; Ma-Kellams and Blascovich, 2012 ). Therefore, people in Malaysia who are traditionally in a collectivist society (Hofstede, 2001 ; Ting and Ying, 2013 ) would presumably hold a more dominant InterSC and may use and prefer different communicative behaviors compared to individualistic societies. Evidently, Yum et al. ( 2015 ) found that Malaysians use less direct communication and self-disclosure to express their commitment and affection compared to Americans. Moreover, Malaysians place great weight on the collective well-being (Kennedy, 2002 ) and tend to practice caution and indirectness in daily communication (Bakar et al., 2007 , 2014 ). Thus, the Malaysian culture inhibits assertiveness and confrontational behaviors to maintain harmony within relationships (Kennedy, 2002 ). This knowledge suggests that the culture of an individual with respect to the dominant self-construal may impact the type of approach and how efficacious communication behaviors are anticipated to be. Thus, the positive association between active communication behaviors (e.g., positive verbal expression) and the negative association between passive communication behaviors (e.g., withdrawal from the conversation), with relationship satisfaction in Western societies, may not be universal to Asian societies, particularly in the Malaysian cultural atmosphere.

Communication Through Conflicts: Accommodation, Self-Construal, and Satisfaction

Unraveling the mystery surrounding the riddle of achieving satisfying relationships is even more perplexing when communicative behaviors may operate differently in a different context. A growing body of literature has examined communicative processes within conflictual contexts, namely, accommodative behaviors, which is described as inhibiting natural reflexes of reacting negatively to the transgressions of a partner and instead respond positively (Rusbult et al., 1991 ; Overall and Sibley, 2008 ; Overall et al., 2010 ). Irrespective of how compatible partners are in a relationship, conflict is inevitable (Rusbult et al., 1991 ), and all partners will occasionally behave in an unpleasant manner such as yelling or saying hurtful remarks (Yovetich and Rusbult, 1994 ; Kilpatrick et al., 2002 ; Crowley, 2006 ). To protect the quality of the romantic relationship in the long run, couples must override the urge to act destructively during conflicts, hence the term accommodation (Campbell and Staton, 2013 ). The accommodation model is measured along two dimensions and is differentiated into four types of responses: active-constructive (discussing problems and attempts to resolve the problem), passive-constructive (silently forgives and waits for things to improve), active-destructive (criticizing and threatening to leave the partner), and passive-destructive (ignoring the partner and problem) (Rusbult et al., 1982 , 1991 ; Overall et al., 2010 ).

Consider this example scenario in daily life where Liam raises his voice toward Camelia in a conversation after a long day at work. Camelia “bites the bullet” and reacts active-constructively or passive-constructively by either asking him whether he needs to talk about his day or calmly shrugging it off. Constructive responses, like that of Camelia, have been linked to better couple functioning in prior work (Rusbult et al., 1982 , 1991 ). To elaborate more, the pioneer study by Rusbult et al. ( 1991 ) revealed that responding in both an active or passive constructive manner during conflicts and toward the transgressions of a partner preserves relationship satisfaction and stability. However, a later study discovered that only active-constructive responses were associated to elevated feelings of closeness, value, relationship stability, and satisfaction (Overall et al., 2010 ). Conversely, passive-constructive responses did not produce the same benefits, were less noticed, and results were parallel to harmful implications of destructive responses (Overall et al., 2010 ). Such counterintuitive findings carry doubts and uncertainty surrounding the passive-constructive communication in conflicts within Western society. There is even greater ambiguity regarding these communicative behaviors in Asian society, whereupon the accommodation research is rather scarce.

When discussing problems, those with InterSc (i.e., Asian societies) have been typically associated with an indirect communication style (Gudykunst and Matsumoto, 1996 ), where the listener is expected to deduce the unexpressed meaning of the speaker through non-verbal cues (Ting-Toomey, 1999 ). In contrast, those with IndSc (i.e., Western societies) tend to disclose thoughts and feelings more explicitly (Ting-Toomey, 1999 ). Other empirical support exists in the view that members from Asian cultures deter from expressing distress as it may threaten relationship ties due to the possibility of burdening others or conflicts (Wang et al., 2010 ), which prompts them to oblige to others more (Oetzel and Ting-Toomey, 2003 ). Of the few studies regarding accommodation in Asia, the only exception in the literature examining self-construal in accommodative dilemmas is by Yum ( 2004 ) on 397 individuals from the United States, Hawaii, and Korea. Yum ( 2004 ) found that both IndSC and InterSC were inclined to respond in an active-constructive and passive-constructive manner in dating relationships, suggesting that accommodation may be a culturally universal behavior in dating relationships. However, those with InterSC enacted more passive-constructive communicative behaviors. Interestingly, Yum ( 2004 ) also found that some participants were bicultural (high in both InterSC and IndSC) and marginal (low in both InterSC and IndSC), with biculturals being better communicators compared to those with high InterSC. Yum ( 2004 ) explained that the disparities and new findings may be due to modernization, implying that behaviors of people are influenced by the degree of democratization, industrialization, and westernization within the environmental culture they live in. While a few studies in Malaysia have investigated couple communication tactics in conflicts (e.g., Tam et al., 2011b ; Abdullah et al., 2017 ), there is no literature focused directly on accommodation processes. It is also not yet known to what extent dating partners in Malaysia may perceive beneficial responses in managing conflicts. Henceforth, based on the findings and reasoning above, Malaysians may find both active and passive constructive accommodation responses as favorable reactions during conflicts, which would positively relate to their relationship satisfaction.

Communication Through the Good Times: Capitalization, Self-Construal, and Relationship Satisfaction

Similar desirable relationship outcomes exist for positive relational communication. A wealth of research has focused on negative relational processes such as conflict, problem solving, and criticism (e.g., Rusbult et al., 1991 ; Gottman, 1998 ; Johnson et al., 2005 ), while the positive relational processes have often been left to lie fallow. Recent work has finally stressed the advantages of the positive side of relationships (Gable et al., 2004 , 2006 ; Lambert et al., 2012 ; Pagani et al., 2020 ), providing a fresh positive psychology perspective of not only minimizing threat or lasting harm to satisfaction (i.e., conflict management) but also integrating relationship enhancement processes (i.e., positive communication, and responsiveness) (Ogolsky et al., 2017 ; Warren et al., 2017 ). In particular, the process of capitalization, which is a practice of communicating personal positive events to others (Langston, 1994 ; Gable et al., 2004 ), has begun to gain much attention and is a focus of this current study. This gap is noteworthy as past studies have established that individuals share more positive events with others daily, with an estimation of 60 to 80% more compared to negative events. Hence, showing that capitalization opportunities and positive events occur more often than negative events and conflicts in everyday life (Gable et al., 2004 ; Gable and Haidt, 2005 ; Gable and Reis, 2010 ). In fact, responses toward positive events were a better predictor for relationship well-being than responses toward negative events (Gable et al., 2006 ).

Happy events (e.g., a promotion, a great cup of coffee, and compliments from others) usually motivates social retelling of those positive circumstances (Peters et al., 2018 ). For example, when Camelia receives a promotion at work, she would be motivated to share this news with her partner Liam. Provided that the reaction of Liam to the good news of Camelia was responsive, the capitalization process can be contagious, benefiting both parties and would promote future capitalization attempts, positive responses, and lasting relationship well-being (Peters et al., 2018 ). Among the various ways of responding to positive events, Gable et al. ( 2004 ) adapted the accommodation model to four types of capitalization responses. Hence, constructive capitalization responses can either be active (showing interest and enthusiasm) or passive (understating the event), whereas destructive capitalization responses may be either active (criticizing and invalidating event) or passive (showing disinterest and ignoring the event) (Gable et al., 2004 , 2006 ). To provide more context, the first investigation of capitalization in dating couples found that only an active-constructive response of a partner had a positive correlation with relationship satisfaction while active-destructive, passive-destructive, and passive-constructive responses showed an opposite effect for relationship satisfaction (Gable et al., 2004 ). Other studies have also found an association between relationship satisfaction and enthusiastic responses to the triumphs of a partner (e.g., Logan and Cobb, 2013 , 2016 ; Woods et al., 2015 ), but are all skewed to the Western perspectives.

Of note, a favorable response in one culture may not look the same in another as cultural differences could facilitate or impede capitalization processes (Choi et al., 2019 ). Wang et al. ( 2010 ) documented that Asian-Americans utilized support and perceived support for positive events as less helpful than their European-American counterparts. This result may be due to East Asian cultures viewing humility as prosocial, whereas capitalization can be seen as an individual “showing off,” being boastful, and threatening harmony (Markus and Kitayama, 1991 ; Yamagishi, 2011 ; Choi et al., 2019 ). Nevertheless, considering that being understood and validated by other people is considered the quintessence of the interdependent self (Markus and Kitayama, 1994 ), supportive and constructive responses may still carry weight for East Asians (Choi et al., 2019 ). A less emotionally expressive response, such as a passive-constructive response, could allow people from a collective culture to capitalize and experience appropriate emotional support without being overzealous, which might make them feel uncomfortable (Taylor et al., 2007 ). Accordingly, research by Kim ( 2015 ) on cultural distinctions in capitalization responses between Asian-Americans (AAs) and European-Americans (EAs) revealed that there were no differences in InterSC and only marginal significant differences in IndSC between cultural groups. For a satisfying relationship, both cultural groups favored active-constructive responses the most, implying the global advantages of active-constructive responses. Moreover, AAs did not respond adversely to passive-constructive responses, presumably indicating that a passive-constructive response may not be a detrimental response for AAs. Currently, it is unclear if replicable findings will be seen for individuals who are in dating relationships in Malaysia. To our knowledge, there is no research identified examining capitalization and romantic relationships in Asia, but there was one research that utilized a Chinese translated capitalization scale within father-child relationships of college students in China (Guo et al., 2018 ). Guo et al. ( 2018 ) reported both active and passive responses of fathers were positively linked to the intrapersonal health and well-being of their children, whereas the reverse impact was found for the two destructive responses. Thus, based on prior empirical and theoretical work, it is fair to say that there could be possible differences between perceived favorable responses for capitalization processes in romantic relationships between the Western and Asian cultures.

Current Study

Taken together, these lines of studies suggest that relationship satisfaction is not governed by the simple occurrence of conflict or positive events in the lives of a couple but by the capability of the couple to communicate about those events effectively. As evident from prior literature, the communication processes of both accommodation and capitalization responses may vary across cultures. Each form of communication process provides an important piece to move closer to understanding the relationship satisfaction enigma. However, both accommodation and capitalization have been researched independently and dominated in Western countries, which creates a drawback in comprehending the full picture of relationship functioning in Asian countries. Correspondingly, self-construal is also seen to be a moderating influence on both accommodation and capitalization processes. To the best knowledge of the researchers, to date, there is no identified research investigating these variables simultaneously, and the only study found in peer-reviewed publications was by Gable et al. ( 2004 ). On the one hand, the researchers discovered that only responding in an active-constructive manner toward the capitalization attempts of a partner correlated positively with satisfaction, while the other three responses yielded opposite effects. On the other hand, Gable et al. ( 2004 ) uncovered that both active and passive constructive accommodation responses during conflicts were positively linked to satisfaction with good agreement to the initial findings of Rusbult et al. ( 1991 ). Thus, results suggest that these communicative behaviors may not be parallel to each other and may depend on the situational context.

However, Gable et al. ( 2004 ) did not examine any cultural aspects, and their results were weighted toward the Western perspective. Thus, this current study would be the first not merely in Malaysia but the overall literature to further deepen the results of Gable et al. ( 2004 ) on “good relationship behavior.” Herewith, this present study conducted both correlations and hierarchical analyses. At first, accommodation and capitalization responses were analyzed separately to examine how each response uniquely predicted satisfaction. Subsequently, both accommodation and capitalization were examined simultaneously in the regression model to ascertain which responses are better predictors of satisfaction. Using these methods would allow a better understanding of the unique effects of each accommodation and capitalization response on relationship satisfaction with the complements of culture. It is also the hope of this exploratory study to shed light on how the distinct culture of Malaysian young dating individuals influences their communication behaviors to augment thriving relationships, withal providing an Asian comparative data. Furthermore, most studies have researched on the self-evaluation of an individual to their own communication; though often, one is a very poor judge of one's own communicative behavior (Rusbult et al., 1991 ). Therefore, this present study would investigate how one perceives the accommodation and capitalization responses of their partner and how these perceptions relate to their overall relationship satisfaction.

With the limitations and dearth of literature, the present study aimed to bridge the gaps by exploring the relationship between the two communication processes, (1) accommodation and (2) capitalization, on relationship satisfaction in Malaysian young adults. This study also aimed to examine whether interdependent self-construal moderates and explains the differences in perceived communication behaviors, which in turn effects the level of relationship satisfaction. In broader terms, this research anticipated that active and passive constructive responses would positively predict satisfaction, whereas active and passive destructive responses would negatively predict satisfaction for both accommodation and capitalization processes. With greater depth, the following research questions and hypotheses are postulated:

• Research Question 1
• Hypothesis 1a (H1a) : Perceived active-constructive accommodation responses will positively predict relationship satisfaction.
• Hypothesis 1b (H1b) : Perceived passive-constructive accommodation responses will positively predict relationship satisfaction.
• Hypothesis 1c (H1c) : Perceived active-destructive accommodation responses will negatively predict relationship satisfaction.
• Hypothesis 1d (H1d) : Perceived passive-destructive accommodation responses will negatively predict relationship satisfaction.
• Hypothesis 1e (H1e) : Perceived active-constructive capitalization responses will positively predict relationship satisfaction.
• Hypothesis 1f (H1f) : Perceived passive-constructive capitalization responses will positively predict relationship satisfaction.
• Hypothesis 1g (H1g) : Perceived active-destructive capitalization responses will negatively predict relationship satisfaction.
• Hypothesis 1h (H1h) : Perceived passive-destructive capitalization responses will negatively predict relationship satisfaction.
• Research Question 2
• Hypothesis 2a (H2a) : As an exploratory hypothesis, interdependent self-construal will moderate the relationship between the four perceived accommodation responses and relationship satisfaction.
• Hypothesis 2b (H2b) : As an exploratory hypothesis, interdependent self-construal will moderate the relationship between the four perceived capitalization responses and relationship satisfaction.

Participants

Participants were 139 individuals (46 males, 93 females) recruited on a voluntary basis with online advertisements. A priori power analysis and F-test, linear multiple regression with a fixed model, and R 2 deviation from zero was calculated through the G * Power 3.1 software. The results demonstrated that the sample size was sufficient to detect a significant effect size with 80% power ( f 2 = 0.15, α = 0.05, two-tailed) (Faul et al., 2007 ). Eligibility criteria included the criteria for participants to be Malaysian, above 18 years old, fluent in English and in a romantic relationship for a minimum of 3 months. Initially, there were 179 participants, however, 40 participants were excluded as they did not meet the required criteria for the survey (e.g., minimum 3 months of relationship length) and possibly due to the length of the survey and lack of compensation and token of appreciation. Participants ranged from 18 to 30 years of age ( M = 23.15, SD = 2.42) and age of partners ranged from 18 to 35 years old ( M = 23.93, SD = 3.39). The average romantic relationship length of participants was 2.73 years ( SD = 2.34). Other demographic information of participants is summarized in Table 1 .

Participant demographics ( N = 139).

