proposal

Shasta Strong

Week 1 Journal: Research Topic Selection

July 14, 2025

Social media has a big impact on teenage life and can have both positive and negative effects on mental health. Positively, it gives them the opportunity to express themselves, interact with their friends, and obtain important information, such as services for mental health. Particularly for people who might feel excluded in their offline contexts, it might help them develop a feeling of identity and belonging. Active use of social media, whether for communication or creation, can promote emotional health and social development. However, there is mounting evidence that excessive or passive social media use is associated with higher rates of anxiety, sadness, low self-esteem, and sleep disturbances. Fear of missing out (FOMO), unfavorable social comparison, and even cyberbullying can result from frequent exposure to idealized pictures and the urge to be online. Adolescents’ experiences can vary depending on personal characteristics such as age, gender, and underlying mental health issues. All things considered, social media can be a useful tool, but how, when, and why it is utilized greatly affects how it affects mental health.

In psychology, the research of social media's effects on teenage mental health is crucial because it tackles a quickly changing facet of human behavior that has a direct impact on psychological development, particularly at a vulnerable stage of life. Online interactions now have a significant impact on identity formation, emotional regulation, and social connection during adolescence. Psychologists are in a unique position to investigate how adolescents' self-concept, mood, and conduct are shaped by their continuous exposure to carefully chosen content, peer criticism, and online comparison. Additionally, this subject expands knowledge in several subfields of psychology, such as social, developmental, and clinical psychology. In addition to helping to improve theoretical frameworks like cognitive-behavioral models and ecological systems theory, it offers insights into new trends in mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, and poor self-esteem. Practically speaking, the study can guide evidence-based treatments, digital literacy initiatives, and therapeutic philosophies that are adapted to the digital world that today's adolescents must navigate. This study closes the gap between psychological science and the everyday experiences of teenagers in a digital world by tackling a contemporary and extremely pertinent subject.

References

Nadine Agyapong-Opoku, Felix Agyapong-Opoku, & Andrew J. Greenshaw. (2025). Effects of

Social Media Use on Youth and Adolescent Mental Health: A Scoping Review of Reviews.  Behavioral Sciences,  15(5), 574. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050574

Research Proposal

[WLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5] [CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Prior to beginning work on this final paper, review your preliminary presentation, any feedback received on it, and any course materials relevant to your research idea.

The written research proposal will be created based on a narrowly defined aspect of the topic selected in Week 1. A research proposal is a detailed plan for a specific study to be conducted at a future time. It is the document that potential researchers typically submit to an institutional review board (IRB) for ethical review and approval, and/or to funding agencies to secure financial support for a research effort. This is a more detailed version of the research plan you presented in Week 5.

The following headings for the required sections and subsections must appear in the paper. In accordance with APA Style, all references listed must be cited in the text of the paper.

Introduction

· Introduce the research topic, explain why it is important, and present an appropriately and narrowly defined research question and/or hypothesis.

Literature Review

· Evaluate the published research on the chosen topic including a minimum of three peer-reviewed research articles.

· Summarize the current state of knowledge on the topic, making reference to the findings of previous research studies.

· Briefly mention the research methods that have previously been used to study the topic.

· State whether the proposed study is a replication of a previous study or a new approach employing methods that have not been used before.

· Be sure to properly cite all sources in APA style.

Methods

· Design: Create a feasible research design that incorporates appropriate methods to address the topic. Because this is a plan for research that has not yet been conducted, the Methods section should be written in the future tense and should not contain any hypothetical results.

· Indicate whether the approach of the proposed study is qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods.

· Identify the specific research design and indicate whether it is experimental or nonexperimental.

· Evaluate the chosen design and explain why this design is feasible and appropriate for the topic and how it will provide the information needed to answer the research question.

· Cite sources on research methodology to support these choices. Include a minimum of two peer-reviewed sources.

· Participants: Identify and describe the sampling strategy to be used to recruit participants for the study. Estimate the number of participants needed and explain why this sampling method is appropriate for the research design and approach.

· Procedure/Measures: Apply the scientific method by describing the steps to be taken in carrying out the study. Identify any test, questionnaire, or measurement instrument to be utilized. If an existing published instrument will be employed, briefly describe it and cite the source. If an original questionnaire, survey, or test will be created for the project, describe the types of information that will be collected with it and explain how the validity and reliability of the instrument will be established. If such an instrument will not be used, describe how the data will be collected for the study.

· Data Analysis: Describe the statistical techniques (if quantitative) or the analysis procedure (if qualitative) to be used to analyze the data. Cite at least one peer-reviewed source on the chosen analysis technique.

Ethical Issues

· Analyze the impact of ethical concerns on the proposed study, such as confidentiality, deception, informed consent, potential harm to participants, conflict of interest, IRB approval, etc. After analyzing the ethical issues that apply to the project, indicate what will be done to handle these concerns.

Conclusion

· Briefly summarize the major points of the paper and reiterate why the proposed study is needed.

Note: The Master of Arts in Psychology program is utilizing the Folio portfolio tool as a repository for student scholarly work in the form of signature assignments completed within the program. After receiving feedback for this research proposal, please implement any changes recommended by the instructor, go to your Folio account and upload the revised research proposal to the portfolio. Use the  Setting Up and Using FolioLinks to an external site.  guide to create an account if you do not already have one. The upload of signature assignments will take place after completing each course. Be certain to upload revised signature assignments throughout the program as the portfolio and its contents will be used in other courses and may be used by individual students as a professional resource tool.

The Research Proposal final paper

· Must be five to seven double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to  APA StyleLinks to an external site.  as outlined in the Writing Center’s  APA Formatting for Microsoft WordLinks to an external site.  resource.

· Must include a separate title page with the following:

· Title of paper in bold font

· Space should appear between the title and the rest of the information on the title page.

· Student’s name

· Name of institution (The University of Arizona Global Campus)

· Course name and number

· Instructor’s name

· Due date

· Must utilize academic voice. See the  Academic VoiceLinks to an external site.  resource for additional guidance.

· Must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper.

· For assistance on writing  Introductions & ConclusionsLinks to an external site.  and  Writing a Thesis StatementLinks to an external site. , refer to the Writing Center resources.

· Must use at least six scholarly, peer-reviewed sources in addition to the course text.

· The  Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible SourcesLinks to an external site.  table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source.

· To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, view  Quick and Easy Library ResearchLinks to an external site.  tutorial, which introduces the University of Arizona Global Campus Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips.

· Must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center’s  APA: Citing Within Your PaperLinks to an external site.  guide.

· Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center. See the  APA: Formatting Your References ListLinks to an external site.  resource in the Writing Center for specifications.

Carefully review the  Grading RubricLinks to an external site. for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.