Literature Review

For this assignment, you will formulate a research topic, identify and synthesize relevant academic

articles on that topic, and formally present your findings in a brief literature review.

1) First, select a topic for your literature review. To help narrow down your topic selection, I would like

you to use social support as your independent variable. However, you may select your own dependent

variable and population of interest. Thus, your topic will take the following form:

The Effect of Social Support on [Dependent Variable] Among [Population]

As you determine your topic, choose a population that interests you. Below are examples of populations

of interest which would be appropriate for this paper:

College Students

Older Adults

Adolescents

Children

Children of Divorce

Children Living in

Poverty

Parents

Single Parents

Nurses

Teachers

Immigrants

African-Americans

Cancer Patients

Athletes

First Responders

People With

Disabilities

Pregnant Women

Employees

Disaster Survivors

Homeless Individuals

Gay Men

Caregivers of

Patients With

Schizophrenia

Religious Individuals

You must also select a dependent variable that makes sense in light of your intended population. Below

are examples of dependent variables which would be appropriate for this paper:

Psychological Well-Being

Anxiety

Depression

Physical Health

Risky Behavior

Stress

Burnout

Exercise

Academic Success

Quality of Life

Job Satisfaction

Suicide Risk

Positive Parenting Behaviors

Self-Esteem

Problem Behavior

Drug Use

2) Next, use an academic database to locate at least five peer-reviewed journal articles on your selected

topic. I recommend using the PsycINFO database because it should include articles related to the topics

on this list and because you have experience using the database. Make sure that the articles are original,

peer-reviewed empirical articles published in academic journals.

3) Finally, write a brief literature review in which you address your research topic drawing from the

articles you selected. Your paper should take the form of a formal APA manuscript with a title page,

body, and references. (An abstract is not required.) The paper must following proper APA 6th edition

guidelines (40 points). The body must have three main sections: introduction, literature review, and

discussion (set apart by headings).

• The introduction (40 points) should be approximately one-half page in length. It must introduce the topic and the importance of the topic, establish the problem and the importance of the

problem, and explicitly state the purpose of the literature review (in terms of the research

topic).

• Your literature review section (80 points) must be at least two pages in length. It must present the literature in a cohesive and integrated manner. All factual statements must include

appropriate in-text citations with corresponding references.

• Your discussion section (40 points) must be at least one-half page in length. It must summarize your key findings (what you learned from the literature review), provide at least one specific

implication for practice (what we should do with the information you collected), discuss at least

one specific limitation of the studies reviewed, and provide at least one specific suggestion for

future research.

The outline of your paper should be as follows:

I. Title Page

II. Body of Paper

A. Introduction

B. Literature Review

C. Discussion

III. References