Subsequent to approval of the study from the Human Research Ethics Committee of the university (MUHREC, Project Number 10606), the study was advertised online through voluntary and snowballing, non-probability sampling methods from December 2017 to January 2018. Numerous organizations and online mediums such as forums, discussion groups, non-governmental organizations, and health and education professionals were approached to advertise the research widely and recruit participants to promote sample diversity. Efforts were also made to foster inclusivity in several manners, for instance, by recruiting participants of different genders, relationship lengths, sexualities, and ethnicities. Additionally, participants were recruited on a voluntary basis instead of providing compensation for taking part in the study to minimize biases.

Participants were given an explanatory statement comprising the aim of the research, confidentiality and the anonymity of information collected. The explanatory statement also stated the rights of participants to withdraw from the study at any time before submitting their responses anonymously. Participants who voluntarily agreed to participate with consent implied, completed the research survey online through the Qualtrics site of the university. The research survey encompassed demographic background, relationship satisfaction, capitalization, accommodation, and self-construal questions. The duration time to complete the survey was ~30 min. Data of each participant was then merged into one data file and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0 software.

Exploratory cross-sectional research was conducted as an observation of variables at a single point of time. There were:

• Active-constructive accommodation
• Passive-constructive accommodation
• Active-destructive accommodation
• Passive-destructive accommodation
• Active-constructive capitalization
• Passive-constructive capitalization
• Active-destructive capitalization
• Passive-destructive capitalization
• Interdependent self-construal
• Relationship satisfaction

Assessment Tools

Relationship satisfaction measure.

The Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI-16) has 16 items and measures the level of relationship satisfaction of an individual (Funk and Rogge, 2007 ). The CSI-16 has a variety of questions, all with a 5-point Likert-type scale (Funk and Rogge, 2007 ). The scores are calculated by tallying up the total points of the items, which can range between 0 and 81 (Funk and Rogge, 2007 ). Scores below 51.5 suggest distress in the relationship (Funk and Rogge, 2007 ). The CSI-16 showed high reliability with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.94 for both genders in European, Asian, and American cultures (Graham et al., 2011 ; Lee, 2013 ). It also showed strong convergent, construct validity, and greater power in recognizing different levels of satisfaction compared to other measures (Funk and Rogge, 2007 ). The Cronbach alpha for the overall scale in this present study was 0.95.

Capitalization Measure

The perceived responses to capitalization attempts (PRCA) scale consists of 12-items measuring the perceptions of the responses of a partner when shared with a positive event (Gable et al., 2004 ). The scale consists of three questions of each response type and are computed by tallying up each subscale, namely, active-constructive (3 items; e.g., “ My partner usually reacts to my good fortune enthusiastically .”), passive-constructive (3 items; e.g., “ My partner tries not to make a big deal out of it, but is happy for me .”), active-destructive (3 items; e.g., “ My partner often finds a problem with it .”), and passive-destructive (3 items; e.g., “ My partner doesn't pay much attention to me .”) responses (Gable et al., 2006 ). Participants rate each item using the line, “When I tell my partner about something good that has happened to me...”, using a 7-point scale from 1 ( not at all true ) to 7 ( very true ). PRCA demonstrated good reliability with men (α = 0.84) and women (α = 0.81) (Gable et al., 2006 ). Reliability analyses for this present study revealed an acceptable coefficient for the items devised to measure active-constructive (α = 0.61), passive-constructive (α = 0.65), active-destructive (α = 0.72), and passive destructive (α = 0.82), respectively.

Accommodation Measure

The accommodation scale is a 16-item measure that evaluates four perceived responses of a partner for each category: active-constructive (e.g., “ When I am rude to my partner, he/she tries to resolve the situation and improve conditions .”), passive-constructive (e.g., “ When I do something thoughtless, my partner patiently waits for things to improve .”), active-destructive (e.g., “ When I say something really mean, my partner threatens to leave me .”), and passive-destructive (e.g., “ When I do something thoughtless, my partner avoids dealing with the situation .”) to an individual's own adverse behavior (Rusbult et al., 1991 ). Items are scored on a 9-point Likert scale from 1 ( never does this ) to 9 ( constantly does this ). Total scores are calculated by totaling the four items of each subscale to gain the totals of each active-constructive, passive-constructive, active-destructive, and passive destructive responses (Gable et al., 2004 ). High reliability was shown with Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.83) (Crowley, 2006 ). Reliability for each item for this present study was also acceptable with active-constructive (α = 0.88), passive-constructive (α = 0.78), active-destructive (α = 0.73) and passive-destructive (α = 0.61), respectively.

Self-Construal Measure

The Singelis Self-Construal Scale (SCS) assesses the interdependent and independent self-construal of an individual (Singelis, 1994 ). The 30-item SCS has 15 interdependent and 15 independent items each. These 30 items are measured on a 7-point Likert scale from 1 ( strongly disagree ) to 7 ( strongly agree ). Responses on each subscale are averaged to obtain interdependent and independent scores separately with greater scores signifying greater self-construal (Hardin et al., 2004 ). A range of 0.60–0.73 Cronbach alpha reliabilities were found in Malaysia (Miramontes, 2011 ). Reliability coefficients in this present study were high for interdependent and independent self-construal with 0.83 and 0.76, respectively.

Data Analysis

All data collected were analyzed descriptively through SPSS. Data cleaning was performed to check for outliers and missing values. Hierarchical multiple regression and moderation were conducted following discussion with statistical consultants knowledgeable about cross-cultural social psychology research. The assumptions for hierarchical multiple regression and moderation were assessed. After preliminary correlations were conducted, hierarchical multiple regressions were run to examine how capitalization and accommodation responses explain the variances in the relationship satisfaction score. Lastly, moderation analyses were run to assess whether interdependent self-construal moderates the relationship between the capitalization and accommodation responses and relationship satisfaction.

Given the theoretical and exploratory nature of this research, formal sensitivity analyses were not conducted as there was limited comparative data and models to compare the results. In preliminary analyses, the researchers have explored the results by entering only significant accommodation and capitalization responses from the correlations to the hierarchical regression and found little change in the R 2 compared to the current findings with all eight responses in the model. These results may be due to the additional responses not indicating a substantial predictive value, in which the rationales have been explained in the discussion section. Additionally, the researchers have inspected the results by changing the order of the input stages for the hierarchical regression, and similar results were demonstrated.

Assumption tests were run prior to inferential analysis. Missing values analysis found missing data and these participants were omitted from further analysis. A 22.3% rate of non-participation was discovered due to participants not meeting the requirements of the research survey. Two univariate outliers were identified for passive-destructive capitalization based on the criteria of z-score ± 3.29 and were winsorized (Field, 2013 ). Normality analysis revealed that multiple variables violated normality; however, based on the central limit theorem, the sample size was deemed adequately large to assume normality (Field, 2013 ). Assumptions of multicollinearity and singularity were assumed to be met, established upon the criteria of Tolerance not lower than 2 and VIF not >10 (Field, 2013 ). Lastly, visual inspections of residual scatter plots showed that data were both linearly distributed and homoscedastic.

Table 2 presents the descriptive statistics of the full sample ( N = 139). Despite targeted efforts to include both genders, it is also important to note that this sample had a higher percentage of female to male participants (66.9–33.1%). Additionally, the cut-off score for relationship satisfaction is 51.5 whereby anything below this score suggests notable relationship dissatisfaction (Funk and Rogge, 2007 ). 73.4% of participants were above this cut-off score signifying that most participants in this sample are in relatively satisfied relationships.

Descriptive statistics of all main variables.

The Relationship Between Perceived Accommodation and Capitalization Responses on Relationship Satisfaction

Bivariate correlations were conducted for the accommodation and capitalization variables with relationship satisfaction, shown in Table 3 . The examination of correlation between perceived accommodative responses and relationship satisfaction showed that there was a positive correlation between Active-constructive accommodation responses and relationship satisfaction ( r = 0.39, p < 0.001). The Passive-constructive accommodation responses had a r = 0.14, p = 0.056. Both Active-destructive ( r = −0.36, p < 0.001) and Passive-destructive ( r = −0.40, p < 0.001) accommodation responses had a negative correlation with relationship satisfaction. Thus, in this preliminary analysis, out of the four accommodation responses, only three responses (active-constructive, active-destructive, and passive-destructive) appeared to have a significant association with satisfaction.

Correlations for accommodation and capitalization responses with relationship satisfaction.

Correlations for perceived capitalization responses and relationship satisfaction revealed that only two responses, Active-constructive and Passive-destructive capitalization responses indicated a significant link to satisfaction. Active-constructive responses ( r = 0.44, p < 0.001) and Passive-constructive responses ( r = 0.02, p = 0.429) had a positive correlation with relationship satisfaction. Both passive-destructive responses ( r = −0.39, p < 0.001) and active-destructive responses ( r = −0.13, p = 0.060) had an inverse association with relationship satisfaction. Moreover, correlations between accommodation and capitalization were assessed and revealed the strength of association ranging from 0.01 to 0.52.

Addressing research question and hypotheses 1, hierarchical multiple regression analyses were performed to further investigate the directionality of the eight accommodation and capitalization communicative responses and determine which of those communication variables uniquely contributed to the prediction of relationship satisfaction. At first, accommodation and capitalization responses were analyzed separately to examine how each response uniquely predicted satisfaction. Subsequently, both accommodation and capitalization were examined simultaneously in the regression model to ascertain which responses were better predictors of satisfaction. In order to accurately examine their unique influence of relationship satisfaction, demographic variables of age, gender, and relationship length which may have effects on relationship satisfaction were controlled by entering them first in stage one of all the hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Gender was held constant because the ratio of female to male participants was larger.

The first hierarchical regression executed was on the four accommodation responses as predictors and relationship satisfaction as the outcome variable (see Table 4 ). As aforementioned, in stage 1, gender, age, and relationship length were entered and did not contribute significantly to relationship satisfaction, F (3,127) = 1.67, p = 0.176, only accounting for a difference of 0–3.8% in the variability of relationship satisfaction. Next, Active-constructive accommodation, Passive-constructive accommodation, Active-destructive accommodation, and Passive-destructive accommodation were entered in stage 2, which suggested an increase in predictive capacity of relationship satisfaction by 26.3%, F (4,123) = 7.56, p < 0.001. A large effect size, Cohen's f 2 = 0.38 was demonstrated between the set of predictors in stage 1 and stage 2 (Cohen, 1988 ). Among the four accommodation responses, only two responses, Active-constructive and Passive-destructive accommodation, emerged as unique predictors of satisfaction, with Active-constructive accommodation [β = 0.34, 95% CI (0.19, 0.87), p < 0.05] recording a stronger relationship with satisfaction compared to Passive-destructive accommodation [β = −0.24, 95% CI (−0.87, −0.09), p < 0.05]. In contrast, Passive-constructive accommodation [β = −0.05, 95% CI (−0.42, 0.25), p = 0.617] and Active-destructive accommodation [β = −0.15, 95% CI (−0.65, 0.07), p = 0.118] revealed to have less predictive value toward relationship satisfaction.

Accommodation responses as predictors of relationship satisfaction.

The second hierarchical regression model explored the unique association of the four capitalization responses on relationship satisfaction (see Table 5 ). Similarly, age, gender, and relationship satisfaction were entered in stage 1 [ R 2 = 0.03, F (3,135) = 1.44, p = 0.234]. Introducing the Active-constructive capitalization, Passive-constructive capitalization, Active-destructive capitalization, and Passive-destructive capitalization responses to stage 2 explained an additional 24.3% of variability of relationship satisfaction, significantly increasing the predictive capacity of relationship satisfaction, F (4, 131) = 7.05, p < 0.001. A Cohen f 2 = 0.33 value was found, signifying a moderate effect size between the set of predictors in stage 1 and stage 2 (Cohen, 1988 ). Both constructive responses showed contributing value in predicting relationship satisfaction, with Active-constructive capitalization [β = 0.33, 95% CI (0.52, 1.65), p < 0.001] demonstrating a stronger relationship than Passive-constructive capitalization [β = 0.17, 95% CI (0.00, 0.92), p < 0.05]. For the two destructive responses, Active-destructive capitalization [β = −0.04, 95% CI (−0.66, 0.41), p = 0.648] displayed low predictive capacity for satisfaction, while Passive-destructive capitalization [β = −0.25, 95% CI (−1.42, −0.16), p < 0.05] indicated strong predictive value toward relationship satisfaction.

Capitalization responses as predictors of relationship satisfaction.

Independently, accommodation and capitalization demonstrated to contribute to relationship satisfaction. However, the next part of the analysis was to explore all eight accommodation and capitalization responses simultaneously. Analogous to the two previous regression models, gender, age, and relationship length were entered in stage 1 and appeared non-significant with R 2 = 0.3, F (3,127) = 1.67, p = 0.176. Introducing the four accommodation responses to stage 2 explained an additional 26.3% of variation in satisfaction, F (4,123) = 7.55, p < 0.001, and a large effect size of Cohen f 2 = 0.38 was found between stage 1 and stage 2 (Cohen, 1988 ). Finally, adding the four capitalization responses to the regression model explained an additional 5.6% of variation in satisfaction and this change in R 2 was also significant with F (4,119) = 6.01, p < 0.001. The effect size between the set of predictors of stage 2 and stage 3 was small, Cohen f 2 = 0.09 (Cohen, 1988 ). It can be seen in Table 6 that when all eight accommodation and capitalization responses were measured simultaneously as predictors of relationship satisfaction in stage 3, merely an active-constructive capitalization response was found as a strong incremental predictor to relationship satisfaction with β = 0.25, 95% CI (0.18, 1.4), p < 0.05. A marginal positive predictive value was found for the active-constructive accommodation β = 0.22, 95% CI (−0.00, 0.71), p = 0.054. The rest of the accommodation and capitalization responses were found to provide minimal contribution, suggesting less predictive value for satisfaction.

Accommodation and capitalization responses as predictors of relationship satisfaction.

The communication responses were entered in this order given that accommodation is a more well-known process as a contributor to relationship satisfaction than capitalization, which is a rather new concept in research. However, the researchers did extra analyses to confirm the results with changing the order of the stages and entering the capitalization responses in stage 2 and accommodation responses in stage 3 and found the same results where Active-constructive capitalization was revealed as the strongest predictor of relationship satisfaction, indicating that this response is the most important predictor of satisfaction.

The Moderating Effects of Self-Construal on the Relationship Between Perceived Accommodation and Capitalization Responses and Relationship Satisfaction

To test research questions and hypotheses 2, moderation analyses were performed. Firstly, moderation analyses of interdependent self-construal as a moderator for both accommodation and capitalization communicative responses on relationship satisfaction were conducted. As shown in Table 7 , the interaction effects between each of the accommodation responses and interdependent self-construal were Active-constructive accommodation [β = −0.06, 95% CI (−0.39, 0.27), t = −0.38, p = 0.704], Passive-constructive accommodation [β = 0.01, 95% CI (−0.33, 0.36), t = 0.08, p = 0.938], Active-destructive accommodation [β = 0.21, 95% CI (−0.21, 0.63), t = 1.00, p = 0.319], and Passive-destructive accommodation [β = 0.05, 95% CI (−0.39, 0.49), t = 0.24, p = 0.812]. These findings suggested that the relationships between accommodation and relationship satisfaction were not moderated by interdependent self-construal.

Moderation of interdependent self-construal for accommodation and capitalization reponses and relationship satisfaction.

Similar results were revealed for the capitalization responses. Active-constructive capitalization [β = 0.26, 95% CI (−0.41, 0.94), t = 0.77, p = 0.444], Passive-constructive capitalization [β = −0.04, 95% CI (−0.68, 0.61), t = −0.11, p = 0.912], Active-destructive capitalization [β = 0.49, 95% CI (−0.13, 1.11), t = 1.57, p = 0.119], and Passive-destructive capitalization [β = 0.49, 95% CI (−0.03, 1.10), t = 0.1.89, p = 0.62] responses showed that interdependent self-construal did not moderate and explain the relationship between these communication responses and relationship satisfaction.

