Your Guide to a Thesis In Psychology

The word “thesis” may sound intimidating to any undergraduate, and it may be completely unfamiliar to others. Many undergraduates spend years in their degree before they realize they should even be considering a thesis. “What is a thesis? Why should I do a thesis? How do I do a thesis?” These were some of the questions I asked myself when I took my first glance at the Psychology Honours Specialization module. If you’ve found yourself wondering the same questions, I’ll help you gain a better understanding of what it is to do a thesis in psychology here at Western!

What is a thesis?

“It's like going on a journey to a place you haven't been before, rather than following a recipe,” said Dr. Debra Jared at this year's thesis information presentation. Dr. Jared described a thesis as a problem-solving process, something a student figures out as they go. She used an analogy of a camera lens, suggesting that at the beginning of a research project, things are unclear or blurry. As you work on the problem, it’s like adjusting a camera lens. Over time, the picture becomes clearer and more focused! In the early term, it's okay if you may not fully understand the theories you are working with or your research question. Over the term, the project gradually becomes clearer. Some students (albeit very few) may end up changing or adjusting their thesis early on to ensure they begin their journey on a steady path. It’s all part of the process!

But what actually is a thesis? In simple terms, a thesis is a written report of a research project that you present as a poster by the end of the year. It counts as a full credit and will span two semesters (in some cases, it can begin before the academic year, but only under unique circumstances). It is completed under the direction of a supervisor, typically a professor in the psychology department at Western. Not every professor accepts thesis students, however, so it is important to broaden your choices. Support skills classes taught by Dr. Jared will assist students in their ethics applications and writing skills. In these classes, students will present drafts of their introductions and methods to allow them to feel more comfortable discussing their research question.

A thesis project involves the empirical analysis of data. Lab-based thesis projects may be original data collection, existing data analysis, or a collaborative project. Original data collection includes designing a study, recruiting participants, and analyzing resulting data. Likely participants for your study may be first-year psychology students, although special populations such as schools, organizations, and pre-established partnerships may also be viable options. Less common populations may deal with animal research. The topic of your thesis is usually decided between you and your supervisor and fits within their area of research.

Another viable thesis option is a meta-analysis with Dr. Tremblay. This type of analysis observes established research studies that cover a specific research question. A meta-analysis includes a systematic literature search, identifying studies that meet a certain criterion, the extraction of effect sizes, and the overall analysis of results. A meta-analysis is suitable for students who want to observe a research question that may be too obscure or difficult to study with the little time and resources provided in an undergraduate thesis. For example, a research question observing the effects of psychedelic drugs on depression may require extensive ethics approval and specific participants. Instead, a meta-analysis covering the existing literature of this topic would be able to answer this question in a more accessible manner.

Why should you do a thesis?

There are many reasons why you may want to do a thesis during your undergrad! Students who are best suited for a thesis include those who enjoy research and problem-solving. Because a thesis is an unpredictable journey, students who are comfortable with uncertainty can excel in their thesis. Students who are hardworking, able to dedicate significant time to their research, and capable of working both independently and collaboratively without frequent reminders are likely to thrive in a thesis project.

If you are comfortable with committing time to meet with your supervisor, lab members, reading research papers, running participants, conducting experiments, and analyzing data, a thesis may be suitable for you. Some students will take a reduced course load to focus on their thesis, as it will require more work than a typical full-credit course. It is recognized that those who take the initiative to arrange meetings, ask questions, and maintain momentum will generally receive more attention and support.

A driving reason to take a thesis for many undergraduates is to achieve eligibility for graduate studies in psychology. Many (if not all) graduate programs in psychology require lab experience, a high GPA, and the completion of an honours thesis to gain admission. Students with a high-quality thesis stand out and may also obtain strong letters of recommendation from their supervisor and other professors in the department. A thesis is also an opportunity to conduct your own research, strengthen those research skills, and build connections with professionals in psychology. Some students may even attend conferences or have their thesis published, although this is rare and usually reflects exceptional work.

What is it like to do a thesis?

To provide you with more insight into what the nature of a thesis is like, two students who are currently finishing up their theses were kind enough to share their experience! Thank you to Joshua (He/Him), who is enrolled in the Psychology Honours BSc program, and Cadence (she/her), who is enrolled in the Psychology Honours BA program with a major in GSWS (gender, sexuality, and women’s studies).

