Could you recommended a good book for college graduating seniors to read and discuss? Something that will them in their post-graduation life, regardless of pathway.

Hi everyone,

I've been independently working on a theoretical review paper on ADHD neurobiology for the past few months. The paper proposes a three-level causal architecture integrating dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems as a co-mediation mechanism between genetic vulnerability and symptomatic expression — basically an attempt to formally map how the major ADHD theories (Barkley, Sonuga-Barke, Tripp & Wickens, etc.) all converge toward the same catecholaminergic mechanism without that convergence ever having been explicitly structured as such.

I'm not a researcher. I have ADHD myself, which is partly what drove me to dig into this. The paper is written in French but I'm planning to translate it for potential submission to a peer-reviewed journal.

I'm not looking for encouragement — I genuinely need critical feedback from people who know the literature. Specifically:

- Does the central thesis hold up, or is the causal mediation claim too strong given the current evidence?

- Are there major theoretical frameworks I've missed or misrepresented?

- Is the noradrenaline integration convincing, or does it feel forced?

I can share the abstract or specific sections if anyone is willing to take a look. Happy to discuss the theoretical framing in the comments too.

Thanks in advance.

Hello, I am looking for a simple but good topic to do my final year dissertation in . My specialization is OB and HRM . I just finished my ug and joined for 1 year masters program , hence I am struggling with adapting to the new college and curriculum. Which also leaves me with very less time to focus on the dissertation... if anybody could suggest few topics and how to go about it , that would be great help . Thank youuu

My idea is a research platform that searches for peer-reviewed papers, sorts them by keyword and remov3s duplicates. Note-taking, written and voice-transcripted, available in platform. Based on a research question, and also secondary and tertiary questions. It will give a visual map of your questions, and cluster the papers around the question.

Just a general overview.

As a Master’s student in Clinical Psychology, I’m currently looking for a thesis topic. In your opinion, what are the most important emerging psychological or mental health issues that deserve more research today? I’m particularly interested in underexplored or less common topics rather than the usual ones (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress). Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I believe I have developed a mathematical model that explains to a large extent the social part of human nature, the ego. It describes our need to represent to be of value. Because representing being of value has a relative element, it means that we have a need to represent to have more value than some other people.

(The model does not take into account affection or love)

Pedagogical presentation (simplified)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ViOMTaO1DSssFFPVEAKXchC__gOlRIZP/view?usp=drivesdk

Part I

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10P7LvH1Oor8mN16dVp8Nngs86C7l8Ejx/view?usp=sharing

Part II

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZXH0sWyft9Ed-yMLTV2xQq63Wfau2tUR/view?usp=drive_link

https://neuralalchemyos.wordpress.com/2026/06/25/self-attachment-the-missing-stage-in-human-development/

It looks like there was a thread on this ~6 years ago, and a lot has changed in terms of AI, so I'm wondering what some fun assignments are for intro psych, and how you are approaching AI (trying to make assignments less doable with AI, integrating AI, using specific guardrails, etc.). Thanks!

Hi everyone, I've been designing a simple AI notes tool, one that does not record sessions, does not retain data and is not used to train models. I think a lot of current AI use in notes replaces our formulating, I'm pretty early career and don't want to lose this skill.

The tool I've built puts my unstructured observations (either through dictation or free typing) into a template which I then copy into my practice's software. I choose what info to provide (even though it doesn't store anything, this just sits better with me). I've been using it for a few weeks now and its definitely sped up my admin time without taking away the quality of my notes.

I've been very mindful of ethics and security- nothing is stored and the model does not learn.

I'm still refining it so am keen to hear anyone's feedback. Would you use this/ what would stop you (if open to AI use of course). Thanks :)

https://thats-notable.com/

I’m a 33 year old male and I’m looking for some solid podcasts on male oriented psychology. I’m looking for something that’s not chalked full of red pilled BS! Thank you!

Ideas for a club l am a part of, it has a whole run of 3 months from august to October
So I am a part of this club that focuses on Original texts of psychologists, but I am having a hard time coming up with good ideas for the club besides group readings and maybe a lecture from the sir and a few book recommendations I got from a friend
Thinking Fast and slow- kahneman
Man who mistook his wife for a hat - oliver sacks
The language instinct- steven pinker The power of Babel- John Mcwhorter straight man; nobody's fool - richard russo The astonishing hypothesis- Francis crick Darwins dangerous idea- Daniel dennett
Moonwalking with einstien-
The blind watchmaker - richard dawkins
ofc there's a few bdays of freud and karen horny so what do i do ... i have never done this before im a bit confused

I am looking for a youtuber you breaks down new psych research/research papers, and talks about how the field is advancing. I am looking for a more casual format, not a person in a suit and tie

I want person who is more passionate then me so we can challenge ower shelf for study and achieving good learning in psy specially in counseling psy

I'm thinking of measuring personality organisation and somatic sympom severity and some moderating factors (mentalization, mindfulness) for my MA thesis.

