• Search This Site All UCSD Sites Faculty/Staff Search Term
  • Contact & Directions
  • Climate Statement
  • Cognitive Behavioral Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Adjunct Faculty
  • Non-Senate Instructors
  • Researchers
  • Psychology Grads
  • Affiliated Grads
  • New and Prospective Students
  • Honors Program
  • Experiential Learning
  • Programs & Events
  • Psi Chi / Psychology Club
  • Prospective PhD Students
  • Current PhD Students
  • Area Brown Bags
  • Colloquium Series
  • Anderson Distinguished Lecture Series
  • Speaker Videos
  • Undergraduate Program
  • Academic and Writing Resources

Writing Research Papers

  • Writing a Literature Review

When writing a research paper on a specific topic, you will often need to include an overview of any prior research that has been conducted on that topic.  For example, if your research paper is describing an experiment on fear conditioning, then you will probably need to provide an overview of prior research on fear conditioning.  That overview is typically known as a literature review.  

Please note that a full-length literature review article may be suitable for fulfilling the requirements for the Psychology B.S. Degree Research Paper .  For further details, please check with your faculty advisor.

Different Types of Literature Reviews

Literature reviews come in many forms.  They can be part of a research paper, for example as part of the Introduction section.  They can be one chapter of a doctoral dissertation.  Literature reviews can also “stand alone” as separate articles by themselves.  For instance, some journals such as Annual Review of Psychology , Psychological Bulletin , and others typically publish full-length review articles.  Similarly, in courses at UCSD, you may be asked to write a research paper that is itself a literature review (such as, with an instructor’s permission, in fulfillment of the B.S. Degree Research Paper requirement). Alternatively, you may be expected to include a literature review as part of a larger research paper (such as part of an Honors Thesis). 

Literature reviews can be written using a variety of different styles.  These may differ in the way prior research is reviewed as well as the way in which the literature review is organized.  Examples of stylistic variations in literature reviews include: 

  • Summarization of prior work vs. critical evaluation. In some cases, prior research is simply described and summarized; in other cases, the writer compares, contrasts, and may even critique prior research (for example, discusses their strengths and weaknesses).
  • Chronological vs. categorical and other types of organization. In some cases, the literature review begins with the oldest research and advances until it concludes with the latest research.  In other cases, research is discussed by category (such as in groupings of closely related studies) without regard for chronological order.  In yet other cases, research is discussed in terms of opposing views (such as when different research studies or researchers disagree with one another).

Overall, all literature reviews, whether they are written as a part of a larger work or as separate articles unto themselves, have a common feature: they do not present new research; rather, they provide an overview of prior research on a specific topic . 

How to Write a Literature Review

When writing a literature review, it can be helpful to rely on the following steps.  Please note that these procedures are not necessarily only for writing a literature review that becomes part of a larger article; they can also be used for writing a full-length article that is itself a literature review (although such reviews are typically more detailed and exhaustive; for more information please refer to the Further Resources section of this page).

Steps for Writing a Literature Review

1. Identify and define the topic that you will be reviewing.

The topic, which is commonly a research question (or problem) of some kind, needs to be identified and defined as clearly as possible.  You need to have an idea of what you will be reviewing in order to effectively search for references and to write a coherent summary of the research on it.  At this stage it can be helpful to write down a description of the research question, area, or topic that you will be reviewing, as well as to identify any keywords that you will be using to search for relevant research.

2. Conduct a literature search.

Use a range of keywords to search databases such as PsycINFO and any others that may contain relevant articles.  You should focus on peer-reviewed, scholarly articles.  Published books may also be helpful, but keep in mind that peer-reviewed articles are widely considered to be the “gold standard” of scientific research.  Read through titles and abstracts, select and obtain articles (that is, download, copy, or print them out), and save your searches as needed.  For more information about this step, please see the Using Databases and Finding Scholarly References section of this website.

3. Read through the research that you have found and take notes.

Absorb as much information as you can.  Read through the articles and books that you have found, and as you do, take notes.  The notes should include anything that will be helpful in advancing your own thinking about the topic and in helping you write the literature review (such as key points, ideas, or even page numbers that index key information).  Some references may turn out to be more helpful than others; you may notice patterns or striking contrasts between different sources ; and some sources may refer to yet other sources of potential interest.  This is often the most time-consuming part of the review process.  However, it is also where you get to learn about the topic in great detail.  For more details about taking notes, please see the “Reading Sources and Taking Notes” section of the Finding Scholarly References page of this website.

4. Organize your notes and thoughts; create an outline.

At this stage, you are close to writing the review itself.  However, it is often helpful to first reflect on all the reading that you have done.  What patterns stand out?  Do the different sources converge on a consensus?  Or not?  What unresolved questions still remain?  You should look over your notes (it may also be helpful to reorganize them), and as you do, to think about how you will present this research in your literature review.  Are you going to summarize or critically evaluate?  Are you going to use a chronological or other type of organizational structure?  It can also be helpful to create an outline of how your literature review will be structured.

5. Write the literature review itself and edit and revise as needed.

The final stage involves writing.  When writing, keep in mind that literature reviews are generally characterized by a summary style in which prior research is described sufficiently to explain critical findings but does not include a high level of detail (if readers want to learn about all the specific details of a study, then they can look up the references that you cite and read the original articles themselves).  However, the degree of emphasis that is given to individual studies may vary (more or less detail may be warranted depending on how critical or unique a given study was).   After you have written a first draft, you should read it carefully and then edit and revise as needed.  You may need to repeat this process more than once.  It may be helpful to have another person read through your draft(s) and provide feedback.

6. Incorporate the literature review into your research paper draft.

After the literature review is complete, you should incorporate it into your research paper (if you are writing the review as one component of a larger paper).  Depending on the stage at which your paper is at, this may involve merging your literature review into a partially complete Introduction section, writing the rest of the paper around the literature review, or other processes.

Further Tips for Writing a Literature Review

Full-length literature reviews

  • Many full-length literature review articles use a three-part structure: Introduction (where the topic is identified and any trends or major problems in the literature are introduced), Body (where the studies that comprise the literature on that topic are discussed), and Discussion or Conclusion (where major patterns and points are discussed and the general state of what is known about the topic is summarized)

Literature reviews as part of a larger paper

  • An “express method” of writing a literature review for a research paper is as follows: first, write a one paragraph description of each article that you read. Second, choose how you will order all the paragraphs and combine them in one document.  Third, add transitions between the paragraphs, as well as an introductory and concluding paragraph. 1
  • A literature review that is part of a larger research paper typically does not have to be exhaustive. Rather, it should contain most or all of the significant studies about a research topic but not tangential or loosely related ones. 2   Generally, literature reviews should be sufficient for the reader to understand the major issues and key findings about a research topic.  You may however need to confer with your instructor or editor to determine how comprehensive you need to be.

Benefits of Literature Reviews

By summarizing prior research on a topic, literature reviews have multiple benefits.  These include:

  • Literature reviews help readers understand what is known about a topic without having to find and read through multiple sources.
  • Literature reviews help “set the stage” for later reading about new research on a given topic (such as if they are placed in the Introduction of a larger research paper). In other words, they provide helpful background and context.
  • Literature reviews can also help the writer learn about a given topic while in the process of preparing the review itself. In the act of research and writing the literature review, the writer gains expertise on the topic .

Downloadable Resources

  • How to Write APA Style Research Papers (a comprehensive guide) [ PDF ]
  • Tips for Writing APA Style Research Papers (a brief summary) [ PDF ]
  • Example APA Style Research Paper (for B.S. Degree – literature review) [ PDF ]

Further Resources

How-To Videos     

  • Writing Research Paper Videos
  • UCSD Library Psychology Research Guide: Literature Reviews

External Resources

  • Developing and Writing a Literature Review from N Carolina A&T State University
  • Example of a Short Literature Review from York College CUNY
  • How to Write a Review of Literature from UW-Madison
  • Writing a Literature Review from UC Santa Cruz  
  • Pautasso, M. (2013). Ten Simple Rules for Writing a Literature Review. PLoS Computational Biology, 9 (7), e1003149. doi : 1371/journal.pcbi.1003149

1 Ashton, W. Writing a short literature review . [PDF]     

2 carver, l. (2014).  writing the research paper [workshop]. , prepared by s. c. pan for ucsd psychology.

Back to top

  • Research Paper Structure
  • Formatting Research Papers
  • Using Databases and Finding References
  • What Types of References Are Appropriate?
  • Evaluating References and Taking Notes
  • Citing References
  • Writing Process and Revising
  • Improving Scientific Writing
  • Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Writing Research Papers Videos
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Therapy Center
  • When To See a Therapist
  • Types of Therapy
  • Best Online Therapy
  • Best Couples Therapy
  • Best Family Therapy
  • Managing Stress
  • Sleep and Dreaming
  • Understanding Emotions
  • Self-Improvement
  • Healthy Relationships
  • Student Resources
  • Personality Types
  • Verywell Mind Insights
  • 2023 Verywell Mind 25
  • Mental Health in the Classroom
  • Editorial Process
  • Meet Our Review Board
  • Crisis Support

50+ Topics of Psychology Research

How to Find Psychology Research Topics for Your Student Paper

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

literature review topic psychology

Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.

literature review topic psychology

Are you searching for a great topic for your psychology paper ? Sometimes it seems like coming up with topics of psychology research is more challenging than the actual research and writing. Fortunately, there are plenty of great places to find inspiration and the following list contains just a few ideas to help get you started.