Although not initially planned in the hypotheses, further exploratory moderation analyses were conducted to broaden the understanding of this current sample and results. Intriguingly, in contrast, independent self-construal appeared to moderate the relationship between active-destructive capitalization [β = 0.64, 95% CI (−0.04, 1.24), t = 2.12, p < 0.05] and passive-destructive capitalization [β = 0.71, 95% CI (−0.19, 1.29), t = 2.68, p < 0.05] responses with relationship satisfaction. The rest of the accommodation and capitalization responses on relationship satisfaction indicated no moderating effects by independent self-construal (see Table 8 ).

Moderation of independent self-construal for accommodation and capitalization reponses and relationship satisfaction.

Hence, the interaction effect of both perceived accommodation and capitalization responses with interdependent self-construal did not moderate and predict relationship satisfaction. The only interacting moderation effects found were between independent self-construal and Active-destructive capitalization and Passive-destructive capitalization responses, which were beyond the scope of this study. Nevertheless, the possibilities of these results will be considered in the discussion section.

Negative communicative behaviors in romantic relationships, such as accommodation in conflicts, have received ample attention in past studies. On the flip side, positive communicative behaviors such as capitalization exchanges toward positive events have been largely overlooked and have not received as much vigor as negative interactional research (Gable et al., 2004 , 2012 ; Smith and Reis, 2012 ). This current study proposed that it is essential to understand the contemporaneous associations of both negative (accommodation) and positive (capitalization) communicative behaviors to unearth the riddle in predicting positive relationship satisfaction. Prior work has highlighted that couple communication takes diverse forms germane to the cultural context whereupon it occurs and have argued that Western and Asian cultures differ in how they express and perceive beneficial communication behaviors (e.g., Wang et al., 2010 ; Williamson et al., 2012 ; Yum et al., 2015 ; Wang and Lau, 2018 ). However, positive psychology research studies around the world have been largely based on Caucasian samples and greater diversity is needed in the science of positive psychology (Rao and Donaldson, 2015 ). Since previous studies were dominated by a Western perspective, exploring both capitalization and accommodation processes may give us a better holistic insight into which communication behaviors are perceived as responsive and fruitful in promoting relationship satisfaction from an Asian viewpoint. In fact, no identified research examining accommodation and capitalization processes has been done in tandem within an Asian context, especially in Malaysia. Therefore, this present study examined the relationship between the two communication processes, (1) accommodation and (2) capitalization, on romantic relationship satisfaction in Malaysian young adults. This study also explored whether interdependent self-construal moderates and explains the differences in communication behaviors, which in turn affects the level of relationship satisfaction.

Do the Eight Types of Perceived Communication Behaviors in Terms of Accommodation (4 Types) and Capitalization (4 Types) Responses Predict Relationship Satisfaction?

The more well-known piece that literature has appraised in solving the conundrum of relationship satisfaction is accommodation in conflicts. This present study hypothesized that Active-constructive (H1a) and Passive-constructive (H1b) accommodation responses toward the transgressions of a partner in conflicts would positively predict relationship satisfaction, whilst Active-destructive (H1c) and Passive-destructive (H1d) responses would negatively predict relationship satisfaction. Findings revealed that responding in an Active-constructive manner such as discussing problems and altering problematic behavior during conflicts positively predicted relationship satisfaction, supporting H1a. These results align with research done by Rusbult et al. ( 1991 ) and Crowley ( 2006 ) who established that the willingness to accommodate to the misbehavior of a partner with Active-constructive responses boosts relationship functioning and satisfaction. This indicates that Active-constructive reciprocity will foster satisfaction as it directly engages one partner to be more aware of the maintenance efforts of the other partner in the relationship, which in turn rejuvenates closeness and perceived regard (Overall et al., 2010 ).

Regarding H1b, it was hypothesized that Passive-constructive accommodation responses during conflicts would positively predict relationship satisfaction; however, the findings did not support H1b. Rather than a significant positive prediction of relationship satisfaction, a slightly negative non-significant result emerged. It was forecasted in this current study that Asians would find forgiving and forgetting the bad behavior of a partner and hoping for things to improve (Passive-constructive) through conflictual circumstances just as beneficial as talking through issues (Active-constructive). This expectation was due to prior work establishing Malaysians and collectivist societies tend to use more indirect and less expressive communication to maintain harmony with others (e.g., Ting-Toomey, 1999 ; Kennedy, 2002 ; Oetzel and Ting-Toomey, 2003 ; Yum, 2004 ; Bakar et al., 2007 , 2014 ; Wang et al., 2010 ; Ma-Kellams and Blascovich, 2012 ). Previous research in Western societies has found unclear and inconsistent results regarding the Passive-constructive accommodation response, making it hard to decipher whether this response is threatening or securing relationship functioning. In their seminal work, Rusbult et al. ( 1991 ) and Gable et al. ( 2004 ) found the Passive-constructive accommodation response desirable, but later studies by Overall et al. ( 2010 ) found the opposite effect. Although not significant, the findings of this current study seem to be more toward the discovery of Overall et al. ( 2010 ) because a Passive-constructive accommodation response may be less salient than an Active-constructive response and lead an individual to feel ignored and unappreciated, which could diminish relationship satisfaction. However, further research should continue to investigate the differences of past work as the results in this current study leaned toward a possible negative direction but were indicative of non-significance.

Furthermore, this study found both active and passive destructive accommodation responses detrimental to the relationship satisfaction of an individual. A Passive-destructive response was unmasked as the stronger negative response in predicting satisfaction within this sample in line with H1d. On the contrary, an Active-destructive response appeared to show lower predictive capacity in reducing relationship satisfaction. The rationales of the strength of Passive-destructive accommodation responses are deferred toward the end of the discussion after the capitalization processes are considered as similar results were replicated for capitalization. Despite this, findings still leaned toward the expected direction of both H1c and H1d, exhibiting near to typical findings of the two destructive responses. These results are congruent with past studies that found active and passive destructive reciprocity to the bad behavior of a partner are unaccommodating and lead to dissatisfaction (Rusbult et al., 1991 ; Crowley, 2006 ). These findings also denote that not inhibiting destructive impulses would further exacerbate issues, hinder movement toward resolving issues, and lead to distressing relationships (Rusbult et al., 1991 ; Overall et al., 2010 ). In short, Active-constructive accommodation responses during conflicts seem to be the most favorable response and allowed dating partners to feel understood, cared for, and validated, which enriched relationship satisfaction. Conversely, Active-destructive, and Passive-destructive accommodation responses seemed unrewarding for dating relationships of Malaysian young adults. The Passive-constructive accommodation responses were the only accommodation results that were not supportive of the hypothesis of this research.

Another complementary yet an understudied communication process in deciphering the relationship satisfaction riddle is capitalization on positive events. Mirroring the hypotheses for accommodation, this study expected that Active-constructive (H1e) and Passive-constructive (H1f) responses to capitalization attempts would positively predict relationship satisfaction whereas Active-destructive (H1g) and Passive-destructive (H1h) responses would negatively predict relationship satisfaction. Consistent with H1e and H1f, results uncovered that providing both enthusiastic support (Active-constructive) and acknowledgment, but an understated support (Passive-constructive) toward the positive events of the partner predicted relationship satisfaction. However, Active-constructiveness had a rather more robust response for satisfying relationships. The findings suggested that the Passive-constructive response stood in contrast to previous research in Western societies as only an Active-constructive response conveyed responsiveness and was associated with higher personal and relationship well-being from the Western lens (Gable et al., 2004 , 2006 ; Pagani et al., 2020 ). Gable et al. ( 2006 ) noted that an Active-constructive response solely highlights the triumphs of the partner and communicates personal significance of the positive event to the discloser. On the other hand, a Passive-constructive response does not convey the same message, which reduces relationship well-being (Gable et al., 2006 ). Albeit the passive-constructive capitalization responses in this current Malaysian study yielded borderline significance in positively predicting satisfaction, the preliminary correlation demonstrated that this capitalization response had a weak but non-significant relationship to satisfaction. Hence, the results of the passive-constructive capitalization responses should be approached with caution.

Having said that, the results in this current study still appeared to encapsulate the aspect that a Passive-constructive capitalization response such as providing a warm smile and just expressing “ That's nice dear ” toward good news of a partner also tends to be supportive and positive from an Asian perspective. Thus, this finding appears to dovetail nicely with the results of Guo et al. ( 2018 ), the only research found in Asia using the perceived capitalization attempts scale of Gable et al. ( 2004 ) thus far. They studied familial relationships and demonstrated that both constructive responses of fathers were advantageous for the intrapersonal health and well-being of their children. Therefore, this present research seemed to capture some differences between preferable responses toward personal triumphs of dating couples in Western and Asian countries, echoing the notion that a less overzealous response could still be appropriate and desirable in collectivist cultures (Taylor et al., 2007 ). According to Choi et al. ( 2019 ), Asians also have greater worries about possible repercussions of disclosing personal positive events as it has higher stakes in threatening relational harmony and negative reputations because sharing good news can seem boastful. However, as aforementioned, the findings for the passive-constructive response in this current study narrowly achieved significance. Thus, future research should broaden the sample size and examine other cultural aspects (i.e., harmony values) to better capture the cultural differences for the capitalization process.

Regarding the destructive capitalization reactions, a Passive-destructive response, which is showing disinterest and changing the topic of discussion indicated the strongest predictive value in lowering relationship satisfaction, in tandem with H1h. The same, albeit non-significant trend, was displayed for the active-destructive response (i.e., criticizing and invalidating the partner's good news) leaning toward the anticipated direction of H1g. It can thus be suggested that both destructive responses undermine relationship health as they reject the attempt to develop self-confidence, bids for connection, and engagement of the discloser, which leads to dampening of positive feelings about the event and the relationship (Gable et al., 2004 ). Repeated destructive responses could also deter the discloser from making capitalization attempts in the future, which may impact the relationship well-being drastically in the long run (Peters et al., 2018 ).

Furthermore, examining both accommodation and capitalization processes simultaneously provided striking but not surprising results as the most impactful positive response to satisfaction was the Active-constructive capitalization response. This indicates that perceiving that a partner validates the strengths and accomplishments of the discloser in an enthusiastic and encouraging fashion has benefits above and beyond other responses and the accommodation process. These results conform with prior findings that documented support toward positive events was a better predictor of relationship quality than discussions about other circumstances such as adverse events (i.e., Gable et al., 2006 , 2012 ). Thus, as Gable et al. ( 2006 ) asserted, “ To put it colloquially, they seem to offer a lot more bang for the buck ” (p. 914). Gable et al. ( 2006 ) also found some preliminary evidence that positive event discussions had a greater predictive capacity of couples breaking up at a later point in time. Pertaining to the accommodation process, it can be fairly said that the Active-constructive reaction was also the best response for enriching relationship satisfaction but not as strong as the Active-constructive capitalization response, which seems to be the most salubrious response for dating relationships in Malaysia.

Summary and Rationale of Results

Considering the results as a whole, the notion that Asians perceive Active-constructive responses as unbeneficial, uncomfortable, and distressing (Taylor et al., 2007 ; Wang et al., 2010 ) is not vouched by this study as this response was found as the most ameliorative reaction for flourishing dating relationships in Malaysia. Therefore, this result supports the universal advantage of Active-constructive responses in both, accommodation, and capitalization processes for relationship maintenance and enhancement.

However, when comparing the two communication processes, there were varying outcomes for the passive-constructive response. This type of communicative behavior seems to have contradicting findings across the literature, and its impact is still not completely clear. While responding in a passive-constructive fashion during capitalization processes was suggestive of beneficial relationship outcomes, accommodating in this manner during conflicts seemed to trend toward being unfruitful for relationship satisfaction in this present research. Even so, due care should be exercised with interpreting these findings. Although the results leaned toward these directions, some results did not appear significant. Be that as it may, it could be argued that the capitalization and accommodation processes are not mutually exclusive, and an effective response depends on the situational context, especially when it comes to Passive-constructive responses. Analogously, a passive-constructive capitalization response to good news of a partner emerged to predict satisfaction positively in this Malaysian sample. In contrast, prior researchers have found that Westerners do not benefit from this type of communication behavior (Gable et al., 2004 , 2006 ; Lambert et al., 2012 ; Pagani et al., 2020 ). In light of this, to some extent, this present research unmasked a potential difference in the consequences of the perceived passive-constructive response between Asian and Western countries. On a similar note, scholars have also suggested that perceived responses usually involve a “reality component” (Reis et al., 2004 ), where researchers should also consider other relationship “realities” such as the expectations of the partner, need for approval, and reasons for disengagement toward the discloser (Gable et al., 2004 ). Thus, future research should closely inspect these individual differences and motivation to provide a constructive response to understand the complexity of effective communicative behaviors further.

Moreover, concurring with prior research, destructive responses in accommodation and capitalization communication processes were found harmful, regardless of culture. However, one noticeable difference is that the Passive-destructive response in both accommodation and capitalization processes had a greater predictive magnitude in the deterioration of relationship satisfaction when the two processes were examined independently. Active-destructive responses were in the anticipated negative direction but were revealed to be non-significant in predicting relationship satisfaction. On the one hand, it could be that partners of the participants in this study interact in a more vague and evasive destructive way, laying more truth to Asians communicating passively (Guo et al., 2018 ). On the other hand, the results may indicate that Passive-destructive responses are more detrimental to the receiver than Active-destructive responses (Gottman and Krokoff, 1989 ). These findings may be because Passive-destructive responses inhibit the ability of a couple to resolve conflicts by “bottling up” emotions, prolonging problems, and causing petty disagreements to escalate out of control, which may cause more long-term problems (Gottman and Krokoff, 1989 ; Gottman and Levenson, 1992 ).

Another possible explanation for these results is the stage and status of the relationship of participants in this current study. 73.4% of the sample were in relatively satisfied and happy relationships. Hence, it could be assumed that partners are not reacting in an Active-destructive way, such as showing anger and hostility in conflicts or demeaning and criticizing good news frequently for them to be unsatisfied in their relationships. Besides that, the unintended self-selected bias cannot be ruled out and should be taken into consideration in future research. The results may differ if there was a proportionated balance of participants in the sample who were in satisfying and dissatisfying relationships, which upcoming research needs to obtain and explore.

This research also consists of only dating individuals with an average of 2 years of relationship length. These participants may still be in the “honeymoon” stage of their relationship where trust and intimacy may still be developing, during which they utilize distinctive nature of behaviors such as being more Passive-destructive and more forgiving than couples who have been married for a longer period (Williams, 2012 ). Passive-destructive responses are possibly more apparent, unnerving, and threatening to premarital or dating couples because partners showing disregard and disinterest may make them feel that their partners are not committed. This relates to a relatively frequent phenomenon in modern dating and a new term called “ghosting,” which shares an overlap with the Passive-destructive response as if an individual “ghosts” another person, they withdraw and avoid the partner entirely (LeFebvre et al., 2019 ). In other words, when one partner ghosts the other, the immediate consequence is simply an indirect and ambiguous lack of communication (LeFebvre, 2017 ). As this seems to be a common phenomenon in the current dating atmosphere, it might be another reason why this way of communication had a greater prevalence and strength in declining satisfaction of romantic relationships for this sample. Future research could compare the different phases of relationships and communication behaviors between dating and married couples to understand these results more comprehensively. Despite these rationales, this study suggests a recognition that passive-destructiveness is an unfavorable act to Malaysian dating relationships, maybe more so than active-destructiveness. Further illustrations of the cultural facets, in terms of self-construal and communication are discussed in the subsequent section.