What kind of thesis did you do?

Joshua: “I did the 4850E thesis that many other students took. My project took pre-existing data and answered a new research question with it.”

Cadence: “I took Psychology 4850E for a social psychology thesis.”

Why did you decide to do a thesis?

Joshua: “I want to pursue a master’s in clinical psychology or developmental psychology. I am mainly following the research route, but I also want to apply my research in some way (for example, as a practicing psychologist). Because of this, I think a thesis is a really important research experience. It helps you to discover what you really like to research, and also helps you find out if research is the right path for you. I know some people who have done a thesis and had a very bad experience. They found out that research isn’t really a path that they would like to pursue. On the other hand, through my own thesis, I’ve discovered that I really like research more than I thought I did. This has led me to consider research as a potential path for my future instead of just being a practicing clinical psychologist.”

Cadence: “I knew I wanted to continue with psychology and pursue further education. An honours program was the suggested path for this, so the thesis came with the major. Right now, I plan to take a gap year and hopefully go back for a master’s in social work.”

Why did you choose your supervisor?

Joshua: “I had no clue who my supervisor (Dr. Aislinn Sandre) was before pursuing my thesis with her. After reading through her lab’s research, she seemed like the best choice for me. I really liked the kind of research they did (developmental + clinical), and their papers seemed really interesting to me when I read them. I was also super open to any professor, but I mostly followed my interests instead of sticking with professors that I already knew. I was also exploring what kind of research I wanted to do, so again, I looked for what was most interesting to me.”

Cadence: “I'm working with Dr. Calogero, and I chose her because someone had mentioned her research to me, thinking that it might relate to my interests. Since I am doing both psychology and GSWS, her research helped bridge the gap since it includes psychological topics with a gender studies framework. It was cool to see that the concepts in the literature review were ones often discussed in my GSWS classes, but with a psychological lens.”

What topic was your thesis on?

Joshua: “My thesis looked at how maternal depression and anxiety affect toddlers’ perception of emotional stimuli (faces). Additionally, we explored whether social support could be a factor that moderated the relationship between disorder and toddler perception of facial emotions. The study used precollected EEG data from infants and questionnaire data from their moms to predict if the mom’s psychopathology had an effect on their child’s responses to emotional stimuli. I chose this project because it studies a developing population, but also because it has some sort of clinical implication. The research that we did may possibly help in identifying markers of depression/anxiety, and may help us treat or prevent these psychopathologies.”

Cadence: “My thesis was on women's resistance to sexual objectification and the mediating factors involved.”

Did you face any challenges during your thesis?

Joshua: “One of the biggest challenges for my thesis was learning everything on my own. Not saying that my supervisor didn’t help me, but she really pushed the idea that I should be exploring these concepts on my own and was completely fine with me making mistakes. There was a lot of reading and literature review that actually went into the project before we could begin, and a lot of the analyses were overwhelming at the beginning. However, through making mistakes and learning what the correct way of doing things was, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of my project. I was also really fortunate that I could always ask the graduate students and my supervisor for help. They were always willing to give me suggestions on what steps I could take to improve. I feel like my thesis project was a lot smoother than others, considering that there weren't really any hiccups along the way that I had no control over!”

Cadence: “Honestly, not really. I got lucky, and everything went well!”

What do you wish you knew before you did your thesis?

Joshua: “Something I think people should consider before and during their thesis is the kind of workload that’s involved. For my project, I had to balance coursework on top of thesis work, and that was a bit stressful at times with deadlines and whatnot. On the other hand, my project seemed a lot less stressful than others where data collection was necessary, so this is something I would definitely recommend people consider before/during their thesis. I would also recommend that people choose projects that they enjoy and are realistic, especially during the ethics process. Some studies couldn’t start this year because they had to go back and forth with ethics committees to get their projects approved, and because of this, they took a lot longer to get their study started. I also know some people who found their projects way too easy, or didn’t enjoy what they did, but were still stuck with it the entire time.”

Cadence: “I think that they scare you away from doing a thesis, and it's honestly not as scary as I thought. My supervisors (Dr. Calogero and her PhD student Alana Graham) walked me through everything. I had lots of help with the parts I was unsure about (data analysis), and they gave me a lot of feedback for all of the assignments. It's been stressful to get everything done, but I've enjoyed it more than I expected.”