Finding a solid topic is one of the most important steps when writing any type of paper. It can be particularly important when you are writing a psychology research paper or essay. Psychology is such a broad topic, so you want to find a topic that allows you to adequately cover the subject without becoming overwhelmed with information.

In some cases, such as in a general psychology class, you might have the option to select any topic from within psychology's broad reach. Other instances, such as in an  abnormal psychology  course, might require you to write your paper on a specific subject such as a psychological disorder.

As you begin your search for a topic for your psychology paper, it is first important to consider the guidelines established by your instructor.

Topics of Psychology Research Within Specific Branches

The key to selecting a good topic for your psychology paper is to select something that is narrow enough to allow you to really focus on the subject, but not so narrow that it is difficult to find sources or information to write about.

One approach is to narrow your focus down to a subject within a specific branch of psychology. For example, you might start by deciding that you want to write a paper on some sort of social psychology topic. Next, you might narrow your focus down to how persuasion can be used to influence behavior.

Other social psychology topics you might consider include:

  • Prejudice and discrimination (i.e., homophobia, sexism, racism)
  • Social cognition
  • Person perception
  • Social control and cults
  • Persuasion , propaganda, and marketing
  • Attraction, romance, and love
  • Nonverbal communication
  • Prosocial behavior

Psychology Research Topics Involving a Disorder or Type of Therapy

Exploring a psychological disorder or a specific treatment modality can also be a good topic for a psychology paper. Some potential abnormal psychology topics include specific psychological disorders or particular treatment modalities, including:

  • Eating disorders
  • Borderline personality disorder
  • Seasonal affective disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • Antisocial personality disorder
  • Profile a  type of therapy  (i.e., cognitive behavioral therapy, group therapy, psychoanalytic therapy)

Topics of Psychology Research Related to Human Cognition

Some of the possible topics you might explore in this area include thinking, language, intelligence, and decision-making. Other ideas might include:

  • False memories
  • Speech disorders
  • Problem-solving

Topics of Psychology Research Related to Human Development

In this area, you might opt to focus on issues pertinent to  early childhood  such as language development, social learning, or childhood attachment or you might instead opt to concentrate on issues that affect older adults such as dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

Some other topics you might consider include:

  • Language acquisition
  • Media violence and children
  • Learning disabilities
  • Gender roles
  • Child abuse
  • Prenatal development
  • Parenting styles
  • Aspects of the aging process

Do a Critique of Publications Involving Psychology Research Topics

One option is to consider writing a critique paper of a published psychology book or academic journal article. For example, you might write a critical analysis of Sigmund Freud's Interpretation of Dreams or you might evaluate a more recent book such as Philip Zimbardo's  The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil .

Professional and academic journals are also great places to find materials for a critique paper. Browse through the collection at your university library to find titles devoted to the subject that you are most interested in, then look through recent articles until you find one that grabs your attention.

Topics of Psychology Research Related to Famous Experiments

There have been many fascinating and groundbreaking experiments throughout the history of psychology, providing ample material for students looking for an interesting term paper topic. In your paper, you might choose to summarize the experiment, analyze the ethics of the research, or evaluate the implications of the study. Possible experiments that you might consider include:

  • The Milgram Obedience Experiment
  • The Stanford Prison Experiment
  • The Little Albert Experiment
  • Pavlov's Conditioning Experiments
  • The Asch Conformity Experiment
  • Harlow's Rhesus Monkey Experiments

Topics of Psychology Research About Historical Figures

One of the simplest ways to find a great topic is to choose an interesting person in the  history of psychology  and write a paper about them. Your paper might focus on many different elements of the individual's life, such as their biography, professional history, theories, or influence on psychology.

While this type of paper may be historical in nature, there is no need for this assignment to be dry or boring. Psychology is full of fascinating figures rife with intriguing stories and anecdotes. Consider such famous individuals as Sigmund Freud, B.F. Skinner, Harry Harlow, or one of the many other  eminent psychologists .

Psychology Research Topics About a Specific Career

​Another possible topic, depending on the course in which you are enrolled, is to write about specific career paths within the  field of psychology . This type of paper is especially appropriate if you are exploring different subtopics or considering which area interests you the most.

In your paper, you might opt to explore the typical duties of a psychologist, how much people working in these fields typically earn, and the different employment options that are available.

Topics of Psychology Research Involving Case Studies

One potentially interesting idea is to write a  psychology case study  of a particular individual or group of people. In this type of paper, you will provide an in-depth analysis of your subject, including a thorough biography.

Generally, you will also assess the person, often using a major psychological theory such as  Piaget's stages of cognitive development  or  Erikson's eight-stage theory of human development . It is also important to note that your paper doesn't necessarily have to be about someone you know personally.

In fact, many professors encourage students to write case studies on historical figures or fictional characters from books, television programs, or films.

Psychology Research Topics Involving Literature Reviews

Another possibility that would work well for a number of psychology courses is to do a literature review of a specific topic within psychology. A literature review involves finding a variety of sources on a particular subject, then summarizing and reporting on what these sources have to say about the topic.

Literature reviews are generally found in the  introduction  of journal articles and other  psychology papers , but this type of analysis also works well for a full-scale psychology term paper.

Topics of Psychology Research Based on Your Own Study or Experiment

Many psychology courses require students to design an actual psychological study or perform some type of experiment. In some cases, students simply devise the study and then imagine the possible results that might occur. In other situations, you may actually have the opportunity to collect data, analyze your findings, and write up your results.

Finding a topic for your study can be difficult, but there are plenty of great ways to come up with intriguing ideas. Start by considering your own interests as well as subjects you have studied in the past.

Online sources, newspaper articles, books , journal articles, and even your own class textbook are all great places to start searching for topics for your experiments and psychology term papers. Before you begin, learn more about  how to conduct a psychology experiment .

A Word From Verywell

After looking at this brief list of possible topics for psychology papers, it is easy to see that psychology is a very broad and diverse subject. While this variety makes it possible to find a topic that really catches your interest, it can sometimes make it very difficult for some students to select a good topic.

If you are still stumped by your assignment, ask your instructor for suggestions and consider a few from this list for inspiration.

  • Hockenbury, SE & Nolan, SA. Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers; 2014.
  • Santrock, JW. A Topical Approach to Lifespan Development. New York: McGraw-Hill Education; 2016.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

In order to help minimize spread of the coronavirus and protect our campus community, Cowles Library is adjusting our services, hours, and building access. Read more...

  • Research, Study, Learning
  • Archives & Special Collections

literature review topic psychology

  • Cowles Library
  • Find Journal Articles
  • Find Articles in Related Disciplines
  • Find Streaming Video
  • Conducting a Literature Review
  • Organizations, Associations, Societies
  • For Faculty

What is a Literature Review?

Description.

A literature review, also called a review article or review of literature, surveys the existing research on a topic. The term "literature" in this context refers to published research or scholarship in a particular discipline, rather than "fiction" (like American Literature) or an individual work of literature. In general, literature reviews are most common in the sciences and social sciences.

Literature reviews may be written as standalone works, or as part of a scholarly article or research paper. In either case, the purpose of the review is to summarize and synthesize the key scholarly work that has already been done on the topic at hand. The literature review may also include some analysis and interpretation. A literature review is  not  a summary of every piece of scholarly research on a topic.

Why are literature reviews useful?

Literature reviews can be very helpful for newer researchers or those unfamiliar with a field by synthesizing the existing research on a given topic, providing the reader with connections and relationships among previous scholarship. Reviews can also be useful to veteran researchers by identifying potentials gaps in the research or steering future research questions toward unexplored areas. If a literature review is part of a scholarly article, it should include an explanation of how the current article adds to the conversation. (From: https://researchguides.drake.edu/englit/criticism)

How is a literature review different from a research article?

Research articles: "are empirical articles that describe one or several related studies on a specific, quantitative, testable research question....they are typically organized into four text sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion." Source: https://psych.uw.edu/storage/writing_center/litrev.pdf)

Steps for Writing a Literature Review

1. Identify and define the topic that you will be reviewing.

The topic, which is commonly a research question (or problem) of some kind, needs to be identified and defined as clearly as possible.  You need to have an idea of what you will be reviewing in order to effectively search for references and to write a coherent summary of the research on it.  At this stage it can be helpful to write down a description of the research question, area, or topic that you will be reviewing, as well as to identify any keywords that you will be using to search for relevant research.

2. Conduct a Literature Search

Use a range of keywords to search databases such as PsycINFO and any others that may contain relevant articles.  You should focus on peer-reviewed, scholarly articles . In SuperSearch and most databases, you may find it helpful to select the Advanced Search mode and include "literature review" or "review of the literature" in addition to your other search terms.  Published books may also be helpful, but keep in mind that peer-reviewed articles are widely considered to be the “gold standard” of scientific research.  Read through titles and abstracts, select and obtain articles (that is, download, copy, or print them out), and save your searches as needed. Most of the databases you will need are linked to from the Cowles Library Psychology Research guide .

3. Read through the research that you have found and take notes.

Absorb as much information as you can.  Read through the articles and books that you have found, and as you do, take notes.  The notes should include anything that will be helpful in advancing your own thinking about the topic and in helping you write the literature review (such as key points, ideas, or even page numbers that index key information).  Some references may turn out to be more helpful than others; you may notice patterns or striking contrasts between different sources; and some sources may refer to yet other sources of potential interest.  This is often the most time-consuming part of the review process.  However, it is also where you get to learn about the topic in great detail. You may want to use a Citation Manager to help you keep track of the citations you have found. 