To What Extend Does Interdependent Self-Construal Moderate the Relationship Between Perceived Capitalization and Accommodation Communication Behaviors on Relationship Satisfaction?

As noted earlier, the present study anticipated Malaysia to be a collectivist country with individuals generally having a dominant interdependent self-construal based on prior studies and was treated as such in hypotheses 2 (Hardin et al., 2004 ; Amir, 2009 ; Ting and Ying, 2013 ). Nevertheless, these current findings did not bear the resemblance of previous discoveries as the interdependence self-construal seemingly did not moderate and explain the differences in both accommodation and capitalization communication behaviors with relationship satisfaction. Thus, these results did not endorse H2a and H2b, suggesting other important factors are at play.

Consequently, given the equivocal findings, further exploratory analyses were conducted though not tested in the hypotheses of this study. It was discovered that independent self-construal instead seemed to moderate the relationships between both perceived active and passive destructive capitalization responses and relationship satisfaction. However, no other significant results were found for accommodation responses. Hence, self-construal appeared to affect the expectations and preferences of perceived responsiveness of sharing good news, just not in the expected direction for Malaysians in this study. The sample in this study also obtained relatively higher mean scores for interdependent and independent self-construal compared to Asian samples in America. These results concur with the findings of Yum ( 2004 ) that other self-construal types exist and may explain behavioral variations with greater consistency than the bipolar interdependent-independent self-construal model. One of which is the bicultural self-construal, that is individuals who are high in both interdependent and independent self-construal and are products of modernization and multicultural societies (Kim et al., 1996 ; Yum, 2004 ). Given that Malaysia is a melting pot of races, ethnicities, and cultures with unique historical influences (Nagaraj et al., 2015 ; Park, 2015 ; The Malaysian Administrative Modernisation Management Planning Unit, 2016 ), one could speculate that some of the participants in this study could be bicultural. Prior work has asserted that bicultural individuals have rather complex and adaptable identities and are less culturally typical than other self-construal types (Kim et al., 1996 ; Yum, 2004 ). They are more flexible and capable of adapting to interactional demands by responding effectively not only to protect their own needs but also the needs of their partner better than other self-construal types. However, this is beyond the scope of this research; thus, future studies could investigate other types of self-construal and whether they moderate the relationship between accommodation and capitalization processes and satisfaction.

Another plausible explanation would be the “modernization hypothesis,” which infers that the behavior of an individual in personal relationships is influenced by the degree of industrialization, westernization, and democratization of the country (Goodwin, 1999 ). It is also imperative to emphasize that Malaysia was formerly colonized by Western powers such as Britain and, inherently, the Malaysian regime adopted some of the British laws and educational practices which would influence Malaysia's culture (Aziz, 2009 ; Lee and Low, 2014 ). Therefore, Malaysians may be affected by social change, modern capitalism and globalization and hold values that are assumed with moving toward individualism, which could explain why the moderating effects of independent self-construal instead of interdependent self-construal were shown in this current study (Goodwin, 1999 ; Park, 2015 ). Further, the behavior of an individual could also be influenced by regional subcultures. This current study presumed the national culture of Malaysians to be collectivistic and are governed by interdependent self-construal. However, according to Schmitz ( 2012 ), regional sublevels within a country influences the difference in cultural characteristics of various states. This may explain the inconsistency in results of the interdependent and independent self-construals affecting the communication behaviors as participants originated from different states in Malaysia.

Moreover, other scholars have argued that individualist-collectivist stereotypes are becoming meaningless due to other confounding variables such as degree of industrialization, education, and occupation, especially for the younger generations (Kagitçibaşi, 1996 ; Goodwin, 1999 ; Matsumoto, 2002 ; Park, 2015 ). The sample in this present study represents people of the younger generation who live in urban areas and have relatively high education and economic status. According to Fung ( 2013 ), older individuals have a higher tendency to internalize their cultural values compared to younger individuals. Thus, since the participants in this study are of relatively younger ages, there may be a possibility that they have yet to internalize their cultural values (Ho, 2021 ), explaining the disparities of the interdependent-independent self-construal types. Additionally, Yum et al. ( 2015 ) have discovered that although countries are geographically close and in Asia, it does not necessarily mean they have similar values. For instance, Singaporeans were found to adopt traditional and preindustrial beliefs. Conversely, Malaysians reported to hold greater self-expressive and liberal post-industrial beliefs similar to people living in the United States (Yum et al., 2015 ). Hence, further studies would need to scrutinize the impact of other cultural aspects (e.g., harmony values, and self-expressive values) and widen the range of ages, education, and economic status of participants to truly capture the cultural evolution and communication processes in this modern era.

Research Implications

Taken together, this current research has highlighted some important implications of romantic relationship communication behaviors, particularly in the realm of dating relationships. This work is the first step toward enhancing our understanding of the accommodation and capitalization processes by looking through an Asian cultural lens. In the overall literature and Malaysian context, there are no identified peer-reviewed studies found investigating the accommodation and capitalization processes and relationship satisfaction simultaneously. Integrating the 2 everyday life communication processes into research provides a better holistic view of how romantic relationships unfold. An active and constructive response was captured as the most salubrious response through capitalization and accommodation processes from a Malaysian standpoint. Prominently, an Active-constructive capitalization response bore the strongest influence on relationship satisfaction above and beyond other responses. A passive and constructive response was suggestive of a positive direction for disclosures of good news but not during conflicts. In contrast, destructive responses in both instances displayed a negative pattern which could steer couples in a downward spiral, irrespective of culture.

The findings of this pioneering study would be a noteworthy addition to literature while contributing to positive psychology theory. This research investigated not only which communication behaviors were beneficial but for whom they are effective for. This study would provide a good comparative data of an Asian country since most studies are conducted and dominated by Western cultures and were subdue to low population and ecological validity as well as pitfalls of research methods. Furthermore, the results could also be a guideline in counseling practices to enhance the “good relationship behavior” and relationship satisfaction of couples by training and cultivating better communication behaviors (Gable et al., 2004 ), tailored to the preferences and culture of an individual. This knowledge and understanding of human interactional behaviors could be beneficial in designing pre-marital and marriage interventions in Malaysia and other Asian countries. Possible target therapeutic interventions and positive education are fostering constructive communication behaviors, not only to protect relationships with better conflict management but to also enrich romantic relationships by capitalizing on the positive aspects of their lives. Additionally, the findings could serve as a means to educate and create awareness among the general population about good communication practices of which would hope to reduce divorce rates, strengthen relationships and families, and improve the well-being of the society at large, ultimately building flourishing lives.

Caveats and Future Directions

While this study has made novel contributions to the romantic relationship science literature and goes beyond previous researchers in important ways, future studies should interpret the findings with caution as there were limitations notwithstanding. Firstly, although most of the results were in the expected directions, some of the results appeared non-significant, possibly due to various factors beyond the scope of this research. This study also used self-report data which may induce social-desirability bias; for instance, over-reporting good behavior and higher relationship satisfaction and underreporting undesirable behaviors to be viewed favorably. Moreover, this study focused on the perception of an individual to the response of the partner without directly observing the interaction or investigating how both the discloser and responder feel about the same reactions. Future studies should compare perspectives of both partners and use triangulating methods such as observation in natural settings, in-depth field studies, open-ended surveys, and interviews. Granting all this, it should be noted that responsiveness not only mirrors actual behavior but also the eye of the beholder; therefore, it should be approached with prudence (Reis et al., 2004 ).

Additionally, women are more attuned to behaviors of partners in daily interactions (Overall et al., 2010 ). The sample was predominantly female, with 66.9% of females and 33.1% males, making it difficult to accurately compare gender differences. Therefore, future research should assess the complexities of accommodation and capitalization processes in more depth, while examining gender differences. Furthermore, the sample consisted of participants who were relatively young and in dating relationships, of which 73.4% were in satisfying relationships. These participants may also still be in the “honeymoon” relationship phase, during which they utilize and intently focus on different nature of behaviors (Williams, 2012 ). Responses and perceptions in accommodation and capitalization processes may reveal different patterns in an alternative milieu of long-term, long-distance, distressed, marital, and clinical populations. Future research is recommended to obtain a larger sample size, especially accounting for non-completion of online surveys, to gain a better understanding and generalizability of results.

Lastly, this research was susceptible to ecological fallacy because it assumed that all individuals from a specific culture behave similarly (Freedman, 1999 ). Thus, some Malaysians may hold bicultural self-construal or more independent than interdependent self-construal. These findings suggest opportunities for future research to investigate other types of self-construal as well as various values that may impact communicative behaviors, namely self-expressive and harmony values. Observing other aspects could valuably aid in capturing the cultural evolution and communication processes in this modern age.

Conclusively, our need to connect romantically can be ever so fulfilling and enrich our life experiences but can also be arduous and complicated. The contemporaneous associations of both accommodation and capitalization communication processes aids in understanding the complexities of romantic flourishing relationships. This current research has unearthed that attaining relationship satisfaction lies at the heart of responding constructively in romantic relationships as it shows the partner cares and appreciates us. The advantages of active-constructive responses in both relationship processes were more salient and consistent compared to passive-constructive responses. Conversely, in the destructive paradigm, passive-destructive responses emerged as the most unfavorable act in dating relationships in comparison with other destructive responses. This current research has also found that interdependent self-construal did not moderate the communication behaviors. However, captivatingly, unexpected individual and cultural variations were discovered. In the light of these findings, this area of research is essential and further work is necessary to identify additional mediators and effects of these constructs. Regardless, this present research has endowed society one step closer to solving the riddle of achieving relationship satisfaction, and ultimately flourishing romantic relationships. Herein, this study can also serve as a backbone to the knowledge of accommodation and capitalization processes of psychologists and society in Asia and positive psychology literature. Thus, truly strengthening the view of Virginia Satir that “ Communication is to relationships what breath is to life ” (Loeschen, 2017 , p. 89).

Data Availability Statement

Ethics statement.

The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (MUHREC, Project Number 10606). The participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Author Contributions

All authors contributed to the study and approved it for publication.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Acknowledgments

We would like to express our deep sense of thanks and sincere gratitude to our participants, who were instrumental in the completion of this research. We would also wish to extend our heartfelt appreciation to our family and friends who supported us throughout this research process. This research could not have been completed without all of them.

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50+ Research Topics for Psychology Papers

How to Find Psychology Research Topics for Your Student Paper

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

• Specific Branches of Psychology
• Topics Involving a Disorder or Type of Therapy
• Human Cognition
• Human Development
• Critique of Publications
• Famous Experiments
• Historical Figures
• Specific Careers
• Case Studies
• Literature Reviews
• Your Own Study/Experiment

Are you searching for a great topic for your psychology paper ? Sometimes it seems like coming up with topics of psychology research is more challenging than the actual research and writing. Fortunately, there are plenty of great places to find inspiration and the following list contains just a few ideas to help get you started.

Finding a solid topic is one of the most important steps when writing any type of paper. It can be particularly important when you are writing a psychology research paper or essay. Psychology is such a broad topic, so you want to find a topic that allows you to adequately cover the subject without becoming overwhelmed with information.

I can always tell when a student really cares about the topic they chose; it comes through in the writing. My advice is to choose a topic that genuinely interests you, so you’ll be more motivated to do thorough research.

In some cases, such as in a general psychology class, you might have the option to select any topic from within psychology's broad reach. Other instances, such as in an  abnormal psychology  course, might require you to write your paper on a specific subject such as a psychological disorder.

As you begin your search for a topic for your psychology paper, it is first important to consider the guidelines established by your instructor.

Research Topics Within Specific Branches of Psychology

The key to selecting a good topic for your psychology paper is to select something that is narrow enough to allow you to really focus on the subject, but not so narrow that it is difficult to find sources or information to write about.

One approach is to narrow your focus down to a subject within a specific branch of psychology. For example, you might start by deciding that you want to write a paper on some sort of social psychology topic. Next, you might narrow your focus down to how persuasion can be used to influence behavior .

Other social psychology topics you might consider include:

• Prejudice and discrimination (i.e., homophobia, sexism, racism)
• Social cognition
• Person perception
• Social control and cults
• Persuasion, propaganda, and marketing
• Attraction, romance, and love
• Nonverbal communication
• Prosocial behavior

Psychology Research Topics Involving a Disorder or Type of Therapy

Exploring a psychological disorder or a specific treatment modality can also be a good topic for a psychology paper. Some potential abnormal psychology topics include specific psychological disorders or particular treatment modalities, including:

• Eating disorders
• Borderline personality disorder
• Seasonal affective disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Antisocial personality disorder
• Profile a  type of therapy  (i.e., cognitive-behavioral therapy, group therapy, psychoanalytic therapy)

Topics of Psychology Research Related to Human Cognition

Some of the possible topics you might explore in this area include thinking, language, intelligence, and decision-making. Other ideas might include:

• False memories
• Speech disorders
• Problem-solving

Topics of Psychology Research Related to Human Development

In this area, you might opt to focus on issues pertinent to  early childhood  such as language development, social learning, or childhood attachment or you might instead opt to concentrate on issues that affect older adults such as dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

Some other topics you might consider include:

• Language acquisition
• Media violence and children
• Learning disabilities
• Gender roles
• Child abuse
• Prenatal development
• Parenting styles
• Aspects of the aging process

Do a Critique of Publications Involving Psychology Research Topics

One option is to consider writing a critique paper of a published psychology book or academic journal article. For example, you might write a critical analysis of Sigmund Freud's Interpretation of Dreams or you might evaluate a more recent book such as Philip Zimbardo's  The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil .

Professional and academic journals are also great places to find materials for a critique paper. Browse through the collection at your university library to find titles devoted to the subject that you are most interested in, then look through recent articles until you find one that grabs your attention.

Topics of Psychology Research Related to Famous Experiments

There have been many fascinating and groundbreaking experiments throughout the history of psychology, providing ample material for students looking for an interesting term paper topic. In your paper, you might choose to summarize the experiment, analyze the ethics of the research, or evaluate the implications of the study. Possible experiments that you might consider include:

• The Milgram Obedience Experiment
• The Stanford Prison Experiment
• The Little Albert Experiment
• Pavlov's Conditioning Experiments
• The Asch Conformity Experiment
• Harlow's Rhesus Monkey Experiments

Topics of Psychology Research About Historical Figures

One of the simplest ways to find a great topic is to choose an interesting person in the  history of psychology  and write a paper about them. Your paper might focus on many different elements of the individual's life, such as their biography, professional history, theories, or influence on psychology.

While this type of paper may be historical in nature, there is no need for this assignment to be dry or boring. Psychology is full of fascinating figures rife with intriguing stories and anecdotes. Consider such famous individuals as Sigmund Freud, B.F. Skinner, Harry Harlow, or one of the many other  eminent psychologists .

Psychology Research Topics About a Specific Career

​Another possible topic, depending on the course in which you are enrolled, is to write about specific career paths within the  field of psychology . This type of paper is especially appropriate if you are exploring different subtopics or considering which area interests you the most.

In your paper, you might opt to explore the typical duties of a psychologist, how much people working in these fields typically earn, and the different employment options that are available.

Topics of Psychology Research Involving Case Studies

One potentially interesting idea is to write a  psychology case study  of a particular individual or group of people. In this type of paper, you will provide an in-depth analysis of your subject, including a thorough biography.

