Unsure what title to use for your thesis? Take inspiration from previous winners of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) prize!
But before we get to that...
What does the APA Style Guide say re Titles?
According to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition (APA Style guide):
There is no maximum length for titles; however, keep titles focused and include key terms.
In relation to key terms, I would consider your:
independent variable/s;
dependent variable/s;
other key variables (i.e., moderators/mediators);
the population being studied; and
your study design.
In terms of length, the 7th Edition of the APA Style guide does not recommend a length for titles, however, the previous 6th Edition recommended that titles be no more than 12 words in length. I think that's a helpful guide.
The example title the APA provides is: Impact of Gender on the Evaluation of Humor in Romantic Relationships
Need Some Inspiration?
Each year, the Australian Psychological Society awards each student who gains first place at the end of an accredited fourth-year program in psychology the “APS prize”.
Here are some of the titles of the 2020 prize winners:
Qualitative Studies
Partnered gay and bisexual men’s construction of non-monogamous sexual agreements in an era of biomedical HIV prevention: An Australian qualitative study
(Adam Daltin, Charles Sturt University)
A qualitative study on the attitudes and approaches of Australian health professionals in addressing sexuality after acquired brain injury (Jill Hwang, Monash University)
Scale Validation
Preliminary validation of the substance use motives measure (SUMM) among young people in Australia (Megan Jane Wells, University of Woollongong)
Meta-analysis
Visual processing abnormalities in the interictal period between migraines: A meta-analysis (Timucin Sezal, La Trobe University)
Quantitative Studies
Can social media facilitate social change? #MeToo and attitudes towards gender equality and feminism (Madeline Cicard, Australian Catholic University)
Pandemic and prejudice: How a realistic threat differentially undermines contact with out-groups (Ellen Shi, Australian National Univeristy)
Thinking about friends: Friendship and cognitions in non-suicidal self-injury (Tara Swindells, Curtin University)
Comparing the effectiveness of hopeful versus mixed emotion message frames on climate change policy support in the united states (Elias Economou, Deakin University)
An examination of current compassion measures and the relationships between compassion for others, self-compassion and well-being (Claire Proyer, Griffith University)
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the subjective wellbeing of the Australian population: Does it matter who you live with? (Jennifer Ann Bullers, ISN Psychology)
Getting the point across: Using immersive virtual reality to investigate the role of eye gaze during point-based joint attention (Christine Inkley, Macquarie University)
Patterns of emotional regulation and expression in adulthood: The role of childhood emotional invalidation and adult attachment (Ellie Hall-Prvulj, Swinburne University of Technolgy)
Prioritisation under pressure: The effect of deliberation time on multiple goal pursuit (Manikya Alister, Univeristy of Queensland
Quantitative Investigations
Are fear of cancer recurrence and fear of progression equivalent constructs? An empirical investigation (Daelin Coutts-Bain, University of Sydney)
Suicide risk in online help-seekers: Exploring Psychosocial Factors Contributing to Increased Suicidal IdeationEach (Christopher Rainbow, Victoria University).
Happy Researching!
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