PSYC 255 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Research Topics, Questions, and References 2025.docx

Research Topics, Questions, and References

Hannah Carter

School of Behavioral Sciences/Department of Social Work, Liberty University

PSYC255: Introduction to Research (D02)

David S Sosin

November 3, 2025

Research Topics, Questions, and References

The goal of this paper is to discuss what research topics and research questions are and

to provide a research question based on my personal interests. The beginning of the paper will

discuss the definition of a research topic and research question and provide examples for each.

The second section of the paper will discuss my personal interests, the degree I am pursuing,

and a research topic and question based on my interests. Finally, the paper will have a review of

literature with peer-reviewed literature that supports the research question found from Liberty

University’s Jerry Falwell Library. Overall, this assignment will be focused on research topics and

questions and will demonstrate my comprehension of the difference between research topics

and questions.

Research Topics and Questions

Research topic refers to a general concept or idea that is not defined in any specific

nature, it is more of a “big picture” topic (Crawford, 2023, p. 114). Examples of research topics

include diet and behavior, social media and mental health, and friends and traveling. Research

topics are broad and not confined to specific parameters. For instance, when looking at the

research topic diet and behavior, there are not defined parameters such as a specific diet being

examined (for example, a vegan diet) or are there specific behaviors being studied (for example,

ADHD). Research topics can be taken in many different directions with various parameters and

provide a broad scope of availability for research (Crawford, 2023, p. 114).

A research question is essentially a research topic that has been narrowed down. It is a

defined idea that is testable and has specific parameters (Crawford, 2023, p.114). An example of

a research topic than can be turned a research question would be creating the research

question

“does an unstructured diet in children lead to ADHD?” from the research topic “diet and

behavior”. According to Crawford (2023), research questions are stated in a way that is direct

and narrow, so the focus of the study is clear and has specific parameters, whereas research

topics are broad and undefined. Research questions provide structure and define the focus of

the research (Crawford, 2023, p. 116).

Personal Interests

At Liberty University, I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in human services. When my

degree is done, I plan on entering the field of social work with the local department of social

services. I hope to enter the field and then pursue my master’s degree in social services, using

my job as an internship. With working at social services, I plan to work specifically with child

protective services (CPS) cases, as my life experiences has created a passion for children dealing

with childhood trauma, such as abuse and neglect. Based on the career field I aspire to join, a

research topic that I would like to explore is “foster system impact on children.” To further dive

into this topic, a research question that I would like to explore is “do children who have been

placed in the foster care system develop anxiety and depression more frequently than those

who have not experienced CPS involvement?”

Review of Literature

Bronsard, G., Alessandrini, M., Fond, G., Loundou, A., Auquier, P., Tordjman, S., & Boyer, L.

(2016). The Prevalence of Mental Disorders Among Children and Adolescents in the

Child Welfare System: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Medicine, 95(7), e2622.

https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000002622

This article conducted a meta-analysis to compare the prevalence of mental disorders

between children in the welfare system (foster care) to children from the general

population who have not experienced child protective services. The article found that

the prevalence of mental disorders in children in the welfare system is four times greater

than for children of the general population. Externalized disorders, such as disruptive

disorder and conduct disorder, were found to have a higher prevalence than internalized

disorders, such as anxiety and depression. However, internalized disorders in children in

the welfare system were still found to have a three to four times higher prevalence than

in children from the general population. The article concludes with suggesting the need

for qualified service provisions in the child welfare system.

Engler, A. D., Sarpong, K. O., Van Horne, B. S., Greeley, C. S., & Keefe, R. J. (2020). A

Systematic Review of Mental Health Disorders of Children in Foster Care. Trauma,

Violence, & Abuse, 23(1), 255-264. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838020941197

This article provided an overview of the rate and type of mental health disorders of

foster children compared to children not in foster care. The article found that children in

foster care had higher rates of mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety,

ADHD, and behavioral disorders. The children in foster care were also found to

frequently exhibit more than one mental health disorder. The article concluded by

suggesting the need for appropriate screening for mental health disorders in foster

children and the need for appropriate mental health services for children quickly after

being placed in foster care.

References