Generally, you will also assess the person, often using a major psychological theory such as  Piaget's stages of cognitive development  or  Erikson's eight-stage theory of human development . It is also important to note that your paper doesn't necessarily have to be about someone you know personally.

In fact, many professors encourage students to write case studies on historical figures or fictional characters from books, television programs, or films.

Psychology Research Topics Involving Literature Reviews

Another possibility that would work well for a number of psychology courses is to do a literature review of a specific topic within psychology. A literature review involves finding a variety of sources on a particular subject, then summarizing and reporting on what these sources have to say about the topic.

Literature reviews are generally found in the  introduction  of journal articles and other  psychology papers , but this type of analysis also works well for a full-scale psychology term paper.

Topics of Psychology Research Based on Your Own Study or Experiment

Many psychology courses require students to design an actual psychological study or perform some type of experiment. In some cases, students simply devise the study and then imagine the possible results that might occur. In other situations, you may actually have the opportunity to collect data, analyze your findings, and write up your results.

Finding a topic for your study can be difficult, but there are plenty of great ways to come up with intriguing ideas. Start by considering your own interests as well as subjects you have studied in the past.

Online sources, newspaper articles, books , journal articles, and even your own class textbook are all great places to start searching for topics for your experiments and psychology term papers. Before you begin, learn more about  how to conduct a psychology experiment .

What This Means For You

After looking at this brief list of possible topics for psychology papers, it is easy to see that psychology is a very broad and diverse subject. While this variety makes it possible to find a topic that really catches your interest, it can sometimes make it very difficult for some students to select a good topic.

If you are still stumped by your assignment, ask your instructor for suggestions and consider a few from this list for inspiration.

• Hockenbury, SE & Nolan, SA. Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers; 2014.
• Santrock, JW. A Topical Approach to Lifespan Development. New York: McGraw-Hill Education; 2016.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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11 social psychology research topics to explore in 2024

Last updated

6 March 2024

Reviewed by

Miroslav Damyanov

Social psychology is a constantly evolving field of study. It explores how our environment and other people influence our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and goals. Social psychology uncovers how social interaction, perception, and influence impact individuals and groups. 

Taking a specific path to follow your interests and learn more about available areas can narrow your focus to find the ideal research project. 

Let’s take a look at current topics in social psychology to inspire your research. 

• Understanding social psychology research

Psychologists conduct experiments to better understand how different environmental factors and the influence of other people shape feelings and behaviors. 

Research projects explore various topics, from how a position of power can change behavior to the impact of positive social interactions. 

Various research designs allow researchers to develop projects that range from observational to experimental. 

What is an example of social psychology research?

Zimbardo randomly assigned college students the roles of prison guards or prisoners in a simulated prison environment. Despite knowing their roles were random, the guards exhibited increasing cruelty towards the prisoners. 

Researchers halted the study after six days due to extreme psychological distress. It revealed the profound impact of social roles and situations on human behavior, highlighting how people can adopt negative behaviors when given authority, even in a controlled setting.

• How to choose social psychology research topics

Social psychology is a diverse, highly studied area of science, so developing a unique project on a relevant topic can be challenging. 

When choosing a subject, begin by exploring your interests. After considering questions you'd like answers to and topics that intrigue you, narrow your scope. Explore specific areas of research, research designs, and subtopics. 

Once you've narrowed down your choices, seek literature and past studies on the subject. Consider how past research can raise additional questions about the topic. 

Develop your ideas by determining how to measure and test your research questions. 

Once you have a firm plan for your project, talk to your instructor for advice and approval before launching your studies. 

• Social psychology research topics

Social psychology has many nuances that influence human beliefs and behavior. Various elements of situations and relationships affect short- and long-term emotions and actions. 

The major research areas in social psychology are an ideal starting point to investigate as part of a psychology research project. 

These key focus areas within social psychology can be compelling psychology research topics:

1. Attitudes and attitude change

Research projects surrounding attitudes generally examine the components of attitudes and how they develop and can be changed. 

The three components of attitude are affective, behavioral, and cognitive. They’re also known as the ABCs. 

We form attitudes through a combination of upbringing, experience, and genetics. People can self-measure them in surveys or through researchers’ observations. 

Attitudes can change due to influence and environmental factors. They hugely affect human behavior, making them an important research topic in social psychology.

2. Attachment and relationships

Social connections shape our lives from the earliest moments, taking various forms that significantly impact our well-being. These connections have numerous advantages, such as heightened happiness and satisfaction. 

Social psychology explores these connections, examining diverse attachment styles to explain love, friendship, and attraction. 

Research in this domain investigates the repercussions of poorly formed social bonds and seeks to answer questions about how relationships influence group behavior. 

Additionally, studies in social psychology dissect the elements contributing to attraction, shedding light on the intricate dynamics that shape our social bonds and interactions. 

3. Authority and leadership

As revealed in the Stanford Experiment, authority can directly affect behavior. 

However, social psychology can further delve into the dynamics of people interacting with those in leadership roles. 

Milgram's Obedience to Authority study exemplifies this exploration. Stanley Milgram wanted to investigate how easily authority figures could influence people to commit atrocities.

In this study, participants assumed the role of teachers administering electric shocks to learners for incorrect answers. 65% delivered 450 volts of electricity under the directive of an authority figure. 

Research can consider the positive or negative elements of authority based on specific applications, settings, and environments. 

For example, we might consider obedience to authority positive in the workplace or classroom.

Social psychology research about groups delves into how behavior changes in group settings. 

Groups form for various reasons, and everything from leadership to group dynamics can impact how people behave. These behavioral changes can be beneficial or harmful. 

Research into group behavior can focus on decision-making, internal conflicts, conflicts with other groups, how groups affect individual identities, and much more. 

Studies can also investigate how positive group behaviors can influence someone. 

5. Prejudice

Prejudice and discrimination take different forms, which people may not be aware of. The origin and consequences of prejudice present many topics of study for researchers. 

Topics related to how prejudices form and why people maintain inaccurate stereotypes can uncover why people depend on stereotypes to make decisions. 

Many studies focus on the effects of discrimination and how to reduce prejudice. 

Research in this category can overlap with many other categories. For instance, group behavior and social influences can contribute to the formation of stereotypes and social categorization. 

6. Self and social identity

Many elements form the human perception of self. How we perceive ourselves may be substantially different from the viewpoint of others. 

Social psychologists are interested in learning how a person’s self-perception can influence factors like behavior and internal feelings like confidence. 

Our concept of self derives from various sources, such as abilities, social comparisons, interactions with others, and status. 

Researching how the perception of the inner self impacts social behaviors can unveil how social factors influence critical feelings like self-esteem. 

7. Pro- and anti-social behavior

How people’s social surroundings impact the way they respond to certain situations is defined as pro- or anti-social behavior. 

Positive and negative behaviors are based on accepted social norms. How someone responds during a specific event can reinforce or undermine those norms. 

For example, helping a stranger is prosocial, while vandalism is antisocial behavior. 

Studies have shown that prosocial behavior is contagious: Those who experience or observe it are more likely to help others. 

Antisocial behavior can have a similar effect but in a negative direction. Observing seemingly harmless acts, like littering and graffiti, can weaken social norms. This potentially invites more dangerous antisocial behavior.

Researchers can elaborate on this knowledge to consider why people help others without considering personal costs. They can also dig into what deters someone from taking an action they know is "the right thing to do." 

Exploring how society impacts positive and negative behaviors can shed light on ways to reduce negative behavior.

8. Social influence

Persuasion, peer pressure, obedience, and conformity are all forms of social influence. Like other areas of social psychology, these influences can be positive or negative. 

One of the earliest studies on social influence was Soloman Asch’s Conformity Line Experiment . 

Researchers put a participant in a test with seven conformists without knowing the conformists weren't true participants. Researchers asked them to compare the image of a target line with lines A, B, and C on another image. 

Early in the experiment, all conformists answered correctly, followed by the participant, who was always last. 

After a few rounds, the conformists began to provide wrong answers unanimously. On average, about a third of participants followed along with conformists to confirm clearly incorrect answers. 75% of participants confirmed at least one wrong answer. 

The control group had no conformists. Less than 1% of participants gave the wrong answer. 

Doctor and author Robert Cialdini takes the concept of influence further. He identified six universal principles of influence and persuasion to help people defend against dishonest influences. 

His studies conclude that these influences can sway people:

Reciprocation: The feeling we should repay what someone has provided

Social proof: When unsure about a decision, we follow the actions of others 

Liking: We generally agree with people we like and want them to agree with us

Authority: We are more likely to say yes to authority figures

Scarcity: We want more of what is less available

Commitment and consistency: Once we make a choice, we follow it with corresponding actions to justify the decision (even if we no longer believe in the choice)

Researchers can study how social influence guides the decision-making process and explore the positive and negative effects of conformity. Other experiments can explore the consequences of peer pressure and whether it can be beneficial. 

9. Social cognition

In the most basic sense, cognition is the brain gathering and understanding knowledge through sensations, thoughts, and experiences. It allows us to make sense of new information. 

Social cognition is how the brain processes information about individuals and groups of people. It includes the role of heuristics . These mental shortcuts enable us to function without constantly stopping to interpret everything in the environment. 

Research under the umbrella of social cognition can explore first impressions, how appearance affects our judgment, and how social interactions affect behavior. 

These studies can help psychologists understand how someone’s perception of social norms affects their self-image and behavior.

10. Violence and aggression

Exploration into violence and aggression attempts to better understand the factors and situations that cause aggression and how it impacts behaviors. 

Several types of aggressive behavior exist, ranging from gossiping to physical violence. Studies in this area examine the different types of aggression and the variables contributing to aggressive behavior. 

For instance, a pattern of aggression may relate to witnessing the behavior of a family member or traumatic experiences. Conversely, situational variables may trigger a single incidence of aggression.

A greater understanding of the role of social learning in aggressive behavior can lead to research about how social norms and public policy can decrease violent behavior. 

Learning more about the variables contributing to aggression and violence means researchers can use new knowledge to work toward solutions. 

11. Social representations

Social representations are a form of heuristics: a set of beliefs that make something unfamiliar easily understood. They allow people to apply specific bits of evidence-based data to individuals’ or groups’ actions to make ideas more familiar. 

Researchers may study the role of social representations in making new psychological or scientific information accessible to the average person. Studies may explore how we make sense of new information and how people organize and separate facts for rapid learning.

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Research Topics & Ideas: Psychology

100+ Psychology Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Research

If you’re starting out on the dissertation or thesis journey for your psychology degree, the very first challenge you’ll face is finding a solid research topic . In this post, we’ll help get the topic ideation process started by providing a meaty list of research ideas, spanning a range of psychology sub-disciplines. We’ll also look at some examples from actual theses and dissertations to give you an idea of what these look like in the real world.

NB – This is just the start…

The topic ideation and evaluation process has multiple steps (which we’ll explain a little later). Therefore, it’s important to recognise that this post is only the first step in finding a high-quality psychology-centred research topic. To develop a research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan of action to fill that gap.

If this all sounds a bit intimidating, be sure to check out our free dissertation mini-course , which covers the process of writing a dissertation or thesis from A-Z. You can also sign up for our free webinar that explores how to find a high-quality research topic. Alternatively, if you’d like hands-on help, have a look at our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Overview: Psychology-Related Topics

• How to find a research topic (video)
• Behavioural psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Cognitive psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Educational psychology
• Forensic psychology
• Social psychology
• Sports psychology
• Examples of actual dissertation topics
• Free Webinar : Topic Ideation 101
• Where to get extra help

How To Find A Research Topic

In the video below, we explain how to find suitable research ideas (in psychology or any field), and how to then refine those into well-articulated potential topics for your dissertation or thesis. We also discuss a few important evaluation criteria to help you make the right choice for your project.

Below you’ll find a list of research ideas to get your thinking started. Please note that these research topic ideas are intentionally broad and generic, so you will need to refine them a fair deal using the techniques we discussed in the video above.

We’ve grouped the topic ideas based on a few popular areas of psychology to make it a little easier for you to find something in your particular field of interest. That said, there is naturally some overlap between topics, so keep this in mind.

Research Ideas: Behavioural Psychology

• Cultural variation in behaviour and mental health of adolescents during a disaster: a case study
• The impact of parental drug use and risky behaviour on early child development
• The effects of video game violence on aggressive behaviour among teenage boys in school
• The relationship between adverse childhood experiences and adult risk-seeking behaviour
• The impact of physical exercise on anxiety and health-harming behaviour
• The relationship between personality traits and addiction behaviour
• The effects of reinforcement schedules on decision-making and associative learning
• The effects of daily mindfulness practice on stress and anxiety in middle-aged women
• The use of behavioural interventions in the treatment of eating disorders in poorer communities
• Understanding implicit cognitive processes involved in the over-consumption of fast food
• The use of cognitive behavioural therapy for alcohol addiction treatment
• The impact of extensive technology use in children on long-term attention and focus
• The impact of social media on self-destructive behaviour and poor mental health outcomes
• Exploring the role of sleep and sleep deprivation on healthy behaviours

Research Ideas: Clinical Psychology

• The use of mindfulness-based approaches in the treatment of anxiety disorders among college students
• The use of technology in the delivery of psychological services in war-torn countries
• The effectiveness of dialectical behaviour therapy for borderline personality disorder
• The use of virtual reality technology in the treatment of phobias and PTSD among war veterans
• The role of childhood adversity on adult mental health in immigrant populations in the USA
• The role of genetics and epigenetics in the development of bipolar disorder in Pakistani women: an integrative review
• The effectiveness of pharmacotherapy in the treatment of social anxiety among hikikomori in Japan
• The perception of healthcare workers and patients on the use of teletherapy for the delivery of psychological services
• The impact of social support on mental health outcomes among single parents.
• The effectiveness of integrative therapeutic approaches in the treatment of schizophrenia
• The effectiveness of trauma-focused therapies on post-traumatic growth in domestic abuse survivors
• The role and use of cognitive-behavioural therapy for depression among first-generation students
• The effectiveness of family therapy in addressing childhood trauma and depression
• The impact of cultural mistrust on the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues in culturally-diverse populations
• The effectiveness of group therapy on post-traumatic stress symptoms among survivors of sexual assault

Research Ideas: Cognitive Psychology

• The impact of lifelong aerobic exercise on cognitive function in old age
• The effects of evening screen use on cognitive development in preschool children
• The impact of sleep deprivation on decision-making among graduate students
• The use of neuroimaging to understand the neural basis of memory retrieval
• The effect of conservative religious homes on social functioning in LGBT+ adolescents
• The role of positive emotions in working memory among high school learners
• The neural basis of decision-making and problem-solving during undergraduate statistic assessments
• The neural basis of language processing among adults learning English as a second language
• The role of technological tools in improving working memory in older adults
• The role of attention in emotional face processing among adult males
• The impact of depression on cognitive function during ageing The impact of daily meditation and mindfulness practice on cognitive function
• The relationship between increased protein intake and improved cognitive function
• The effects of stress on cognitive function among final-year learners

Research Ideas: Developmental Psychology

• The impact of maternal affection on cognitive, social, and emotional development
• The effects of parenting styles on children’s executive function
• The impact of late-night screen use on child development
• The role of digital play on child development outcomes
• Exploring the impact of poverty on early child development in Brazil
• The trauma-informed care as moderating the impact of trauma on child development
• Evaluating the relationship between peer relationship quality and child social development
• The impact of child-targeted media and advertising on child behavioural development
• The role of parental attachment in child resilience
• The moderating impact of culture on bullying and child social development
• The impact of single-parenting on child development in India
• The impact of early educational interventions on child socio-emotional development
• The impact of digital technology use on adolescent development and mental health
• The impact of socioeconomic status on child executive function
• The role of genetics and epigenetics on child neurodevelopmental outcomes linked to depression