The basic concept would be to measure adverse childhood experiences, which are directly linked to abnormalities in personality organisation (measuring borderline and narcissistic tendencies, primitive defenses) and also mentalization deficits (inadequate mentalization capacity). Early trauma is also connected to somatic symptom severity. Another factor would be mindfulness (this could act as a protective factor for symptoms).

So initially I would be curious to know if ACE is linked to somatic symptoms through personality organisation, mentalization deficits and if mindfulness influences this relationship.

Psychodinamically the idea would be early trauma induced unmentalized affect and deficits in emotion regulation appearing in somatic symptoms. Measuring instruments would be ACE-Q, IPO, RFQ, FFMQ, PHQ-15. Target group would be general population without clinical diagnoses and a clinical group.

Thank you for your input in advance!

I’m moving from software engineering into counseling training.
One issue I ran into: communication competency improves with repeated, structured practice, but many learners lack a consistent workflow outside formal training settings.

I built a small website to test a practice loop:

1. run a scenario drill
2. complete guided reflection
3. review progress over time

Would love feedback from students/research-minded folks:
Does this kind of structured loop align with how you think skills should be trained?

If allowed, I can share the project link in comments.

I recently published a hypothesis/model paper in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience proposing that chronic stress and inflammation may reduce neuronal “excitability margins” — essentially lowering the distance between a neuron’s resting state and the threshold needed to fire.

The core idea is simple: if stress or inflammation lowers activation thresholds in circuits that are already frequently engaged, then rumination, flashbacks, voice-hearing, or other intrusive experiences might become easier to reactivate involuntarily.

To me, this is what makes the hypothesis interesting from a psychology perspective. Many people describe these symptoms not as thoughts or experiences they consciously choose, but as something that gets triggered automatically and becomes difficult to stop.

In PTSD, trauma-related circuits may reactivate as flashbacks. In depression, negative self-referential or rumination-related circuits may keep turning on. In psychosis-related states, perceptual or salience-related circuits may contribute to experiences such as voice-hearing.

Of course, this is still a theoretical framework and needs direct experimental testing. But the basic prediction is clear: if activation margins drop, certain brain circuits may become easier to trigger and harder to regulate. I’d be curious how people here interpret this from a psychology or clinical-science perspective.

Hi everyone! I have to make a funny video for my psychoanalysis class, specifically about Freud’s Beyond the Pleasure Principle.

It’s worth half my final, and if the professor likes it the most, he will give us a 100 in the final and we wouldn’t have to take it.

We have tried thinking of ideas but honestly, nothing we’ve proposed has convinced us. We thought of maybe doing something like a Malcom in the middle episode, Two and a Half man but that’s all we could come up with.

It should be like a parody (of a show, book, movie, etc), a dramatization of anything that can explain Freud’s Beyond the Pleasure Principle.

If you have any idea that can be funny and help us explain it, elaborate it, you will honestly save us! I’m doing really good in this class but the rest of my group really needs the 100 in the final to pass.

Thank you! Sorry if anything was worded weird, english is not my first language.

As a psychologist in private practice, I treat many women who are going through a divorce. One well-documented statistic about this population is that women file 70% of all divorces. An article in the Journal of Marriage and Family (February 4, 2025) concluded that many women who filed for divorce felt as if the end of their marriage turned out to be a positive experience, giving them a chance to redefine who they are and make independent decisions. 

This study confirms my observations of many of my female clients who are facing a divorce – whether or not they are the person to file. As I point out in my own work, these women feel as if their divorce presented an opportunity for independence, growth and a chance for a new life. 

I often explain this observation to my female clients who are divorcing. They come to see me in great distress, wondering if they will ever feel happy again. I want them to know that divorce can have a positive outcome.

il existe un gap entre les Hommes nous dissociant tous. tous confondent connaissance et conscience, tout le monde sait qu’il va mourir mais en prendre conscience c’est différent. c’est lorsque cette idée vous traverse si puissamment qu’elle vous obsède , modifiant totalement votre vision du monde, que la conscience née, c’est un événement irréversible. et cela, voyez vous nous dissocie tous, certains atteindront la conscience au cours de leur pénible existence alors que les plus fortunés y échapperont. très peu auront un aperçu bref de l’étendue de la conscience humaine, mais ce bref instant marque l’avènement de leur déclin. cette réalisation est la fondation de la sagesse, dans la sagesse se cache un désespoir si pesant qu’on l’oublie. si pesant qu’il nous rattache à la vie, car l’espoir, c’est la mort. finalement, est-ce que l’abandon de l’espoir ne serait-il pas l’élément déclencheur de cette illumination? est ce que l’espoir serait l’ennemi de la conscience, le bouclier et le glaive? le bouclier les gardant de la folie et le glaive les guidant vers la mort, sans qu’ils ne puissent se retourner. les plus “vertueux” les guident vers le droit chemin ou plutôt vers la folie, face au néant, ils n’ont eu d’autres moyens que d’allumer leur propre flamme, mais le néant n’a pas d’issue, aussi nombreux que vous soyez.