4. Organize your notes and thoughts; create an outline.

At this stage, you are close to writing the review itself.  However, it is often helpful to first reflect on all the reading that you have done.  What patterns stand out?  Do the different sources converge on a consensus?  Or not?  What unresolved questions still remain?  You should look over your notes (it may also be helpful to reorganize them), and as you do, to think about how you will present this research in your literature review.  Are you going to summarize or critically evaluate?  Are you going to use a chronological or other type of organizational structure?  It can also be helpful to create an outline of how your literature review will be structured.

5. Write the literature review itself and edit and revise as needed.

The final stage involves writing.  When writing, keep in mind that literature reviews are generally characterized by a  summary style  in which prior research is described sufficiently to explain critical findings but does not include a high level of detail (if readers want to learn about all the specific details of a study, then they can look up the references that you cite and read the original articles themselves).  However, the degree of emphasis that is given to individual studies may vary (more or less detail may be warranted depending on how critical or unique a given study was).   After you have written a first draft, you should read it carefully and then edit and revise as needed.  You may need to repeat this process more than once.  It may be helpful to have another person read through your draft(s) and provide feedback.

6. Incorporate the literature review into your research paper draft. (note: this step is only if you are using the literature review to write a research paper. Many times the literature review is an end unto itself).

After the literature review is complete, you should incorporate it into your research paper (if you are writing the review as one component of a larger paper).  Depending on the stage at which your paper is at, this may involve merging your literature review into a partially complete Introduction section, writing the rest of the paper around the literature review, or other processes.

These steps were taken from: https://psychology.ucsd.edu/undergraduate-program/undergraduate-resources/academic-writing-resources/writing-research-papers/writing-lit-review.html#6.-Incorporate-the-literature-r

  • << Previous: Find Streaming Video
  • Next: Organizations, Associations, Societies >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 2, 2024 4:08 PM
  • URL: https://researchguides.drake.edu/psychology

literature review topic psychology

  • 2507 University Avenue
  • Des Moines, IA 50311
  • (515) 271-2111

Trouble finding something? Try searching , or check out the Get Help page.

University Library

  • Research Guides
  • Literature Reviews
  • Finding Articles
  • Finding Books and Media
  • Research Methods, Tests, and Statistics
  • Citations and APA Style
  • Annotated Bibliographies
  • Other Resources
  • According to Science
  • The Scientific Process
  • Activity: Scholarly Party

What is a Literature Review?

The scholarly conversation.

A literature review provides an overview of previous research on a topic that critically evaluates, classifies, and compares what has already been published on a particular topic. It allows the author to synthesize and place into context the research and scholarly literature relevant to the topic. It helps map the different approaches to a given question and reveals patterns. It forms the foundation for the author’s subsequent research and justifies the significance of the new investigation.

A literature review can be a short introductory section of a research article or a report or policy paper that focuses on recent research. Or, in the case of dissertations, theses, and review articles, it can be an extensive review of all relevant research.

  • The format is usually a bibliographic essay; sources are briefly cited within the body of the essay, with full bibliographic citations at the end.
  • The introduction should define the topic and set the context for the literature review. It will include the author's perspective or point of view on the topic, how they have defined the scope of the topic (including what's not included), and how the review will be organized. It can point out overall trends, conflicts in methodology or conclusions, and gaps in the research.
  • In the body of the review, the author should organize the research into major topics and subtopics. These groupings may be by subject, (e.g., globalization of clothing manufacturing), type of research (e.g., case studies), methodology (e.g., qualitative), genre, chronology, or other common characteristics. Within these groups, the author can then discuss the merits of each article and analyze and compare the importance of each article to similar ones.
  • The conclusion will summarize the main findings, make clear how this review of the literature supports (or not) the research to follow, and may point the direction for further research.
  • The list of references will include full citations for all of the items mentioned in the literature review.

Key Questions for a Literature Review

A literature review should try to answer questions such as

  • Who are the key researchers on this topic?
  • What has been the focus of the research efforts so far and what is the current status?
  • How have certain studies built on prior studies? Where are the connections? Are there new interpretations of the research?
  • Have there been any controversies or debate about the research? Is there consensus? Are there any contradictions?
  • Which areas have been identified as needing further research? Have any pathways been suggested?
  • How will your topic uniquely contribute to this body of knowledge?
  • Which methodologies have researchers used and which appear to be the most productive?
  • What sources of information or data were identified that might be useful to you?
  • How does your particular topic fit into the larger context of what has already been done?
  • How has the research that has already been done help frame your current investigation ?

Examples of Literature Reviews

Example of a literature review at the beginning of an article: Forbes, C. C., Blanchard, C. M., Mummery, W. K., & Courneya, K. S. (2015, March). Prevalence and correlates of strength exercise among breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors . Oncology Nursing Forum, 42(2), 118+. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.sonoma.idm.oclc.org/ps/i.do?p=HRCA&sw=w&u=sonomacsu&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA422059606&asid=27e45873fddc413ac1bebbc129f7649c Example of a comprehensive review of the literature: Wilson, J. L. (2016). An exploration of bullying behaviours in nursing: a review of the literature.   British Journal Of Nursing ,  25 (6), 303-306. For additional examples, see:

Galvan, J., Galvan, M., & ProQuest. (2017). Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences (Seventh ed.). [Electronic book]

Pan, M., & Lopez, M. (2008). Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches (3rd ed.). Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Pub. [ Q180.55.E9 P36 2008]

Useful Links

  • Write a Literature Review (UCSC)
  • Literature Reviews (Purdue)
  • Literature Reviews: overview (UNC)
  • Review of Literature (UW-Madison)

Evidence Matrix for Literature Reviews

The  Evidence Matrix  can help you  organize your research  before writing your lit review.  Use it to  identify patterns  and commonalities in the articles you have found--similar methodologies ?  common  theoretical frameworks ? It helps you make sure that all your major concepts covered. It also helps you see how your research fits into the context  of the overall topic.

  • Evidence Matrix Special thanks to Dr. Cindy Stearns, SSU Sociology Dept, for permission to use this Matrix as an example.
  • << Previous: Citations and APA Style
  • Next: Annotated Bibliographies >>
  • Last Updated: Jan 8, 2024 2:58 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.sonoma.edu/psychology

University of Houston Libraries

Psychology resources.

  • Background Information
  • Literature Review
  • Tests and Measurements
  • Citing Sources This link opens in a new window
  • Need More Help?

What is a Literature Review?

If this is your first time having to do a literature review, you might be wondering what a "literature review" actually is. Typically, this entails searching through various databases to find peer-reviewed research within a particular topic of interest and then analyzing what you find in order to situate your own research within the existing works.

Watch the following video to learn more:

Video Transcript

What is Peer Review?

Most of your literature review will involve searching for sources that have gone through the peer-reviewed process. These are typically academic articles that have been published in scholarly journals and have been vetted by other experts with knowledge of the topic at hand.

How Do I Find Psychology Literature?

The following database are a great place to start to find relevant, peer-reviewed literature within the broad research area of psychology:

  • APA PsycInfo This link opens in a new window From the American Psychological Association (APA), PsycINFO contains nearly 2.3 million citations and abstracts of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations in psychology and related disciplines. It is the largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health.
  • DynaMed This link opens in a new window A clinical reference tool of more than 3000 topics designed for physicians and health care professionals for use primarily at the point-of-care. DynaMed is updated daily and monitors the content of over 500 medical journal and systemic evidence review databases.
  • EMBASE This link opens in a new window EMBASE is a major biomedical and pharmaceutical database indexing over 3,500 international journals in the following fields of health sciences and biomedical research. It is considered as the European version of Medline.
  • MEDLINE with Full Text This link opens in a new window A bibliographic database that contains more than 26 million references to journal articles in life sciences with a concentration on biomedicine. A distinctive feature of MEDLINE is that the records are indexed with NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH®).

Full Text

  • PubMed This link opens in a new window PubMed® comprises more than 30 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books.
  • Web of Science This link opens in a new window Web of Science is a comprehensive research database. It contains records of journal articles, patents, and conference proceedings, It also provides a variety of search and analysis tools. Web of Science Core Collection is a painstakingly selected, actively curated database of the journals that researchers themselves have judged to be the most important and useful in their fields
  • << Previous: Background Information
  • Next: Tests and Measurements >>
  • Last Updated: Aug 12, 2023 11:20 AM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.uh.edu/psychology

The University of Montana

Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library

View All Hours | My Library Accounts

Research and Find Materials

Technology and Spaces

Archives and Special Collections

Psychology Research Guide

  • Literature Review
  • Web Resources
  • Library Services

Literature Review Overview

A literature review involves both the literature searching and the writing. The purpose of the literature search is to:

  • reveal existing knowledge
  • identify areas of consensus and debate
  • identify gaps in knowledge
  • identify approaches to research design and methodology
  • identify other researchers with similar interests
  • clarify your future directions for research

List above from Conducting A Literature Search , Information Research Methods and Systems, Penn State University Libraries

A literature review provides an evaluative review and documentation of what has been published by scholars and researchers on a given topic. In reviewing the published literature, the aim is to explain what ideas and knowledge have been gained and shared to date (i.e., hypotheses tested, scientific methods used, results and conclusions), the weakness and strengths of these previous works, and to identify remaining research questions: A literature review provides the context for your research, making clear why your topic deserves further investigation.

Before You Search

  • Select and understand your research topic and question.
  • Identify the major concepts in your topic and question.
  • Brainstorm potential keywords/terms that correspond to those concepts.
  • Identify alternative keywords/terms (narrower, broader, or related) to use if your first set of keywords do not work.
  • Determine (Boolean*) relationships between terms.
  • Begin your search.
  • Review your search results.
  • Revise & refine your search based on the initial findings.

