Many students are given parameters for choosing psychology essay topics from a professor or instructor, which will give the student a basic understanding of what he or she is expected to write. If no parameters are set, however, the student should choose psychology essay topics that demonstrate both an ability to write well and a thorough knowledge of psychology concepts. Consider the level of the class when choosing topics, and be sure to pick a topic that is appropriately complex. More importantly, make sure it is a topic you will be comfortable researching, and one that has plenty of resources available for that research.
Consider the topics recently discussed in class if you are a student, and choose psychology essay topics that will be relevant to those class discussions. You may not need to choose a topic that directly pertains to class discussions, but it is usually a good idea to tie your essay into concepts learned in class. This demonstrates an ability to process information and apply it to relevant concepts. The complexity of the essay will therefore depend on the complexity of the topics discussed in class.
Tying in your psychology essay topics with any historical elements of the study of psychology is usually a good idea. This will take a bit of research, and your sources will need to be properly cited in order to write an essay that uses such concepts correctly. Another common way to choose psychology essay topics is to think about the psychology of society. This is a popular approach because examples are always present in modern society, and you can easily relate established theories and concepts in psychology to modern events, trends, and so on. Be sure to narrow the focus of your topic so you can be as specific as possible, and so you can apply established concepts as accurately as possible.
Another interesting way to go about choosing psychology essay topics is to research developing trends and innovative practices within the field. A brief search online or a visit to the local library to peruse psychology journals will help turn up a variety of studies being done and concepts being developed. You can compare these concepts and studies to established concepts in the field, and you can give your own educated analysis of the methods by which researchers are developing these new concepts. This topic is especially valuable and interesting when applied to modern-day behaviors and realities.