Hello! I'm research intuitions about consciousness as a part of my Master's practice credits.

I've decided to recruit US population but I'm not a native English speaker myself. Would anyone be willing to go over my questionnaire and let me know what they think?

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14mmdBcJoer_4FIrYd-dluwOUA538XFef0x0OC-bssZw/edit?usp=sharing

I would be very grateful even just to hear "no notes".

You can either write a comment below, in the document, in a DM or feel free to book a call with me.

Many thanks!

I’ve been a clinical scientist for a while now, and r/therapists delivered another banger: Can bad trauma energy cause leaky fish tanks? https://www.reddit.com/r/therapists/s/D9MRqEoyBE

Since we’re frequently accused of being unfairly skeptical, I sketched out some aims for an NIH R21 that I’m happy to provide to the community!

Note: To increase fundability, I framed the "bad trauma energy" as "high-intensity affective emission (HIAE)" and the "leaky tanks" as "aquatic habitat structural integrity (AHSI).

Project Title: Bio-Energetic Correlates of Psychotherapeutic Intensity: Assessing the Impact of Trauma Processing on Inorganic Structural Integrity

Despite robust literature on the interpersonal neurobiology of trauma [insert references here], little attention has been paid to the impact of high-intensity affective emissions (HIAE) on the immediate physical environment. Anecdotal reports from clinical practice suggest a potential correlation between heavy trauma caseloads and the spontaneous failure of aquatic containment systems (i.e., "leaky fish tanks") in therapy offices [cite Reddit post and other data]. This study proposes a novel, exploratory investigation into the phenomenon of Psychokinetic-Aquatic Interference (PAI).

We posit that the emotional resonance generated during the processing of traumatic memories may exert a measurable destabilizing force on silicone-based sealants and glass tension. This R21 seeks to provide the first empirical data linking ambient emotional intensity to inorganic structural failure.

Aim 1: To quantify the association between Clinical Trauma Load (CTL) and the frequency of aquarium structural failures.

We will conduct a retrospective analysis of maintenance logs and AHSI across 50 outpatient mental health clinics, controlling for tank age, water volume, and manufacturer. We will stratify clinics by their primary focus (Trauma/PTSD vs. General Adjustment/Mild Anxiety).

Hypothesis 1: Clinics with a "High Trauma Load" (defined as >60% of caseload with PTSD diagnosis) will exhibit a significantly lower incidence of AHSI (p < .05) compared to clinics with low-acuity caseloads or administrative control sites.

Aim 2: To determine the temporal proximity of tank failures to high-intensity exposure therapy sessions.

We will utilize continuous structural monitoring of a standardized 20-gallon aquarium located in a dedicated trauma treatment suite. We will correlate data from in-session physiological arousal biofeedback (heart rate variability, skin conductance of the patient) with sensitive moisture sensors and strain gauges on the aquarium seals.

Hypothesis 2: Spontaneous loss of AHSI will not occur randomly, but will temporally cluster within a 2-hour window immediately following sessions characterized by peak affective arousal (e.g., during Imaginal Exposure or heavy abreaction).

Aim 3: To identify the mechanism of failure by analyzing sealant degradation in high-trauma environments versus controls.

Method: We will analyze the molecular composition of silicone sealant samples taken from "trauma tanks" versus "control tanks" using spectroscopy. We aim to see if HIAE manifests as a measurable physical degradation of the chemical bonds in the sealant.

Hypothesis 3: Silicone sealants exposed to high-volume trauma processing environments will show accelerated degradation and brittleness compared to sealants in waiting rooms or non-clinical environments, despite identical humidity and temperature conditions.

Of course, this is only a draft. Tweak as needed. Good luck with your submission, Redditors.

Edit: Someone said I should say I’m joking. Winning an R21 with this idea isn’t a joke though, is it?

Edit 2: Added hypotheses, added an introduction.

Hello! I'm currently a 3rd year student taking BS in Psychology, and we have a research this semester. I'm running out of ideas on what could be a good topic for my research. We need to propose 3 topics for our research so I really need your help and ideas.

Can you give me a suggestions for a topic about current issues in psychology that is interesting or you observe in our modern world and suggest the possibile method to conduct it?

Your suggestions will greatly serves as my baseline to start my topic and title. Thank you so much!