*Boolean logic provides three ways search terms/phrases can be combined, using the following three operators: AND, OR, and NOT.

Search Process

The type of information you want to find and the practices of your discipline(s) drive the types of sources you seek and where you search.

For most research you will use multiple source types such as: annotated bibliographies; articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers; books; blogs; conference papers; data sets; dissertations; organization, company, or government reports; reference materials; systematic reviews; archival materials; curriculum materials; and more. It can be helpful to develop a comprehensive approach to review different sources and where you will search for each. Below is an example approach.

Utilize Current Awareness Services  Identify and browse current issues of the most relevant journals for your topic; Setup email or RSS Alerts, e.g., Journal Table of Contents, Saved Searches

Consult Experts   Identify and search for the publications of or contact educators, scholars, librarians, employees etc. at schools, organizations, and agencies

  • Annual Reviews and Bibliographies   e.g., Annual Review of Psychology
  • Internet   e.g., Discussion Groups, Listservs, Blogs, social networking sites
  • Grant Databases   e.g., Foundation Directory Online, Grants.gov
  • Conference Proceedings   e.g., International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends (InPACT), The European Conference on Psychology & the Behavioral Sciences via IAFOR Research Archive
  • Newspaper Indexes   e.g., Access World News, Ethnic NewsWatch, New York Times Historical
  • Journal Indexes/Databases and EJournal Packages   e.g., PsycArticles, ScienceDirect
  • Citation Indexes   e.g., PsycINFO, Psychiatry Online
  • Specialized Data   e.g., American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment survey data, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive
  • Book Catalogs – e.g., local library catalog or discovery search, WorldCat
  • Library Web Scale Discovery Service  e.g., OneSearch
  • Web Search Engines   e.g., Google, Yahoo
  • Digital Collections   e.g., Archives & Special Collections Digital Collections, Archives of the History of American Psychology
  • Associations/Community groups/Institutions/Organizations   e.g., American Psychological Association

Remember there is no one portal for all information!

Database Searching Videos, Guides, and Examples

  • Comprehensive guide to the database
  • Sample Searches
  • Searchable Fields
  • Education topic guide
  • Child Development topic guide

ProQuest (platform for ERIC, PsycINFO, and Dissertations & Theses Global databases, among other databases) search videos:

  • Basic Search
  • Advanced Search
  • Search Results
  • Performing Basic Searches
  • Performing Advanced Searches
  • Search Tips

If you are new to research , check out the Searching for Information tutorials and videos for foundational information.

Finding Empirical Studies

In ERIC : Check the box next to “143: Reports - Research” under "Document type" from the Advanced Search page

In PsycINFO : Check the box next to “Empirical Study” under "Methodology" from the Advanced Search page

In OneSearch : There is not a specific way to limit to empirical studies in OneSearch, you can limit your search results to peer-reviewed journals and or dissertations, and then identify studies by reading the source abstract to determine if you’ve found an empirical study or not.

Summarize Studies in a Meaningful Way

The Writing and Public Speaking Center at UM provides not only tutoring but many other resources for writers and presenters. Three with key tips for writing a literature review are:

  • Literature Reviews Defined
  • Tracking, Organizing, and Using Sources
  • Organizing and Integrating Sources

If you are new to research , check out the Presenting Research and Data tutorials and videos for foundational information. You may also want to consult the Purdue OWL Academic Writing resources or APA Style Workshop content.

  • << Previous: Home
  • Next: Web Resources >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 1, 2024 10:05 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.lib.umt.edu/psychology

News alert: UC Berkeley has announced its next university librarian

Secondary menu

  • Log in to your Library account
  • Hours and Maps
  • Connect from Off Campus
  • UC Berkeley Home

Search form

Psychology 140: developmental psychology: the literature review.

  • The Literature Review
  • Off-Campus Access
  • Finding Articles
  • Citations & Bibliographic Software (Zotero)

http://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/psyc140

Quick links.

  • Google Scholar This link opens in a new window Search across many disciplines and sources including articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites. more... less... Lists journal articles, books, preprints, and technical reports in many subject areas (though more specialized article databases may cover any given field more completely). Can be used with "Get it at UC" to access the full text of many articles.

UCB access only

What is a Literature Review?

A literature review is a survey of research on a given topic. It allows you see what has already been written on a topic so that you can draw on that research in your own study. By seeing what has already been written on a topic you will also know how to distinguish your research and engage in an original area of inquiry.

Why do a Literature Review?

A literature review helps you explore the research that has come before you, to see how your research question has (or has not) already been addressed.

You will identify:

  • core research in the field
  • experts in the subject area
  • methodology you may want to use (or avoid)
  • gaps in knowledge -- or where your research would fit in

Elements of a Successful Literature Review

According to Byrne's  What makes a successful literature review? you should follow these steps:

  • Identify appropriate search terms.
  • Search appropriate databases to identify articles on your topic.
  • Identify key publications in your area.
  • Search the web to identify relevant grey literature. (Grey literature is often found in the public sector and is not traditionally published like academic literature. It is often produced by research organizations.)
  • Scan article abstracts and summaries before reading the piece in full.
  • Read the relevant articles and take notes.
  • Organize by theme.
  • Write your review .

from Byrne, D. (2017). What makes a successful literature review?. Project Planner . 10.4135/9781526408518. (via SAGE Research Methods )

Research help

Email : Email your research questions to the Library.

Appointments : Schedule a 30-minute research meeting with a librarian. 

Find a subject librarian : Find a library expert in your specific field of study.

Research guides on your topic : Learn more about resources for your topic or subject.

  • Next: Off-Campus Access >>
  • Last Updated: Aug 28, 2023 9:37 AM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/psyc140

Banner

Writing a Literature Review

What is a literature review.

  • Research Topic | Research Questions
  • Outline (Example)
  • What Types of Literature Should I Use in My Review?
  • Writing a Literature Review in Psychology
  • Literature Review tips (video)

Table of Contents

  • What is a literature review?
  • How is a literature review different from a research article?
  • The two purposes: describe/compare and evaluate
  • Getting started Select a topic and gather articles
  • Choose a current, well-studied, specific topic
  • Search the research literature
  • Read the articles
  • Write the literature review
  • Structure How to proceed: describe, compare, evaluate

Literature reviews survey research on a particular area or topic in psychology. Their main purpose is to knit together theories and results from multiple studies to give an overview of a field of research.

How is a Literature Review Different from a Research Article?

Research articles:

  • are empirical articles that describe one or several related studies on a specific, quantitative, testable research question
  • are typically organized into four text sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion

The Introduction of a research article includes a condensed literature review. Its purpose is to describe what is known about the area of study, with the goal of giving the context and rationale for the study itself. Published literature reviews are called review articles. Review articles emphasize interpretation. By surveying the key studies done in a certain research area, a review article interprets how each line of research supports or fails to support a theory. Unlike a research article, which is quite specific, a review article tells a more general story of an area of research by describing, comparing, and evaluating the key theories and main evidence in that area.

The Two Purposes of a Literature Review

Your review has two purposes:

(1) to describe and compare studies in a specific area of research and

(2) to evaluate those studies. Both purposes are vital: a thorough summary and comparison of the current research is necessary before you can build a strong evaluative argument about the theories tested.

Getting Started

(1) Select a research topic and identify relevant articles.

(2) Read the articles until you understand what about them is relevant to your review.

(3) Digest the articles: Understand the main points well enough to talk about them.

(4) Write the review, keeping in mind your two purposes: to describe and compare, and to evaluate.

SELECT A TOPIC AND COLLECT ARTICLES

Choose a current, well-studied, specific topic.

Pick a topic that interests you. If you're interested in a subject, you're likely to already know something about it. Your interest will help you to choose meaningful articles, making your paper more fun both to write and to read. The topic should be both current and well studied. Your goal is to describe and evaluate recent findings in a specific area of research, so pick a topic that you find in current research journals. Find an area that is well defined and well studied, meaning that several research groups are studying the topic and have approached it from different perspectives. If all the articles you find are from the same research group (i.e., the same authors), broaden your topic or use more general search terms.

You may need to narrow your topic. The subject of a short literature review must be specific enough, yet have sufficient literature on the subject, for you to cover it in depth. A broad topic will yield thousands of articles, which is impossible to survey meaningfully. If you are drowning in articles, or each article you find seems to be about a completely different aspect of the subject, narrow your topic. Choose one article that interests to you and focus on the specific question investigated. For example, a search for ‘teenage alcohol use’ will flood you with articles, but searching for ‘teenage alcohol use and criminal behavior’ will yield both fewer and more focused articles.

You may need to broaden your topic. You need enough articles on your topic for a thorough review of the research. If you’re unable to find much literature on your topic, or if you find articles you want that are not easy to find online, broaden your topic. What’s a more general way to ask your question of interest? For example, if you’re having a hard time finding articles on ‘discrimination against Asian-American women in STEM fields,’ broaden your topic (e.g., ‘academic discrimination against Asian-American women’ or ‘discrimination against women in STEM.’)

Consider several topics, and keep an open mind. Don't fall in love with a topic before you find how much research has been done in that area. By exploring different topics, you may discover something that is newly exciting to you!

Search the Research Literature

Do a preliminary search. Use online databases to search the research literature. If you don’t know how to search online databases, ask your instructor or reference librarian. Reference librarians are invaluable!