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Research Ideas: Educational Psychology

• The relationship between self-regulated learning and academic performance in asynchronous versus synchronous learning environments
• Exploring effective parental involvement strategies and their impact on student achievement
• The role of intrinsic motivation in formative assessment in the classroom
• The impact of classroom management and practice on student learning and behaviour
• University students’ preference regarding online learning environments
• The effects of gentrification on student achievement in traditionally poor neighbourhoods
• The impact of teacher expectations and academic self-concept on K12 student mathematics performance
• The use and effectiveness of game-based learning in a high school biology classroom
• The impact of prejudice on the relationship between student motivation and academic performance among Black university students
• The impact of culture on second language English student learning preferences
• The effects of student self-efficacy and engagement on academic performance in secondary school mathematics
• The role of metacognition in learning musicality in hip hop
• The role of small group instruction on teacher efficacy and stress in early childhood education
• The perception and use of multimedia among high school biology teachers in France
• The use of augmented reality applications and its impact on student learning, motivation and attitude

Research Ideas: Forensic Psychology

• The impact of trauma on the psychological functioning of police officers and first responders
• Understanding cultural considerations during forensic psychological assessment and treatment of trauma
• Ethical considerations of the use of AI in forensic psychology in the legal system
• The psychological factors related to recidivism among white collar female offenders in the USA
• The psychological factors related to false confessions among juveniles
• Understanding the use of psychological assessment in the evaluation of eyewitness testimony in criminal courts in England
• The impact of trauma on the reflective functioning of adult female sexual assault victims
• The use and effectiveness of psychological interventions in reducing recidivism among non-violent criminals
• The impact of domestic violence on the mental health and forensic evaluation of men
• Exploring the ethical considerations and use of behavioural analysis in the study of criminal behaviour
• The use and limitations of neuropsychological assessment in forensic evaluations
• The use of social media forensics in evaluating criminal behaviour in violent crimes
• The racialised use of psychological assessment in the evaluation of competency to stand trial in Canada
• Exploring the use and availability of virtual reality technologies in forensic psychology in Spain
• The impact of motivational interviewing-based interventions among criminalized drug users

Research Ideas: Social Psychology

• The impact of prejudice and discrimination on social behaviour among African immigrants in South Africa
• The impact of social networks on behaviour and well-being among young adult females
• The effects of social identity on non-conformity in University students
• The effects of group dynamics on risk-seeking behaviour in adult men
• The impact of social media on the quality of interpersonal relationships among high school learners
• The impact of parental emotional intelligence on pro-social behaviour in children and adolescents
• The effects of conformity and deviance on social attitudes and behaviour during a global recession
• The effects of Tik Tok on social comparison and self-esteem among teenage girls
• Understanding gendered differences in social influence and algorithms on impulsive decision-making
• The effects of social support on mental health among healthcare workers in the UK
• The effects of gender roles on social behaviour among trans teens
• The impact of perceived power and social status on the behaviour of social media influencers
• The impact of social norms on prosocial behaviour among women
• The effects of community participation on aggression and violence in middle-aged men
• The impact of culture and gender on social behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic

Research Ideas: Sports Psychology

• The moderating role of cultural factors on the relationship between mental health and sports performance in team sports
• The role of mindfulness practice in addressing stress and anxiety in young national athletes
• The relationship between team cohesion and performance in cricket teams
• The effect of transformational leadership on female sports teams in Canada
• The effect of positive self-talk on athletic performance and motivation among Olympic athletes
• The use and perception of hypnosis in New Zealand team sports Understanding stress and burnout in University team athletes
• The efficacy of personalised nutrition and diet on athletic performance among sprinters
• Exploring mental preparation techniques and their effect on athletic motivation and resilience among team-sport athletes
• Exploring the perception and understanding of goal-setting characteristics on athletic performance among team coaches
• The effects of motivational feedback on the performance of female gymnasts
• The perception and use of visualization and imagery among coaches as a means to enhance sport performance
• The impact of sports injuries on mental health and recovery in high school athletes
• The moderating role of sleep on mental toughness and sports performance in Olympic athletes
• The use and perception of technology in sports training and performance in little league softball

Psychology-Related Dissertations & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic in psychology, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various psychology degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• Effects of a Patient Question Prompt List on Outpatient Palliative Care Appointments (McDarby, 2022)
• The role of affect and exercise goals in physical activity engagement in younger and older adults (Stojanovic, 2022)
• Lay Theories about Whether Emotion Helps or Hinders Reasoning and Well-being (Karnaze, 2022)
• The effects of blast-induced traumatic brain injury on two transgenic models of Alzheimer’s Disease (Gann, 2020)
• Understanding the parental mind: Examining the stability of parental reflective functioning across the birth of a child and associations with maternal mind-mindedness (Pitzen, 2021)
• An investigation of ineffective ally behaviours (Collier, 2019)
• Response Inhibition-Related Beta Power: Distinguishing Cognitively Intact Elders by Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease (Evans, 2021)
• Recognition Memory of Extremely High-Frequency Words (Miller, 2019)
• The Relationship between Dementia Caregiver Burden and Caregiver Communications in a Memory Clinic Setting (Martin, 2021)
• Examination of Maternal Versus Paternal Ratings of Child Pre-Injury Functioning in Predicting Child Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms (Sayer, 2021)
• Electromyography As A Means of Predicting The Rubber Hand Illusion (Teaford, 2021)
• Linking Diversity Climate and Feedback Seeking Through Interpersonal Processes and Race Effects (Flores, 2021)

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are far more specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. This is an important thing to keep in mind as you develop your own research topic. That is to say, to create a top-notch research topic, you must be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

Fast-Track Your Topic Ideation

Still unsure about how to find the right topic for your research project? Check out our private coaching services , where we work with psychology students on a 1:1 basis to help them find the perfect topic.

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10 Comments

Great insight

A very interesting site that offers a variety of options regarding research topics.

You’re most welcome

A good platform to get information

Amazing and interesting options 👌

Very useful but had not any field of research in health psychology

I feel honored going through this lovely stuff put together. Thank you so much

I need counseling psychology research topics

very empowering and insightful presentations. Can I be assisted in crafting a school psychology-related research topic about African context

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125 Relationships Research Topics & Essay Examples

📝 relationships research papers examples, 👍 good relationships essay topics to write about, 🏆 best relationships essay titles, 🎓 simple research topics about relationships, ❓ relationships research questions.

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• How One Can Apply Psychology to One’s Future Life Psychology essay sample: Even in the field of psychology, differing viewpoints are common. There is a method to communicate disagreements without getting into a fight.
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• The Influence of Birth Order on Family Dynamics
• Navigating Cultural Differences in a Romantic Relationship
• Researching of Nurse’s Personal Ethics Many lives depend on nurses, and therefore the requirements for their ethical commitment, values, and beliefs are incredibly firm.
• Cultivating Diversity and Inclusion in Work Relationships
• The Role of Empathy in Building Strong Friendships
• Relationship Between Teachers and Students in the Universities A good relationship between the student and the teachers is essential in ensuring a positive run in academic and social affairs on campus.
• The Power of Forgiveness in Friendships
• Understanding and Overcoming Parent-Teen Communication Barriers
• Recognizing and Addressing Toxic Work Relationships
• Balancing Friendships and Romantic Relationships
• Employer and Employee Relationships – Labor Law This discussion has dealt with employer-employee relationships with particular focus on the United Arab Emirates and other countries in the Middle East.
• The Evolution of Friendships Throughout Different Life Stages
• The Influence of Work Relationships on Job Satisfaction and Retention
• How to Apply Understanding Love Languages in Relationships?
• How to Successfully Navigate a Long-Distance Relationship?
• How to Stay Connected in Long-Distance Friendships?
• How to Make New Friends as an Adult?
• The Science of Attraction: What Draws People Together?
• How to Keep the Spark Alive in a Long-Term Relationship?
• How to Balance Independence and Togetherness in a Relationship?
• Are You Enabling Destructive Behavior in Your Relationship?
• How to Better Understand Your Partner’s Needs?
• How to Foster Effective Communication in the Workplace?
• How to Support a Friend Going Through Tough Times?
• How to Set Boundaries in a Relationship and Why It’s Essential?
• How to Break Free From Toxic Relationship?
• How to Support Family Members Through Life Transitions?
• How to Foster Healthy Independence in Children While Maintaining a Strong Family Unit?
• What the Peer Support and Teenage Relationships?
• How to Navigate Sibling Rivalry as Adults?
• What the Importance of Positive Friendships?
• What the Impact of Birth Order on Sibling Relationships?
• How to Improve Sibling Communication Styles?

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• Mental Health
• Erik Erikson
• Jean Piaget
• Lev Vygotsky

Exploring 200+ Psychology Topics to Research: Unlocking the Depths of the Mind

The world of psychology is as vast as the human mind itself. Delving into the intricate workings of the human psyche can be both fascinating. For students, academics, or anyone with a curious mind, choosing the right psychology topics to research is paramount. In this blog, we’ll navigate through the labyrinth of psychology topics, helping you find your way to a captivating and meaningful research endeavor.

How To Select Psychology Topics To Research?

Table of Contents

• Follow Your Interests: Start with what you love. What aspects of human behavior or the mind fascinate you the most? It’s much easier to research something you’re passionate about.
• Consider Relevance: Think about how your chosen topic fits into your academic or career goals. Does it relate to what you’re studying or the job you want? If it does, great!
• Balance the Scope: Don’t pick a topic that’s too broad or too narrow. Find that sweet spot in the middle. You want a topic that’s focused enough to research effectively but not so narrow that there’s no existing information.
• Explore Different Areas: Research the various branches of psychology, like cognitive, social, clinical, developmental, or biological psychology. See which one resonates with you the most.
• Seek Advice: Talk to your professors, mentors, or peers. They can provide guidance and suggestions based on your interests and goals.

200+ Popular Psychology Topics To Research: Category Wise

40+ cognitive psychology topics.

• The role of working memory in problem-solving.
• Cognitive effects of sleep deprivation.
• Neural basis of attention and focus.
• Influence of language on cognitive development.
• Decision-making biases in economic behavior.
• The psychology of learning and memory.
• The impact of stress on cognitive performance.
• Cognitive decline in aging populations.
• Emotion and memory recall.
• False memories and eyewitness testimony.
• Cognitive processes in creativity.
• Cognitive aspects of decision-making in healthcare.
• The psychology of expertise and skill acquisition.
• Cognitive factors in reading comprehension.
• The role of schemas in information processing.
• Cognitive development in infants.
• Cognitive rehabilitation after brain injury.
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and executive functions.
• Neural mechanisms of perception and visual attention.
• The psychology of problem-solving in artificial intelligence.
• Cognitive aspects of mathematical reasoning.
• Neural plasticity and cognitive recovery.
• Cognitive load and its impact on learning.
• Memory consolidation during sleep.
• Attentional disorders and their impact on cognitive functioning.
• The influence of music on cognitive processes.
• Cognitive development in bilingual individuals.
• Cognitive aspects of decision-making in criminal behavior.
• Neural correlates of cognitive control.
• The psychology of cognitive biases in politics.
• Cognitive effects of mindfulness meditation.
• The part working memory plays in academic success.
• Cognitive processes in language acquisition.
• Cognitive factors in problem gambling behavior.
• The psychology of cognitive development in children with autism.
• Cognitive aspects of spatial navigation.
• Memory distortions and the courtroom.
• Neural basis of cognitive dissonance.
• Cognitive aspects of social perception.
• Cognitive rehabilitation in Alzheimer’s disease.

40+ Social Psychology Research Topics

• The impact of social media on self-esteem.
• Groupthink and decision-making.
• Stereotype threat in academic settings.
• Bystander effect in emergencies.
• Cross-cultural perspectives on conformity.
• Online dating and self-presentation.
• The psychology of social influence.
• The role of empathy in prosocial behavior.
• Social identity and intergroup relations.
• Aggression and video game exposure.
• Prejudice and discrimination in modern society.
• The influence of social norms on behavior.
• Attitudes and attitude change.
• Social support and mental health.
• Obedience to authority figures.
• Social comparison and self-concept.
• The psychology of attraction and relationships.
• The bystander intervention model.
• Body image and social media.
• Political polarization and social psychology.
• The psychology of fake news and misinformation.
• Emotional contagion and social interactions.
• Stereotyping in the workplace.
• Consequences of cyberbullying.
• The impact of group dynamics on creativity.
• Gender roles and socialization.
• The role of humor in social interactions.
• Social factors in decision-making and risk-taking.
• Altruism and volunteerism.
• The psychology of leadership and authority.
• Social exclusion and its effects on individuals.
• The relationship between religion and prosocial behavior.
• Social influence in marketing and advertising.
• Online activism and social change.
• The psychology of online communities and forums.
• Attachment styles and adult relationships.
• Social perceptions of beauty and attractiveness.
• Social isolation’s negative consequences on mental health.
• The psychology of public speaking anxiety.
• The role of forgiveness in interpersonal relationships.

40+ Clinical Psychology Research Topics

• Effects of childhood trauma on mental health in adults.
• Efficacy of virtual therapy for treating anxiety disorders.
• Exploring the genetics of schizophrenia.
• Effects of mindfulness meditation on depression.
• Cultural factors in the diagnosis of eating disorders.
• Examining the link between sleep disorders and mood disorders.
• Assessing the effectiveness of group therapy for substance abuse.
• The role of attachment in borderline personality disorder.
• Investigating the stigma surrounding mental illness.
• Treating PTSD in veterans through exposure therapy.
• Neurobiological basis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• Parent-child relationships and their impact on conduct disorder.
• Gender differences in the prevalence of depression.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder.
• Psychopharmacology and treatment-resistant depression.
• The psychology of self-harm and self-injury.
• Internet addiction and its connection to mental health.
• Assessing the efficacy of art therapy for PTSD.
• Personality disorders and their impact on interpersonal relationships.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in treating borderline personality disorder.
• Factors contributing to the rise in adolescent depression.
• Exploring the link between childhood abuse and dissociative identity disorder.
• Cross-cultural perspectives on the diagnosis of ADHD.
• The role of serotonin in mood disorders.
• Mindfulness-based stress reduction in chronic pain management.
• Impact of family dynamics on eating disorders in adolescents.
• Examining the long-term effects of child neglect on adult mental health.
• Psychosocial factors in the development of schizophrenia.
• Gender dysphoria and psychological well-being.
• The psychology of resilience in cancer patients.
• Attachment styles and their influence on adult relationships.
• Virtual reality exposure therapy for phobias.
• Exploring the effectiveness of equine therapy for trauma survivors.
• Autism spectrum disorders and early intervention.
• Body image dissatisfaction and its link to eating disorders.
• The psychological impact of chronic illness.
• Cognitive rehabilitation in traumatic brain injury.
• Sleep disorders in children and their impact on academic performance.
• The role of social support in recovery from substance abuse.
• Neuropsychological assessment in Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis.