What was your favourite part of your thesis?

Joshua: “I actually really liked everything about my thesis. It really helped me in all research aspects, got me into a field that I really didn’t know much about before, and opened my eyes to a new passion. I also really liked the challenges that I had to learn to deal with, because having a self-directed project like this means that you need to take the initiative and figure out as much as you can by yourself. At times, this meant that I was stressed and had to figure things out on my own, but I knew that I could always check with my prof and make sure that I was still on the right path. At the end of it all, knowing that you got to the right answer even if you stumbled through a bunch of wrong ones felt very good.”

Cadence: “I think just having the experience overall was cool. I didn't have much experience with research in the past, so this was a good way to get involved to see what I like.”

What did you learn from your thesis?

Joshua: “We found that toddlers whose mothers have higher levels of depression tend to respond less to happy face types. In addition, it’s possible that toddlers of mothers with higher levels of anxiety respond more to fearful face types. What real world applications are there to this research? First of all, we studied toddlers at 15 - 18 months of age, and the results we found suggest some super early markers of depression and anxiety. We also looked at EEG data, which is different from how other paradigms often look at behavioural data, allowing us to approach this field from another angle. This project definitely strengthened my research skills and abilities and pushed me to become a better researcher. It has also prepared me with a wide variety of research skills (data analysis, coding, presentation, postering, and communicating my findings properly), which are all applicable in graduate school and beyond.”

Cadence: “I learned that research is not that scary, and in the future, I will be able to handle it again. I know now that if I do end up pursuing a master’s program, that research is something I can have fun doing!

How do you apply for a thesis?

The requirements for an honours thesis in psychology are very specific and reserved for students who have followed the necessary steps to enrol in a thesis course. For starters, you must be registered in a fourth-year Psychology Honours program. This means that those who are only in a major or minor in psychology are not eligible for a thesis. To be in your fourth year of a Psychology Honours Specialization program, you must have also completed the previous module requirements (Psychology 3801F/G (or 3800), and Research Methods) and obtained an average of at least 75% across your module courses. There is an exception for Brescia legacy students, as requirements differ for these students. Students are also required to be in-person for their thesis, as it is necessary to meet with their supervisor and present their progress.

There are seven thesis course codes, and students must select one based on their program and thesis goals. For lab-based theses, Psychology 4842 is for Brescia legacy students, Psychology 4852 is for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Psychology 4850 is a general thesis option, and Psychology 4851 is for students enrolled in the Psychology Honours Specialization Bachelors of Science program. Those who take Psychology 4851 must base their thesis in cognition, sensation and perception, behavioural or cognitive neuroscience. Those who take a lab-based thesis will attend a class by Dr. Jared discussing the process of a lab-based thesis. The course codes for the meta-analysis option are Psychology 4860 as the general thesis, Psychology 4862 for developmental cognitive neuroscience, and Psychology 4861 for students enrolled in the Psychology Honours Specialization Bachelors of Science program.

So what is the process of enrolling in your selected thesis course? First, if you are enrolled in a Psychology Honours program, you will be invited to an OWL site that will provide you with all the necessary information. An information session will be scheduled outlining the process of applying, the nature of a thesis, and your next steps. The next steps will be to look into the listed supervisors that you will rank in an application submitted by March. Due to a high demand for clinical psychology professors, students are limited to listing two clinical supervisors in their application. If Dr. Tremblay is chosen (a meta-analysis), there is no need to continue ranking supervisors, as the meta-analyses are not space-limited. Non-psychology supervisors are possible options, but must be approved by Dr. Jared.

When you rank supervisors in your application, it's helpful to look into the supervisor’s area of research to ensure it fits your research interests. This could be reviewing their past studies, their lab, classes they teach, and current projects! It is advised not to email professors, as this will not assist in your application. When you write your application, you can detail your research interests, your extracurriculars/volunteer work, classes you’ve taken (including statistics and research methods), your future academic/career goals, and any research experience you may have. Let the professor know why you would succeed in your thesis, and why their area of research matches your background! When you submit your application, you will also submit a copy of your transcript. You can download a copy of your unofficial transcript through the student center. Pairings are typically announced in May or early June

That's all! Thank you for reading, and happy researching!