Search for helpful articles. Find one or more pivotal articles that can be a foundation for your paper. A pivotal article may be exceptionally well written, contain particularly valuable citations, or clarify relationships between different but related lines of research. Two sources of such articles in psychology are:

  • Psychological Bulletin •
  • Current Directions in Psychological Science (published by the American Psychological Society) has general, short articles written by scientists who have published a lot in their research area

How many articles? Although published review articles may cite more than 100 articles, literature reviews for courses are often shorter because they present only highlights of a research area and are not exhaustive. A short literature review may survey 7-12 research articles and be about 10-15 pages long. For course paper guidelines, ask your instructor.

Choose representative articles, not just the first ones you find. This consideration is more important than the length of your review.

Choose readable articles. Some research areas are harder to understand than others. Scan articles in the topic areas you are considering to decide on the readability of the research in those areas.

READ THE ARTICLES

To write an effective review, you’ll need a solid grasp of the relevant research. Begin by reading the article you find easiest. Read, re-read, and mentally digest it until you have a conversational understanding of the paper. You don’t know what you know until you can talk about it. And if you can’t talk about it, you won’t be able to write about it.

Read selectively. Don't start by reading the articles from beginning to end. First, read just the Abstract to get an overview of the study.

Scan the article to identify the answers to these “Why-What-What-What” questions:

  • Why did they do the study? Why does it matter?
  • What did they do?
  • What did they find?
  • What does it mean?

The previous four questions correspond to these parts of a research article:

  • Introduction: the research question and hypotheses

Create a summary sheet of each article’s key points. This will help you to integrate each article into your paper.

TIP: Give Scholarcy a try.

Read for depth. After you understand an article’s main points, read each section in detail for to gain the necessary indepth understanding to compare the work of different researchers.

WRITE THE LITERATURE REVIEW

Your goal is to evaluate a body of literature; i.e., to “identify relations, contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies” and “suggest next steps to solve the research problem” (APA Publication Manual 2010, p. 10). Begin writing when you have decided on your story and how to organize your research to support that story.

Organization

Organize the literature review to highlight the theme that you want to emphasize – the story that you want to tell. Literature reviews tend to be organized something like this:

Introduction:

  • Introduce the research topic (what it is, why does it matter)
  • Frame the story: narrow the research topic to the studies you will discuss
  • Briefly outline how you have organized the review
  • Headings. Use theme headings to organize your argument (see below)
  • Describe the relevant parts of each study and explain why it is relevant to the subtopic at hand.
  • Compare the studies if need be, to discuss their implications (i.e., your interpretation of what the studies show and whether there are important differences or similarities)
  • Evaluate the importance of each study or group of studies, as well as the implications for the subtopic, and where research should go from here (on the level of the subtopic)

Conclusion: Final evaluation, summation and conclusion

Headings. Use headings to identify major sections that show the organization of the paper. (Headings also help you to identify organizational problems while you’re writing.) Avoid the standard headings of research articles (Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion). Use specific, conceptual headings. If you are reviewing whether facial expressions are universally understood, headings might include Studies in Western Cultures and Studies in Non-Western Cultures. Organize your argument into topics that fit under each heading (one or more per heading).

Describe. For each section or subtopic, briefly describe each article or line of research. Avoid sudden jumps betewen broader and narrower ideas. Keep your story in mind to help keep your thoughts connected.

Compare. For each section or topic, compare related studies, if this is relevant to your story. Comparisons may involve the research question, hypotheses, methods, data analysis, results, or conclusions. However, you don’t want to compare everything. That wouldn’t be a story! Which parts are relevant? What evidence supports your arguments? Identifying strengths and weaknesses of each study will help you make meaningful comparisons.

If you're having trouble synthesizing information, you probably don't understand the articles well. Reread sections you don’t understand. Discuss the studies with someone: you don’t know what you know until you can talk about it.

Evaluate. Descriptions/comparisons alone are not illuminating. For each section or topic, evaluate the studies you have reviewed based on your comparisons. Tell your reader what you conclude, and why. Evaluating research is the most subjective part of your paper. Even so, always support your claims with evidence. Evaluation requires much thought and takes on some risk, but without it, your paper is just a book report.

Final evaluation and summation. On a broader scale, relating to your main theme, tell your reader what you conclude and why. Reiterate your main claims and outline the evidence that supports them.

Conclusion. How does your evaluatio change or add to current knowledge in the field field? What future studies are implied by your analysis? How would such studies add to current knowledge of the topic?

The purpose of a literature review is to survey, describe, compare, and evaluate research articles on a particular topic. Choose a current topic that is neither too broad nor too narrow. Find the story that you want to tell. Spend a lot of time reading and thinking before you write. Think critically about the main hypotheses, findings, and arguments in a line of research. Identify areas of agreement among different articles as well as their differences and areas for future study. Expect to revise your review many times to refine your story. A well-written literature review gives the reader a comprehensive understanding of the main findings and remaining questions brought about by research on that topic.

  • << Previous: Scholarcy
  • Next: Literature Review tips (video) >>
  • Last Updated: Oct 26, 2022 8:01 AM
  • URL: https://gbc.libguides.com/literature_review

Banner

  • Macquarie University Library
  • Subject and Research Guides

Psychological Sciences

  • Literature Reviews
  • Databases & Journals
  • Books and Reference Sources
  • Search, Select, Evaluate
  • Referencing
  • Research Tools
  • Tests and Measurements
  • Master of Professional Psychology: PSYP8910
  • Psychology Honours

Getting started with your Literature Review

  • Introduction
  • What is a good literature review?
  • Future proofing

A literature review is a  comprehensive  and  critical  review of literature that provides the theoretical foundation of your chosen topic.

A review will demonstrate that an exhaustive search for literature has been undertaken. It might be used for a thesis, a report, a research essay or a study. 

A good literature review is a critical component of academic research, providing a comprehensive and systematic analysis of existing scholarly works on a specific topic. Here are the key elements that make up a good literature review:

Focus and clarity: A good literature review has a clear and well-defined research question or objective. It focuses on a specific topic and provides a coherent and structured analysis of the relevant literature.

I n-depth research: A comprehensive literature review involves an extensive search of relevant sources, including academic journals, books, and reputable online databases. It ensures that a wide range of perspectives and findings are considered.

Critical evaluatio n: A good literature review involves a critical assessment of the quality, credibility, and relevance of the selected sources. It evaluates the methodologies, strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of each study to determine their impact on the overall research.

Synthesis and analysis : A literature review should go beyond summarizing individual studies. It involves synthesizing and analyzing the findings, identifying patterns, themes, and gaps in the existing literature, and presenting a coherent narrative that connects different works.

Contribution to knowledg e: A good literature review not only summarizes existing research but also contributes to the knowledge base. It identifies gaps, inconsistencies, or unresolved debates in the field and suggests avenues for further research.

Clear and concise writing : A well-written literature review presents complex ideas in a clear, concise, and organized manner. It uses appropriate language, avoids jargon, and maintains a logical flow of information.

Proper citation and referencing: Accurate citation and referencing of the reviewed sources are crucial for maintaining academic integrity. Following the appropriate referencing style guidelines ensures consistency and allows readers to access the cited works.

In summary, a good literature review demonstrates a thorough understanding of the topic, critically engages with existing literature, and offers valuable insights for future research.

Where should you search?

The Library uses MultiSearch as an access point to our subscriptions and resources. Using MultiSearch is a good place to start. 

You can also search directly in databases. You might like to consider statistics, government publications or conference proceedings. This will depend on the question you're researching.

What should you read?

Not everything! 

  • Skim the title, the keywords, the abstract ... know when to pass on something and move on. 
  • Also know when to stop your literature review. When you start seeing the same material repeated in searches, or no new ideas or perspectives, maybe you have it covered. 

Evaluating Literature

You will need to read critically when assessing material for inclusion in your literature review. Each piece of information you look at (whether a journal article, a book, a video, or something else) should be assessed. 

  • Is the material current?
  • Does it have a bias (why was is published)?
  • Is the author authoritative?
  • Is the journal well regarded in the field (peer reviewed journals are  the gold standard but other journals are worthy too). 
  • Does it provide enough coverage of the topic, or is it basic?
  • Will books or journal articles be most useful for your interest area - or do you need to find other materials like government publications, or primary sources?

Analyse the Literature 

Once you've read widely on your subject, stop to consider what new insights this knowledge has provided. 

  • Can you see any ideas emerging more strongly than others?
  • Have you changed your position since starting your reading? Perhaps the evidence has made you reconsider your starting viewpoint - or it might have made you more committed to it. However, you should read with an open mind, and be prepared to change your thinking if the evidence points that way.
  • Make note of a few points every time you read something. Key arguments or themes. Perhaps a note of ideas you'd like to explore more. You might want to attach this information in the same file we've mentioned in the 'future proofing' tab. 

Keep a search diary

Set up a document or spreadsheet to record where you've searched, and also the search strategies you've used. Record the search terms and also the places which have served you well. For instance, is there a particular database which had good coverage?

You may need to repeat searches in the future and this information will help. It might also be requested by your supervisor. 

Saving alerts

There are many options for setting up alerts which will help you keep track of new publications by a journal, or an author who is key in your research area, or even when other people cite the papers you have noted (maybe their work will be of interest to you).

These include: 

  • Table of contents (TOC)
  • Citation alerts
  • Topic or subject alerts
  • Author alert

Developing a comprehensive search strategy

  • Before you start

1. Consider the guidance in the "getting started" box above before starting your search. 

2. Develop your research question or need.

3. Set up your search diary to record your progress and as a reference guide to come back to. 

1. Identify the  major concepts  from your  research question or topic.

Let's say that our topic is:  How do alternative energy sources play a role in climate change?   