40+ Developmental Psychology Research Topics

• The impact of parental divorce on child development.
• Adolescents’ self-identity and social media.
• Long-term effects of early childhood attachment on adult relationships.
• Gender identity development in children.
• The influence of birth order on personality development.
• The role of genetics in language development.
• Autism spectrum disorder interventions for toddlers.
• Adolescent peer pressure and substance abuse.
• The impact of bullying on psychological development.
• Sibling rivalry and its long-term effects.
• Parenting styles and their influence on children’s behavior.
• The development of moral reasoning in children.
• Influence of cultural factors on child development.
• Attachment theory and foster care outcomes.
• The impact of technology on cognitive development in children.
• Children’s understanding of death and grief.
• Cognitive development in bilingual children.
• The role of play in early childhood development.
• Attachment disorders and interventions in adopted children.
• The development of emotional intelligence in adolescents.
• The impact of poverty on child development.
• The relationship between nutrition and cognitive development.
• Bullying prevention and intervention programs in schools.
• The role of grandparents in child development.
• Developmental aspects of sibling relationships.
• Child prodigies and their psychological development.
• Gender stereotypes and their influence on children’s aspirations.
• The effects of early education on academic success.
• Cognitive development in children with learning disabilities.
• The impact of divorce on young adults’ romantic relationships.
• Parent-child communication about sex education.
• Adolescents’ body image and its influence on self-esteem.
• Influence of peer relationships on early social development.
• The role of extracurricular activities in adolescent development.
• Long-term outcomes for children in same-sex parent families.
• Cognitive development in children with ADHD.
• The effects of early exposure to screens on cognitive development.
• The role of attachment in adolescent mental health.
• Identity development in multicultural children.

40+ Biological Psychology Research Topics

• The neural basis of addiction and substance abuse.
• The role of genetics in personality traits.
• Effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive function.
• Exploring the gut-brain connection and its impact on mental health.
• Neural mechanisms of stress and its long-term effects.
• The relationship between brain structure and intelligence.
• The impact of exercise on brain health and cognition.
• Neurobiological factors in eating disorders.
• Neural pathways involved in fear and anxiety.
• The influence of hormones on behavior and mood.
• Neuroplasticity and its implications for recovery after brain injuries.
• The biology of memory and amnesia.
• Understanding the neurological basis of schizophrenia.
• The role of neurotransmitters in depression.
• The impact of aging on brain structure and function.
• Neural mechanisms underlying aggression and violence.
• Brain imaging techniques and their applications in research.
• The effects of prenatal exposure to toxins on brain development.
• Neurological aspects of autism spectrum disorders.
• Brain changes associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• The genetics of Alzheimer’s disease.
• Neurobiology of consciousness and altered states of consciousness.
• The role of the amygdala in emotional processing.
• Neural mechanisms of sexual attraction and orientation.
• The impact of nutrition on brain development and function.
• Brain regions involved in decision-making and impulsivity.
• Neurological factors in Tourette’s syndrome.
• The biology of reward and motivation.
• Neural correlates of empathy and social cognition.
• Genetic predisposition to addiction.
• The influence of hormones on maternal behavior.
• The neurological basis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Adolescent brain development and the effects on behavior.
• The prefrontal cortex’s function in executive tasks.
• Linguistic disorders and language neuroscience.
• Neuroinflammation’s effects on mental health.
• Mechanisms in the brain that affect sensory perception.
• Neurological and genetic influences on bipolar disorder.
• The impact of persistent pain on brain development and function.
• The endocannabinoid system’s function in controlling mood.

Research Methodology for Psychology Topics

Understanding various research methodologies is key to conducting a successful study. Whether you opt for experimental designs, surveys, case studies, or sophisticated data analysis, each method offers unique insights. Choose the methodology that aligns with your research questions and objectives, ensuring a robust and reliable study.

Resources for Psychology Research

In the digital age, a wealth of resources for psychology topics to research is at your fingertips. Utilize academic journals, databases, books, and online courses to enhance your understanding. 

Engage with professional organizations and attend conferences to stay updated with the latest research trends and network with fellow enthusiasts.

Tips for Successful Psychology Topics for Research

• Choose a Fascinating Topic: Select a research topic that genuinely interests you. Your passion and curiosity will drive your motivation and engagement throughout the research process.
• Narrow Your Focus: Refine your research question to ensure it’s specific and manageable. A focused question will lead to more meaningful and in-depth findings.
• Conduct a Thorough Literature Review: Familiarize yourself with existing research in your chosen area. This helps you build on prior knowledge and identify gaps in the literature.
• Hypothesize and Predict: Develop clear hypotheses and predictions for your study. This sets the direction for your research and provides a framework for data collection and analysis.
• Choose the Right Research Method: Select the research method that best suits your research question, whether it’s experiments, surveys, interviews, or case studies.
• Ethical Considerations: Prioritize ethical guidelines in your research, including obtaining informed consent, ensuring confidentiality, and avoiding harm to participants.
• Sample Selection: Carefully choose your sample to make sure it’s representative of the population you’re studying. Consider factors like age, gender, and cultural diversity.
• Data Collection: Collect data systematically and ensure its accuracy and reliability. Use well-established measurement tools when applicable.
• Data Analysis: Employ appropriate statistical techniques to analyze your data. Make use of software like SPSS or R for thorough analysis.
• Interpret Results Objectively: Avoid confirmation bias and interpret your results objectively, even if they don’t align with your initial hypotheses.
• Discuss Limitations: Acknowledge the limitations of your study in your research paper. This demonstrates your awareness of potential weaknesses and strengthens your research’s credibility.
• Contribute to the Field: Highlight the significance of your research and how it contributes to the broader field of psychology. What does it add to existing knowledge?
• Write Clearly and Concisely: Communicate your findings in a clear, concise, and well-structured manner. Use APA or other relevant style guides for formatting.
• Peer Review: Seek feedback from colleagues, mentors, or professors. Peer review can help identify blind spots and improve the quality of your work.
• Stay Organized: Maintain detailed records of your research process, including notes, data, and references. Organization is key to successful research.
• Time Management: Plan your research timeline carefully, allocating sufficient time for each stage, from literature review to data collection and analysis.
• Persevere: Research often involves setbacks and challenges. Stay persistent, adapt when necessary, and remain dedicated to your research goals.
• Publish and Share: Consider presenting your research at conferences and seek opportunities for publication in academic journals . Sharing your findings contributes to the advancement of the field.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest research trends and developments in psychology. Attend conferences and join professional organizations to stay connected with the academic community.
• Collaborate: Don’t hesitate to collaborate with other researchers, as teamwork can lead to valuable insights and more significant research outcomes.

Choosing the psychology topics to research is akin to embarking on an adventure into the depths of the human mind. Each topic holds the potential to unravel mysteries, challenge assumptions, and make a meaningful impact on individuals and society. 

As you venture into this realm, remember that your curiosity and dedication are your greatest assets. Embrace the journey, learn from every step, and let your research contribute to the ever-expanding tapestry of psychological knowledge. Happy researching!

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Research Topics is a collection of previously published articles, features, and news stories. They are meant to serve as an information clearinghouse and represent some of APS’s most requested and publicly relevant subjects. Note: this content may reflect the accepted style and terminology of the date the articles were first published.

Trending Topics

Disaster response and recovery.

Disasters like Hurricane Florence and Typhoon Mangkhut draw massive media coverage, trauma interventions, and financial donations to victims. But psychological research shows the efforts don’t always yield the intended benefits.

Environment and Climate Change

Psychological scientists are studying how we’re all weathering a warming planet.

Myths and Misinformation

How does misinformation spread and how do we combat it? Psychological science sheds light on the mechanisms underlying misinformation and ‘fake news.’

Learn about the mechanisms underlying our generous motivations and behaviors.

For psychological scientists, exploring the less pleasant aspects of individual and social nature, like violence and aggression, is an occasional necessity.

Aggression and Violence

Research is showing that aging equals anything but cognitive decline and unhappiness.

Psychological scientists have done extensive research on the aging brain, Alzheimer's Disease, different types of dementias, and much more.

Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias

How do pets influence our well-being? Why does the face of a puppy or the purr of a cat soothe us? Psychological research provides some insights.

Animal Behavior

Developments in AI and machine learning herald unprecedented leaps in many applications, including human psychology itself. Algorithmic bias is just one issue of concern.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning

Whether you're driving, studying, or listening to a business presentation, keeping focused can be a challenge when boredom and distractions compete for your focus. Research findings have identified the factors that keep our minds on task -- or off track.

Attention and Distraction

Psychological science on the effects of prejudice, and how to counter these beliefs.

Bias and Stigma

Learn what researchers have discovered about the factors that lead to bullying and the long-term consequences it can have.

The World Health Organization has added "burnout" to its International Classification of Diseases. Learn what psychological scientists have discovered about the possible causes and symptoms of burnout.

Psychological research reveals the long-lasting cognitive, social, and neurobiological consequences of stress and trauma experienced in childhood.

Childhood Adversity

A growing body of research connects various aspects of children's environments and their emotional well-being.

Childhood and Adolescent Mental Health

Psychological scientists have designed cognitive tests that can help identify everything from memory deficits to cultural heritage.

Cognitive Testing

A collection of studies shows that compassion gets stronger with training and this training can even change brain function.

It's a big-time showdown for France and Croatia in the upcoming FIFA World Cup final. Science reveals how players and fans alike handle the pressure of climactic competition.

Competition

From international wars to political arguments at the dinner table, conflict is an integral part of the human experience. Psychological scientists have uncovered a wealth of knowledge about the ways cooperation and acceptance can overpower those clashes.

Conflict and Conflict Resolution

What drives people to believe in vast conspiracies and dismiss facts as hoaxes? Psychological research identifies some motivations.

Conspiracy Theories

The criminal justice system was designed to find and punish perpetrators guilty of the crimes of which they are accused. Psychological science helps repair and maintain the public’s trust in the system and eliminate threats to equal justice.

Criminal Justice

How do people respond to increasing cultural diversity in their communities, cities, and countries? Researchers investigate.

Cultural Diversity

Being curious about the world around us can have benefits at school, work, and other contexts, studies show.

Psychological scientists are exploring how we use digital media and the consequences, both positive and negative, it can have in everyday life.

Digital Media

Disasters like Hurricane Florence and Typhoon Mangkhut draw massive media coverage, trauma interventions, and financial donations to victims. But psychological research shows the efforts don't always yield the intended benefits.

How do motorists develop the higher-order cognitive processes required to navigate safely? Research explores this and more.

Driving and Cars

Read what psychological researchers have discovered about the effects of eating on mood, behavior, and cognition.

Eating and Food

Psychological scientists are studying how we're all weathering a warming planet.

The psychology and science behind how individuals and groups respond to epidemics.

Epidemics and Public Health Behavior

Psychological scientists identify factors that prompt people to lie, cheat, bribe, and steal and strategies for addressing such unethical behavior.

What motivates us to exercise? And what effects does exercise have on mental function? Psychological scientists are exploring the ins and outs of physical activity.

Understanding the science behind eyewitness memory can have important implications for criminal justice procedures.

Eyewitness Memory

APS offers some scientific insights into family dynamics.

Family Relationships

Why are we scared of some things and not others? Psychological scientists are exploring the many facets of fear and the mechanisms that drive it.

Friendships are unique relationships that offer researchers a window into many aspects of life, including personality, longevity, health, and well-being.

Researchers explore the factors that perpetuate gender inequality and the effects that such bias can have on women in the workplace and beyond.

Gender and Bias

Effort, stamina, and purpose drive our accomplishments — science shows us what to do to keep motivation going.

Goals and Motivation

In some of the most famous cases of money laundering, corporate fraud, and tax evasion lies a relentless appetite for big profits and personal wealth. How does greed affect our sense of morality?

Greed and Corruption

Psychological scientists are leading the way in addressing the mental health issues resulting from traumatic events.

Grief and Trauma

Psychological science sheds light on happiness, from a personal to an economic level.

Learn how the human brain influences what our ears register - and what they don't.

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Learn about the research on what makes you laugh, why something you find funny is offensive to someone else, and more.

We’re averse to hypocrites because their disavowal of bad behavior sends a false signal about their true nature.

Unconscious bias can lurk below the level of conscious awareness, but researchers are working to uncover more effective methods of reducing these prejudices.

Implicit Bias

Psychological and educational interventions can make a positive difference in a person's trajectory or even their life. What factors influence how interventions either persist over the long term or fade out?

Interventions

Psychological science has played a leading role in busting misconceptions about sexual orientation and gender identity, and in changing people's attitudes toward individuals who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Psychology researchers are identifying how we build strong reading skills in early childhood and the factors that contribute to difficulty with reading comprehension.

Researchers explore the causes, impacts, and possible interventions for loneliness and social isolation.

Loneliness and Social Isolation

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Love and Attraction

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Psychological scientists have amassed a vast amount of empirical knowledge on the causes of and best treatments for mental disorders.

Mental Health

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Mindfulness and Meditation

Psychological scientists are identifying cognitive, developmental, and cultural aspects of music perception and the essential role that music plays in our everyday lives.

How does misinformation spread and how do we combat it? Psychological science sheds light on the mechanisms underlying misinformation and 'fake news.'

Scientists are increasingly busting some myths and making new discoveries about a dark personality trait.

Deal making at the international, business, and interpersonal levels involves a variety of emotional, social, and language factors that lead to a final agreement -- or a stalemate.

Negotiation

Read about the wealth of psychological studies on neurodiversity and the differences in learning, attention, and mood.

Neurodivergence

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Neuroscience

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Overconfidence

Amid the epidemic of opioid addiction, psychological science has demonstrated that pain relief doesn't have to be pharmaceutical.

Pain Management

Personality tests are the center of countless psychological studies exploring targeted marketing, workplace dynamics, and different brain structures.

Personality Traits

Public trust in the police has remained flat for decades, a problem that has become especially salient due to recent events.

Policing and Law Enforcement

A scientific analysis upends the notion that people on the political right are more biased about their ideological views than are people on the left.

Political Differences

Why do we dawdle and delay, even on the most important tasks? Researchers explore the causes and consequences of procrastination.

Procrastination

Plenty of beliefs about human psychology are based on myth masquerading as facts. Psychological scientists have not only exposed the weak evidence for these notions, but can recommend strategies to help us to distinguish true science from bunk.

Pseudoscience

Psychological researchers are examining the complexities of racism and xenophobia at both the interpersonal and societal levels.

Racism and Discrimination

Psychological research explores how we evaluate, perceive, and choose whether to take risks.

Why does self-control fail, and how can we boost it? Researchers explore the mechanisms underlying this important ability and how it develops over time.

Self-Control

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Sexual Assault and Harassment

Insufficient sleep has been shown to have adverse effects at work, in driving, and even in court.

From the scent of flowers to the stench of hazardous chemicals, our sense of smell guides us through our environment and significantly influences our emotions, as scientists have discovered.

How does athletic engagement and competition affect our thoughts and behaviors? Learn what psychological science has uncovered.

New discoveries about the ill effects of psychological stress abound, but scientists are also learning about buffers to stress.

Psychological scientists delve into study strategies, math anxiety, reading comprehension, and more.

Studying and Learning

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Substance Abuse and Addiction

Scientists show how get-aways and enjoyable activities affect our work lives and relationships.

Taking a Break

Psychological research is fostering understanding of the important factors that contribute to effective teaching, from individual instruction to school climate.

The psychological mechanisms that lead us to have faith in certain people and be suspicious of others are vast. Learn what psychological researchers have discovered about interpersonal trust.

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Understanding and Preventing Suicide

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Vaccination

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Video Games

The way the brain and the human eye process visual stimuli, including illusions, is a thriving area of psychological science.

Researchers unravel the mystery of voting behavior, including why people vote in seemingly unpredictable or illogical ways.