The major concepts will be

  • a lternative energy sources
  • climate change

2. List  synonyms or alternative terms  for each concept and organise them in a table like the one below - using a column for each major concept. Use as many columns as you have major concepts.

Tools and tips to assist with this process:   

  • Run  scoping searches  for your topic in your favourite database or databases such as Google Scholar or Scopus to identify how the literature can express your concepts. Scan titles, subject headings (if any) and abstracts for words describing the same things as your major concepts.
  • Text mining tools  including  PubMed Reminer  especially if you are using a database with MeSH such as Medline or Cochrane. There are many others however.
  • As you find something new,  add it to the appropriate column on your list  to incorporate later in your search.

Create your search strategy from the concepts, synonyms, phrases etc in your Concept Grid 

Identify the best databases for your topic. Check the databases tab on this Guide.

N.B.The syntax/search tools for your search may depend on the particular database you are searching in. Most databases have a Help screen to assist.  

However, the majority of databases will use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT)  and other commonly used search tools :

  • Use "OR" to connect each of your synonyms (eg "climate change" OR "global warming")
  • Use "AND" to connect each of your concepts.
  • (Use "NOT" to exclude terms - but these should be used sparingly as they can knock out useful results.)
  • Use the Truncation symbol * at the end of word roots which might have alternative endings eg: manag* will retrieve: manage; management; managing, managerial etc.
  • Use quotes to keep together words of phrases (eg "climate change")
  • Group your concepts algebraically using parentheses. 
  • Consider, is your term alternatively expressed as two words? (eg hydro electricity or hydroelectricity (you should include both!))

So with our question/topic:  How do alternative energy sources play a role in climate change?

After identifying our major concepts and synonyms for each and employing some of the tools mentioned above, our constructed search strategy might look something like this:

("alternative energ*" OR "wind power" OR "Solar power" OR "Solar energy" OR Renewabl* OR geothermal OR hydroelectricity OR "hydro electricity") AND ("climate change" OR "global* warm*" or "greenhouse gas*" or "green house gas*")

3. Be prepared to revise, reassess and refine  your search strategies after you have run your initial searches to ensure you get the best possible results. If you retrieve too many false results or "noise", try to analyse why. For example, you may have used a word which has alternative meanings.

If you have too many results, you can either add another concept or remove some synonyms

If you have too few results, try searching with fewer concepts (identify the least most important to omit) or add more synonyms.

Your  Faculty or Clinical Librarian  will be able to assist with this process.

Further reading

  • Other sources
  • Journal Articles
  • Books and Chapters

literature review topic psychology

Related Guides

  • Systematic Reviews
  • Using MultiSearch

We have guidance on  Literature Reviews in StudyWISE .  This guides focuses on the writing skills associated with Literature Reviews.  

You'll find it  on iLearn (Macquarie University's learning portal)

literature review topic psychology

  • << Previous: Search, Select, Evaluate
  • Next: Referencing >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 15, 2024 11:49 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.mq.edu.au/psychology

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

  • Knowledge Base

Methodology

  • How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

Published on January 2, 2023 by Shona McCombes . Revised on September 11, 2023.

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic .

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

  • Search for relevant literature
  • Evaluate sources
  • Identify themes, debates, and gaps
  • Outline the structure
  • Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes , and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

upload-your-document-ai-proofreader

Table of contents

What is the purpose of a literature review, examples of literature reviews, step 1 – search for relevant literature, step 2 – evaluate and select sources, step 3 – identify themes, debates, and gaps, step 4 – outline your literature review’s structure, step 5 – write your literature review, free lecture slides, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions, introduction.

  • Quick Run-through
  • Step 1 & 2

When you write a thesis , dissertation , or research paper , you will likely have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

  • Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and its scholarly context
  • Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
  • Position your work in relation to other researchers and theorists
  • Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate
  • Evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

Writing literature reviews is a particularly important skill if you want to apply for graduate school or pursue a career in research. We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below.

Literature review guide

The only proofreading tool specialized in correcting academic writing - try for free!

The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts and by native English editors. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students.

literature review topic psychology

Try for free

Writing literature reviews can be quite challenging! A good starting point could be to look at some examples, depending on what kind of literature review you’d like to write.

  • Example literature review #1: “Why Do People Migrate? A Review of the Theoretical Literature” ( Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.)
  • Example literature review #2: “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines” ( Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and production.)
  • Example literature review #3: “The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Thematic literature review about the effects of technology on language acquisition.)
  • Example literature review #4: “Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Chronological literature review about how the concept of listening skills has changed over time.)

You can also check out our templates with literature review examples and sample outlines at the links below.

Download Word doc Download Google doc

Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic .

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research problem and questions .

Make a list of keywords

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research question. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in, and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list as you discover new keywords in the process of your literature search.

  • Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
  • Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health
  • Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents, youth

Search for relevant sources

Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some useful databases to search for journals and articles include:

  • Your university’s library catalogue
  • Google Scholar
  • Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
  • Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
  • EconLit (economics)
  • Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)

You can also use boolean operators to help narrow down your search.

Make sure to read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

You likely won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on your topic, so it will be necessary to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your research question.

For each publication, ask yourself:

  • What question or problem is the author addressing?
  • What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
  • What are the key theories, models, and methods?
  • Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
  • What are the results and conclusions of the study?
  • How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?

Make sure the sources you use are credible , and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

You can use our template to summarize and evaluate sources you’re thinking about using. Click on either button below to download.

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It is important to keep track of your sources with citations to avoid plagiarism . It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography , where you compile full citation information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

To begin organizing your literature review’s argument and structure, be sure you understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

  • Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
  • Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
  • Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
  • Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
  • Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

  • Most research has focused on young women.
  • There is an increasing interest in the visual aspects of social media.
  • But there is still a lack of robust research on highly visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat—this is a gap that you could address in your own research.

There are various approaches to organizing the body of a literature review. Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.

Try to analyze patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods , you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

  • Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
  • Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
  • Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework . You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Like any other academic text , your literature review should have an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion . What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, you can follow these tips:

  • Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
  • Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers — add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
  • Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
  • Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transition words and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and contrasts

In the conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance.

When you’ve finished writing and revising your literature review, don’t forget to proofread thoroughly before submitting. Not a language expert? Check out Scribbr’s professional proofreading services !

This article has been adapted into lecture slides that you can use to teach your students about writing a literature review.

Scribbr slides are free to use, customize, and distribute for educational purposes.

Open Google Slides Download PowerPoint

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

  • Sampling methods
  • Simple random sampling
  • Stratified sampling
  • Cluster sampling
  • Likert scales
  • Reproducibility

 Statistics

  • Null hypothesis
  • Statistical power
  • Probability distribution
  • Effect size
  • Poisson distribution

Research bias

  • Optimism bias
  • Cognitive bias
  • Implicit bias
  • Hawthorne effect
  • Anchoring bias
  • Explicit bias

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a thesis, dissertation , or research paper , in order to situate your work in relation to existing knowledge.

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

  • To familiarize yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
  • To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
  • To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
  • To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
  • To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your thesis or dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other  academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An  annotated bibliography is a list of  source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a  paper .  

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, September 11). How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved February 22, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/literature-review/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, what is a theoretical framework | guide to organizing, what is a research methodology | steps & tips, how to write a research proposal | examples & templates, what is your plagiarism score.

Banner

Psychology - How to Write a Literature Review

Subject guide.

Profile Photo

What is a literature review? 

A literature review discusses published research studies on a specific topic or subject area.  

What is the purpose of writing it?

The goal of the lit review is to describe, summarize, and evaluate previous research in a given area.  It should explain important conclusions about your topic as well as identify any gaps in the research or areas for future study.

Choose a Topic and Find Articles

Choose a topic that interests you and remember to keep an open mind.  Depending on how much research there is, you may need to narrow or broaden your topic.  

Cover Art

  • PsycArticles This link opens in a new window Scholarly journal articles on psychology topics.
  • ProQuest Central This link opens in a new window The largest single periodical resource available, bringing together complete databases across all major subject areas, including Business, Health and Medical, Social Sciences, Education, Science and Technology, and Humanities.
  • Google Scholar Search for scholarly articles and books. Be aware that the full text may not always be available.

Read the Articles

You want to read and understand each of your articles.  A good starting point is to answer these 3 questions about each article:

1. What was the study's research question?  In other words, what were they trying to find out?

2. What was the study's method?  Briefly describe HOW they collected data and WHO their participant group was.

3. What do the results mean?  Or what conclusions can we draw from the results?

Write the Lit Review

Connect:   Think about what YOUR research question is for your lit review.  Each article you found should connect to your topic/theme in some way and you should be able to describe your topic as a research question and your articles as answers to that question.  Your summary for each article should show how they further our knowledge in relation to your topic.

Organize:   Can you organize your articles into a few distinct groups?  It could be by treatment method or age/ethnic group or other factor.  The way you organize will depend on your topic and the research, but it will help you if you can group articles in some way.  

Analyze:  Think beyond just summary and about what we still don't know about this topic.  Are there gaps in the research?  Do too many studies use just one method of gathering data?  What else is important to know?  The "Discussion" section of your articles may help guide you in your analysis.

Additional Sources

  • College Drinking Games Literature Review Lit Review published in a scholarly journal. Good example of how lit reviews work in the field.
  • How to Write a Literature Review from Psychology in Action Good advice on choosing a topic and searching for articles.
  • Writing a Literature Review in Psychology from University of Washington Helpful info on all aspects of writing a lit review. Great resource.
  • Literature Reviews from UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center This is not specific to Psychology, but has good tips on organizing your paper.
  • Next: APA >>
  • Last Updated: Oct 18, 2023 11:21 AM
  • URL: https://bergen.libguides.com/litreview

Banner

  • University of La Verne
  • Subject Guides

PSY 306: Cognitive Psychology

  • Literature Reviews
  • Find Articles
  • What is a Literature Review?
  • Literature Review Resources
  • Literature Review Books
  • The 5 Steps to Writing a Literature Review
  • APA Citations
  • Organize Citations
  • A literature review is a critical, analytical summary and synthesis of the current knowledge of a topic. As a researcher, you collect the available literature on a topic, and then select the literature that is most relevant for your purpose. Your written literature review summarizes and analyses the themes, topics, methods, and results of that literature in order to inform the reader about the history and current status of research on that topic.

What purpose does a literature review serve?

  • The literature review informs the reader of the researcher's knowledge of the relevant research already conducted on the topic under discussion, and places the author's current study in context of previous studies.
  • As part of a senior project, the literature review points out the current issues and questions concerning a topic. By relating the your research to a knowledge gap in the existing literature, you should demonstrate how his or her proposed research will contribute to expanding knowledge in that field.
  • Short Literature Review Sample This literature review sample guides students from the thought process to a finished review.
  • Literature Review Matrix (Excel Doc) Excel file that can be edited to suit your needs.
  • Literature Review Matrix (PDF) Source: McLean, Lindsey. "Literature Review." CORA (Community of Online Research Assignments), 2015. https://www.projectcora.org/assignment/literature-review.
  • Academic Writer (formerly APA Style Central) This link opens in a new window Academic Writer (formerly APA Style Central) features three independent but integrated centers that provide expert resources necessary for teaching, learning, and applying the rules of APA Style.
  • Sample Literature Reviews: Univ. of West Florida Literature review guide from the University of West Florida library guides.
  • Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) Sample literature review in APA from Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL)

literature review topic psychology

  • << Previous: Find Articles
  • Next: APA Citations >>
  • Last Updated: Oct 25, 2023 3:06 PM
  • URL: https://laverne.libguides.com/psy306

Banner

PSY 246 - Adolescent Psychology: Literature Review

  • Careers in Psychology
  • Find Books/eBooks
  • Find Articles
  • Web Resources
  • Psy246 - Brain Development
  • Literature Review
  • Formatting in a Flash
  • APA7 Citation Help
  • Integrating Sources
  • Research Process

New All-in-One Search

literature review topic psychology

  Classic Catalog | Remote Access | Help          

Classic Catalog | Remote Access | Help          

A-to-Z List | Remote Access

A-to-Z List | By Subject | By Type

Sample Literature Review

  • SAMPLE Literature Review in APA7 (PDF) This is a PDF for you to use as an example of the formatting and content of a literature review for this assignment.

Click on the link above to open the PDF for the SAMPLE Literature Review

Don't forget that all the journal/scholarly articles you choose will be on the same topic. Do NOT choose magazine or newspaper articles for this assignment.

For more help finding scholarly journal articles with research, see Find Articles.  

For more help with APA references and in-text citations, see APA 7 Citation Help .

Best Databases for the Psychology Literature Review

NCLIVE Resource

How the Library Helps You Identify Types of Sources

Other Helpful Library Resources

  • APA Citation Page Use this page to help you create references and in-text citations for APA 7.
  • Finding Articles for Psychology, including those with Original Research Information on this page helps students find articles with original research and explains the sections of a scholarly journal article.

Finding Scholarly Articles in the Library's Database

What is a Literature Review

The literature review that you write summarizes and explains research that has been done on a particular topic. All of the articles will be on the same topic . You've seen literature reviews in academic articles that are written to show what's already been researched and why the authors choose to do their own research. Since you aren't actually conducting long, extensive research, you are are looking at a body of research and looking for common issues and also the progression of research (more sophisticated, taking new angles, etc.).

Content of the Review

Introduction.

The introduction explains the focus and establishes the importance of the subject. It discusses what kind of work has been done on the topic and identifies any controversies within the field or any recent research which has raised questions about earlier assumptions. It may provide background or history. It concludes with a purpose or thesis statement. This statement will sum up and evaluate the state of the art in this field of research.

Often divided by headings/subheadings, the body summarizes and evaluates the current state of knowledge in the field. It notes major themes or topics, the most important trends, and any findings about which researchers agree or disagree. 

The conclusion summarizes all the evidence presented and shows its significance.You should suggest any practical applications of the research as well as the implications and possibilities for future research.

How to Write A Literature Review

1. find a working topic.

Look at your textbook and Blackboard information. You should find a topic that's not too broad or too narrow. For example, developmental disabilities may be too broad but autism may be a better fit.

2. Review the Literature

  • Use one of the psychology databases. 
  • Remember that the reference lists of recent articles and reviews can lead to valuable papers
  • Use the date slider bar to find older articles that might be considered "seminal" or the foundation for later studies.

3. Read the Selected Articles Thoroughly and Evaluate Them

  • What assumptions do most/some researchers seem to be making?
  • What methodologies do they use? what testing procedures, subjects, material tested?
  • Evaluate and synthesize the research findings and conclusions drawn
  • Note experts in the field: names/labs that are frequently referenced
  • Watch for popularity of theories and how this has/has not changed over time

4. Develop a Working Thesis

Write a one or two sentence statement summarizing the conclusion you have reached about the major trends and developments you see in the research that has been done on your subject.

  • << Previous: Psy246 - Brain Development
  • Next: Formatting in a Flash >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 7, 2024 9:54 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.rccc.edu/psy246

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Writing a Literature Review

OWL logo

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

A literature review is a document or section of a document that collects key sources on a topic and discusses those sources in conversation with each other (also called synthesis ). The lit review is an important genre in many disciplines, not just literature (i.e., the study of works of literature such as novels and plays). When we say “literature review” or refer to “the literature,” we are talking about the research ( scholarship ) in a given field. You will often see the terms “the research,” “the scholarship,” and “the literature” used mostly interchangeably.

Where, when, and why would I write a lit review?

There are a number of different situations where you might write a literature review, each with slightly different expectations; different disciplines, too, have field-specific expectations for what a literature review is and does. For instance, in the humanities, authors might include more overt argumentation and interpretation of source material in their literature reviews, whereas in the sciences, authors are more likely to report study designs and results in their literature reviews; these differences reflect these disciplines’ purposes and conventions in scholarship. You should always look at examples from your own discipline and talk to professors or mentors in your field to be sure you understand your discipline’s conventions, for literature reviews as well as for any other genre.

A literature review can be a part of a research paper or scholarly article, usually falling after the introduction and before the research methods sections. In these cases, the lit review just needs to cover scholarship that is important to the issue you are writing about; sometimes it will also cover key sources that informed your research methodology.

Lit reviews can also be standalone pieces, either as assignments in a class or as publications. In a class, a lit review may be assigned to help students familiarize themselves with a topic and with scholarship in their field, get an idea of the other researchers working on the topic they’re interested in, find gaps in existing research in order to propose new projects, and/or develop a theoretical framework and methodology for later research. As a publication, a lit review usually is meant to help make other scholars’ lives easier by collecting and summarizing, synthesizing, and analyzing existing research on a topic. This can be especially helpful for students or scholars getting into a new research area, or for directing an entire community of scholars toward questions that have not yet been answered.

What are the parts of a lit review?

Most lit reviews use a basic introduction-body-conclusion structure; if your lit review is part of a larger paper, the introduction and conclusion pieces may be just a few sentences while you focus most of your attention on the body. If your lit review is a standalone piece, the introduction and conclusion take up more space and give you a place to discuss your goals, research methods, and conclusions separately from where you discuss the literature itself.

Introduction:

  • An introductory paragraph that explains what your working topic and thesis is
  • A forecast of key topics or texts that will appear in the review
  • Potentially, a description of how you found sources and how you analyzed them for inclusion and discussion in the review (more often found in published, standalone literature reviews than in lit review sections in an article or research paper)
  • Summarize and synthesize: Give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
  • Analyze and interpret: Don’t just paraphrase other researchers – add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
  • Critically Evaluate: Mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
  • Write in well-structured paragraphs: Use transition words and topic sentence to draw connections, comparisons, and contrasts.

Conclusion:

  • Summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance
  • Connect it back to your primary research question

How should I organize my lit review?

Lit reviews can take many different organizational patterns depending on what you are trying to accomplish with the review. Here are some examples:

  • Chronological : The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time, which helps familiarize the audience with the topic (for instance if you are introducing something that is not commonly known in your field). If you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order. Try to analyze the patterns, turning points, and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred (as mentioned previously, this may not be appropriate in your discipline — check with a teacher or mentor if you’re unsure).
  • Thematic : If you have found some recurring central themes that you will continue working with throughout your piece, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic. For example, if you are reviewing literature about women and religion, key themes can include the role of women in churches and the religious attitude towards women.
  • Qualitative versus quantitative research
  • Empirical versus theoretical scholarship
  • Divide the research by sociological, historical, or cultural sources
  • Theoretical : In many humanities articles, the literature review is the foundation for the theoretical framework. You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts. You can argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach or combine various theorical concepts to create a framework for your research.

What are some strategies or tips I can use while writing my lit review?

Any lit review is only as good as the research it discusses; make sure your sources are well-chosen and your research is thorough. Don’t be afraid to do more research if you discover a new thread as you’re writing. More info on the research process is available in our "Conducting Research" resources .

As you’re doing your research, create an annotated bibliography ( see our page on the this type of document ). Much of the information used in an annotated bibliography can be used also in a literature review, so you’ll be not only partially drafting your lit review as you research, but also developing your sense of the larger conversation going on among scholars, professionals, and any other stakeholders in your topic.