How does weather, both ordinary and extreme, affect decision-making, behavior, and emotions?

Weather and Behavior

Research in psychological science reveals the causes and consequences of bullying behavior in the office.

Workplace Bullying

When done well, efforts to improve intergroup harmony at work can uplift individuals and lead entire organizations to perform at a higher level.

Workplace Diversity

Privacy overview.

More synchrony between parents and children not always better

More synchrony between parents and children may not always be better, new research has revealed.

For the first time a new University of Essex study looked at behavioural and brain-to-brain synchrony in 140 families with a special focus on attachment.

It looked at how they feel and think about emotional bonds whilst measuring brain activity as mums and dads solved puzzles with their kids.

The study -- published in Developmental Science -- discovered that mums with insecure attachment traits showed more brain-to-brain synchrony with their children.

Dr Pascal Vrticka, from the Department of Psychology, said: "For secure child attachment development, sensitive and mutually attuned interactions with parents are crucial.

"If the parent, here the mother, has more insecure attachment traits it may be more difficult for the dyad to achieve optimal behavioural synchrony.

"Increased brain-to-brain synchrony may reflect a neural compensation mechanism to overcome otherwise less attuned interaction elements."

The study also discovered different behavioural and brain-to-brain synchrony patterns depending on whether the parent was a mum or a dad.

Fathers and children showed stronger brain-to-brain synchrony, whereas mums and their kids had stronger behavioural synchrony.

These findings suggest higher father-child brain-to-brain synchrony may reflect a neural compensation strategy to counteract a relative lack of behavioural synchrony.

It hopes this research will springboard studies into parent-child relationships and open new avenues for intervention and prevention.

It comes as Dr Vrticka prepares to work with the NHS to explore family relationships.

He added: "Together with the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, we will soon start looking at synchrony within families with neurodivergent children and children with experiences of care and adoption.

"Our aim is to find behavioural and neurobiological correlates of an optimal range of synchrony to help all families with their relationships and child attachment development.

In doing so, we must appreciate that not only low but also high synchrony can signal interaction and relationship difficulties."

Attachment was assessed in parents with an interview and in children with a story completion task.

Brain-to-brain synchrony between parents and children was derived from functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning.

Finally, the parent-child interaction was video-recorded and coded for behavioural synchrony.

The study was led by Dr Trinh Nguyen who now works at the Italian Institute of Technology in Rome, Italy, and Dr Melanie Kungl from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany -- along with colleagues from Vienna, Berlin, and Leipzig.

• Child Psychology
• Child Development
• Brain-Computer Interfaces
• Brain Injury
• Learning Disorders
• Intelligence
• Neuroscience
• Psycholinguistics
• Brain damage
• Adult attention-deficit disorder
• Functional neuroimaging
• Electroencephalography

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Essex . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Trinh Nguyen, Melanie T. Kungl, Stefanie Hoehl, Lars O. White, Pascal Vrtička. Visualizing the invisible tie: Linking parent–child neural synchrony to parents’ and children's attachment representations . Developmental Science , 2024; DOI: 10.1111/desc.13504

Cite This Page :

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New Research on the Power of Synchronicity During Sex

When two hearts beat as one..

Posted April 11, 2024 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk

• The Fundamentals of Sex
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• Physiological synchronicity refers to the coordination of bodily responses in close relationships.
• Physiological synchronicity correlates to relational well-being, empathy, and feelings of closeness.
• Physiological synchronicity likely facilitates female sexual arousal.

The feeling of synchronicity and unity during sex is a phenomenon that many long to experience in their own lovemaking. When it comes to heightening pleasure and satisfaction, sex therapists have long emphasized verbal communication (e.g., expressing desires and preferences). While interventions like these certainly play an important role in improving sexual satisfaction, they only go so far. A new study sheds light on the power of our unconscious reciprocal bodily cues.

Physiological synchronicity, or attunement as it’s more commonly known, refers to the coordination of bodily responses in close relationships. For instance, when one person’s heart rate slows, the other’s will, too. When one person's breathing quickens, the other's follows suit. This phenomenon happens more in close, intimate relationships than in unfamiliar ones. Studies have found evidence of physiological coordination in caregiver /infant relationships, therapist/client relationships, and between close friends, romantic partners, and even pets and pet owners.

There are grounded theories as to the benefits of physiological synchronicity. Prior research has found that physiological synchronicity correlates to empathy, feelings of closeness, and relational well-being. In other words, our relationships are enhanced when our bodies sync up with people we care about. Synchronicity improves our ability for compassion and emotional intimacy and makes it easier to anticipate the behavior and feelings of those in our inner circle.

Researchers have started paying closer attention to the nuances of this phenomenon in romantic relationships . Previous research has found couples with high levels of synchronicity are more likely to report feeling sexually satisfied, and physiological synchronicity has also found to be predictive of physical attraction . Interestingly, researchers have found that in romantically involved heterosexual couples, women's bodies are more likely to follow their male partner's lead. This is most likely due to differences in gender socialization.

Until recently, however, little was known about how our bodies coordinate during sexual activity. A recent study sheds light.

The researchers collected 58 heterosexual couples who had been in monogamous relationships for at least six months. On average, the couples in this study had been together for 3.5 years. The investigators sent each couple home with a device that measured their heart rate and heart rate variability. The couples were instructed to wear the equipment while completing a series of tasks.

• Baseline task: The couple sat in separate rooms so that the researchers could measure their baseline autonomic rhythm within the environment .
• Gazing task: The couple was instructed to sit and gaze at one another for five minutes without speaking.
• Mirroring task: The couples were given vague instructions to mirror each other’s movements and attempt to synchronize.
• Hand-holding task: The couple was instructed to hold hands for five minutes so that the researchers could isolate the effect of nonsexual touch.
• Foreplay: The couple was instructed to engage in foreplay the way they normally would.
• Prescribed position: The couple was told to engage in intercourse lying side by side, facing each other.
• Free-form sex: The couples engaged in intercourse in whichever position they liked as long as they continued to face each other.

The Findings

The researchers found synchronicity, or attunement, occurred in each task except the baseline task and the prescribed position task, with significantly greater synchronicity occurring during sexual activity compared to the nonsexual tasks.

Implications

We know that the autonomic nervous system plays a role in sexual function. In a conversation with the study’s author, Bridget Freihart, I learned that women’s sexual arousal increases when the sympathetic nervous system is slightly activated. This contradicts the commonly held assumption that women need to feel fully relaxed for arousal to build. Since previous studies have found that women’s nervous system activity changes in correspondence to men’s—or, in other words, men set the tone—we could hypothesize that it is to women’s benefit to experience high physiological synchronicity during sex.

In a previous study, the authors found that relational synchrony positively correlates to sexual satisfaction and may facilitate the ability to respond effectively to changes in partners' emotional states. It can be reasonably assumed, therefore, that the correlation goes in the opposite direction, too—that greater attunement during sex deepens the degree to which we can respond to changes in our partner’s emotional cues.

To summarize, the authors hypothesize that synchrony during sex is important because it facilitates attunement, which helps couples relax, stay calm, and relish the relational and emotional components of the sexual experience. They also believe that the upregulation of the autonomic nervous system facilitates female sexual arousal.

Couples can take a note from this study and, rather than getting lost in verbal communication exercises, see what transpires when they let their bodies do the talking.

Freihart, B. K., & Meston, C. M. (2024). Physiological Synchrony During Partnered Sexual Activity. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy , 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2024.2321127

Emily Jamea, Ph.D., LMFT, LPC is a sex and relationship therapist with over a decade of experience. She maintains a busy private practice and researches how to create optimal relationships and sexual experiences.

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6 Common Leadership Styles — and How to Decide Which to Use When

• Rebecca Knight

Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances call for different approaches.

Research suggests that the most effective leaders adapt their style to different circumstances — be it a change in setting, a shift in organizational dynamics, or a turn in the business cycle. But what if you feel like you’re not equipped to take on a new and different leadership style — let alone more than one? In this article, the author outlines the six leadership styles Daniel Goleman first introduced in his 2000 HBR article, “Leadership That Gets Results,” and explains when to use each one. The good news is that personality is not destiny. Even if you’re naturally introverted or you tend to be driven by data and analysis rather than emotion, you can still learn how to adapt different leadership styles to organize, motivate, and direct your team.

Much has been written about common leadership styles and how to identify the right style for you, whether it’s transactional or transformational, bureaucratic or laissez-faire. But according to Daniel Goleman, a psychologist best known for his work on emotional intelligence, “Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances may call for different approaches.”

• RK Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.

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Psychology class: UK biotech group raises £48mn for Alzheimer’s research

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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

This article picked by a teacher with suggested questions is part of the Financial Times free schools access programme. Details/registration  here .

Read all our psychology class picks .

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Biopsychology

Click the link below to read the and then answer the questions:

UK biotech group raises £48mn for Alzheimer’s research

The article notes that “neurons are the fundamental units of the brain”. Outline the structure and function of a neuron

Distinguish between motor and sensory neurons

One of the roles of ‘astrocytes’ is supporting the formation of synapses. Draw and label a synapse

Explain synaptic transmission

Suggest economic implications of the research discussed in the article

Danny Galbraith, St Bartholomew’s School

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April 2, 2024

Eclipse Psychology: When the Sun and Moon Align, So Do We

How a total solar eclipse creates connection, unity and caring among the people watching

By Katie Weeman

Students observing a partial solar eclipse on June 21, 2020, in Lhokseumawe, Aceh Province, Indonesia.

NurPhoto/Getty Images

This article is part of a special report on the total solar eclipse that will be visible from parts of the U.S., Mexico and Canada on April 8, 2024.

It was 11:45 A.M. on August 21, 2017. I was in a grassy field in Glendo, Wyo., where I was surrounded by strangers turned friends, more than I could count—and far more people than had ever flocked to this town, population 210 or so. Golden sunlight blanketed thousands of cars parked in haphazard rows all over the rolling hills. The shadows were quickly growing longer, the air was still, and all of our faces pointed to the sky. As the moon progressively covered the sun, the light melted away, the sky blackened, and the temperature dropped. At the moment of totality, when the moon completely covered the sun , some people around me suddenly gasped. Some cheered; some cried; others laughed in disbelief.

Exactly 53 minutes later, in a downtown park in Greenville, S.C., the person who edited this story and the many individuals around him reacted in exactly the same ways.

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When a total solar eclipse descends—as one will across Mexico, the U.S. and Canada on April 8—everyone and everything in the path of totality are engulfed by deep shadow. Unlike the New Year’s Eve countdown that lurches across the globe one blocky time zone after another, the shadow of totality is a dark spot on Earth that measures about 100 miles wide and cruises steadily along a path, covering several thousand miles in four to five hours. The human experiences along that path are not isolated events any more than individual dominoes are isolated pillars in a formation. Once that first domino is tipped, we are all linked into something bigger—and unstoppable. We all experience the momentum and the awe together.

When this phenomenon progresses from Mexico through Texas, the Great Lakes and Canada on April 8, many observers will describe the event as life-changing, well beyond expectations. “You feel a sense of wrongness in those moments before totality , when your surroundings change so rapidly,” says Kate Russo, an author, psychologist and eclipse chaser. “Our initial response is to ask ourselves, ‘Is this an opportunity or a threat?’ When the light changes and the temperature drops, that triggers primal fear. When we have that threat response, our whole body is tuned in to taking in as much information as possible.”

Russo, who has witnessed 13 total eclipses and counting, has interviewed eclipse viewers from around the world. She continues to notice the same emotions felt by all. They begin with that sense of wrongness and primal fear as totality approaches. When totality starts, we feel powerful awe and connection to the world around us. A sense of euphoria develops as we continue watching, and when it’s over, we have a strong desire to seek out the next eclipse.

“The awe we feel during a total eclipse makes us think outside our sense of self. It makes you more attuned to things outside of you,” says Sean Goldy, a postdoctoral fellow at the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University.

Goldy and his team analyzed Twitter data from nearly 2.9 million people during the 2017 total solar eclipse. They found that people within the path of totality were more likely to use not only language that expressed awe but also language that conveyed being unified and affiliated with others. That meant using more “we” words (“us” instead of “me”) and more humble words (“maybe” instead of “always”).

“During an eclipse, people have a broader, more collective focus,” Goldy says. “We also found that the more people expressed awe, the more likely they were to use those ‘we’ words, indicating that people who experience this emotion feel more connected with others.”

This connectivity ties into a sociological concept known as “collective effervescence,” Russo and Goldy say. When groups of humans come together over a shared experience, the energy is greater than the sum of its parts. If you’ve ever been to a large concert or sporting event, you’ve felt the electricity generated by a hive of humans. It magnifies our emotions.

I felt exactly that unified feeling in the open field in Glendo, as if thousands of us were breathing as one. But that’s not the only way people can experience a total eclipse.

During the 2008 total eclipse in Mongolia “I was up on a peak,” Russo recounts. “I was with only my husband and a close friend. We had left the rest of our 25-person tour group at the bottom of the hill. From that vantage point, when the shadow came sweeping in, there was not one man-made thing I could see: no power lines, no buildings or structures. Nothing tethered me to time: It could have been thousands of years ago or long into the future. In that moment, it was as if time didn’t exist.”

Giving us the ability to unhitch ourselves from time—to stop dwelling on time is a unique superpower of a total eclipse. In Russo’s work as a clinical psychologist, she notices patterns in our modern-day mentality. “People with anxiety tend to spend a lot of time in the future. And people with depression spend a lot of time in the past,” she says. An eclipse, time and time again, has the ability to snap us back into the present, at least for a few minutes. “And when you’re less anxious and worried, it opens you up to be more attuned to other people, feel more connected, care for others and be more compassionate,” Goldy says.

Russo, who founded Being in the Shadow , an organization that provides information about total solar eclipses and organizes eclipse events around the world, has experienced this firsthand. Venue managers regularly tell her that eclipse crowds are among the most polite and humble: they follow the rules; they pick up their garbage—they care.

Eclipses remind us that we are part of something bigger, that we are connected with something vast. In the hours before and after totality you have to wear protective glasses to look at the sun, to prevent damage to your eyes. But during the brief time when the moon blocks the last of the sun’s rays, you can finally lower your glasses and look directly at the eclipse. It’s like making eye contact with the universe.

“In my practice, usually if someone says, ‘I feel insignificant,’ that’s a negative thing. But the meaning shifts during an eclipse,” Russo says. To feel insignificant in the moon’s shadow instead means that your sense of self shrinks, that your ego shrinks, she says.

The scale of our “big picture” often changes after witnessing the awe of totality, too. “When you zoom out—really zoom out—it blows away our differences,” Goldy says. When you sit in the shadow of a celestial rock blocking the light of a star 400 times its size that burns at 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit on its surface, suddenly that argument with your partner, that bill sitting on your counter or even the differences among people’s beliefs, origins or politics feel insignificant. When we shift our perspective, connection becomes boundless.

You don’t need to wait for the next eclipse to feel this way. As we travel through life, we lose our relationship with everyday awe. Remember what that feels like? It’s the way a dog looks at a treat or the way my toddler points to the “blue sky!” outside his car window in the middle of rush hour traffic. To find awe, we have to surrender our full attention to the beauty around us. During an eclipse, that comes easily. In everyday life, we may need to be more intentional.

“Totality kick-starts our ability to experience wonder,” Russo says. And with that kick start, maybe we can all use our wonderment faculties more—whether that means pausing for a moment during a morning walk, a hug or a random sunset on a Tuesday. In the continental U.S., we won’t experience another total eclipse until 2044. Let’s not wait until then to seek awe and connection.