Usually you will need to synthesize research rather than just summarizing it. This means drawing connections between sources to create a picture of the scholarly conversation on a topic over time. Many student writers struggle to synthesize because they feel they don’t have anything to add to the scholars they are citing; here are some strategies to help you:

  • It often helps to remember that the point of these kinds of syntheses is to show your readers how you understand your research, to help them read the rest of your paper.
  • Writing teachers often say synthesis is like hosting a dinner party: imagine all your sources are together in a room, discussing your topic. What are they saying to each other?
  • Look at the in-text citations in each paragraph. Are you citing just one source for each paragraph? This usually indicates summary only. When you have multiple sources cited in a paragraph, you are more likely to be synthesizing them (not always, but often
  • Read more about synthesis here.

The most interesting literature reviews are often written as arguments (again, as mentioned at the beginning of the page, this is discipline-specific and doesn’t work for all situations). Often, the literature review is where you can establish your research as filling a particular gap or as relevant in a particular way. You have some chance to do this in your introduction in an article, but the literature review section gives a more extended opportunity to establish the conversation in the way you would like your readers to see it. You can choose the intellectual lineage you would like to be part of and whose definitions matter most to your thinking (mostly humanities-specific, but this goes for sciences as well). In addressing these points, you argue for your place in the conversation, which tends to make the lit review more compelling than a simple reporting of other sources.

Duke University Libraries

Literature Reviews

  • Getting started

What is a literature review?

Why conduct a literature review, stages of a literature review, lit reviews: an overview (video), check out these books.

  • Types of reviews
  • 1. Define your research question
  • 2. Plan your search
  • 3. Search the literature
  • 4. Organize your results
  • 5. Synthesize your findings
  • 6. Write the review
  • Thompson Writing Studio This link opens in a new window
  • Need to write a systematic review? This link opens in a new window

literature review topic psychology

Contact a Librarian

Ask a Librarian

literature review topic psychology

Definition: A literature review is a systematic examination and synthesis of existing scholarly research on a specific topic or subject.

Purpose: It serves to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge within a particular field.

Analysis: Involves critically evaluating and summarizing key findings, methodologies, and debates found in academic literature.

Identifying Gaps: Aims to pinpoint areas where there is a lack of research or unresolved questions, highlighting opportunities for further investigation.

Contextualization: Enables researchers to understand how their work fits into the broader academic conversation and contributes to the existing body of knowledge.

literature review topic psychology

tl;dr  A literature review critically examines and synthesizes existing scholarly research and publications on a specific topic to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of knowledge in the field.

What is a literature review NOT?

❌ An annotated bibliography

❌ Original research

❌ A summary

❌ Something to be conducted at the end of your research

❌ An opinion piece

❌ A chronological compilation of studies

The reason for conducting a literature review is to:

literature review topic psychology

Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students

While this 9-minute video from NCSU is geared toward graduate students, it is useful for anyone conducting a literature review.

literature review topic psychology

Writing the literature review: A practical guide

Available 3rd floor of Perkins

literature review topic psychology

Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences

Available online!

literature review topic psychology

So, you have to write a literature review: A guided workbook for engineers

literature review topic psychology

Telling a research story: Writing a literature review

literature review topic psychology

The literature review: Six steps to success

literature review topic psychology

Systematic approaches to a successful literature review

Request from Duke Medical Center Library

literature review topic psychology

Doing a systematic review: A student's guide

  • Next: Types of reviews >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 15, 2024 1:45 PM
  • URL: https://guides.library.duke.edu/lit-reviews

Duke University Libraries

Services for...

  • Faculty & Instructors
  • Graduate Students
  • Undergraduate Students
  • International Students
  • Patrons with Disabilities

Twitter

  • Harmful Language Statement
  • Re-use & Attribution / Privacy
  • Support the Libraries

Creative Commons License

Emerging and Future Directions in Test-Enhanced Learning Research

  • Published: 12 February 2024
  • Volume 36 , article number  20 , ( 2024 )

Cite this article

  • Steven C. Pan   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9080-5651 1 ,
  • John Dunlosky   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-7367-7958 2 ,
  • Kate M. Xu   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1863-9676 3 &
  • Kim Ouwehand   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5434-0188 4  

128 Accesses

4 Altmetric

Explore all metrics

Over the past eighteen years, research into test-enhanced learning has expanded significantly and remains vibrant to this day. The fact that many major research questions in the literature have already been addressed, however, raises the question: “What’s next?” That question motivates this special issue. We asked leading researchers in the field to contribute articles highlighting cutting-edge and new directions in test-enhanced learning research. The resulting review papers, empirical articles, and commentaries address many fascinating topics, including: (a) new approaches that are generating insights into test-enhanced learning in relation to other learning techniques (e.g., combining testing with elaborative or generative learning activities); (b) investigations of lesser-known test-based learning strategies that have the potential to enhance educational outcomes (e.g., pretesting and prequestioning , spaced retrieval practice , test-potentiated new learning or forward testing ; and successive relearning ); (c) new research on effective uses of practice testing during self-regulated learning and in other contexts; and (d) how to promote awareness and acceptance of test-enhanced learning among students and practitioners. These articles showcase some of the most promising new directions in test-enhanced learning research, so we anticipate that this special issue will inspire further investigations of practice testing and its educational applications.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

literature review topic psychology

*Denotes articles in the special issue.

Abbott, E. E. (1909). On the analysis of the factor of recall in the learning process. The Psychological Review: Monograph Supplements, 11 (1), 159–177. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0093018

Article   Google Scholar  

Adesope, O. O., Trevisan, D. A., & Sundararajan, N. (2017). Rethinking the use of tests: A meta-analysis of practice testing. Review of Educational Research, 87 (3), 659–701. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316689306

Agarwal, P. K., D’Antonio, L., Roediger, H. L., McDermott, K. B., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Classroom-based programs of retrieval practice reduce middle school and high school students’ test anxiety. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 3 (3), 131–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2014.07.002

*Agarwal, P. K. (2023). Personal reflections on science communication and sharing retrieval practice research with teachers. Educational Psychology Review , 35.

*Badali, S., Rawson, K. A., & Dunlosky, J. (2023). How do students regulate their use of multiple-choice practice tests? Educational Psychology Review, 35 (2), 43.

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Bjork, R. A. (1975). Retrieval as a memory modifier. In R. Solso (Ed.), Information processing and cognition: The Loyola Symposium (pp. 123–144). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Google Scholar  

Butler, A. C. (2010). Repeated testing produces superior transfer of learning relative to repeated studying. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 36 (5), 1118–1133. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019902

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Carey, B. (2014, September 4). Why flunking exams is actually a good thing. The New York Times . https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/07/magazine/why-flunking-exams-is-actually-a-good-thing.html . Accessed 24 Sept 2023.

Carpenter, S. K. (2012). Testing enhances the transfer of learning. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 21 (5), 279–283. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721412452728

Carpenter, S. K., & Delosh, E. L. (2006). Impoverished cue support enhances subsequent retention: Support for the elaborative retrieval explanation of the testing effect. Memory & Cognition, 34 (2), 268–276. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193405

Carpenter, S. K., Pan, S. C., & Butler, A. C. (2022). The science of effective learning with spacing and retrieval practice. Nature Reviews Psychology . https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-022-00089-1

*Carpenter, S. K. (2023). Encouraging students to use retrieval practice: a review of emerging research from five types of interventions. Educational Psychology Review , 35.

*Davis, S. D., & Chan, J. C. (2023). Effortful tests and repeated metacognitive judgments enhance future learning. Educational Psychology Review, 35 (3), 86.

Delaney, P. F., Verkoeijen, P. P. J. L., & Spirgel, A. (2010). Spacing and testing effects. In Psychology of Learning and Motivation (Vol. 53, pp. 63–147). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0079-7421(10)53003-2

Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving students’ learning with effective learning techniques: Promising directions from cognitive and educational psychology. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14 (1), 4–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100612453266

Foss, D. J., & Pirozzolo, J. W. (2017). Four semesters investigating frequency of testing, the testing effect, and transfer of training. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109 (8), 1067–1083. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000197

Glover, J. A. (1989). The “testing” phenomenon: Not gone but nearly forgotten. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81 (3), 392–399.

*Higham, P., Fastrich, G., Potts, R., Murayama, K., Pickering, J., & Hadwin, J. (2023). Spaced retrieval practice: can restudying trump retrieval? Educational Psychology Review , 35.

Izawa, C. (1970). Optimal potentiating effects and forgetting-prevention effects of tests in paired-associate learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 83 (2, Pt.1), 340–344. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0028541

Jacoby, L. L., Wahlheim, C. N., & Coane, J. H. (2010). Test-enhanced learning of natural concepts: Effects on recognition memory, classification, and metacognition. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 36 (6), 1441–1451. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020636

Kang, S. H. K., McDaniel, M. A., & Pashler, H. (2011). Effects of testing on learning of functions. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 18 (5), 998–1005. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-011-0113-x

*Kang, Y., Ha, H., & Lee, H. S. (2023). When More is not better: Effects of interim testing and feature highlighting in natural category learning. Educational Psychology Review, 35 (2), 51.

Karpicke, J. D. (2012). Retrieval-based learning: Active retrieval promotes meaningful learning. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 21 (3), 157–163. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721412443552

Karpicke, J. D., & Blunt, J. R. (2011). Retrieval practice produces more learning than elaborative studying with concept mapping. Science, 331 (6018), 772–775.

Article   CAS   PubMed   ADS   Google Scholar  

Karpicke, J. D., & Grimaldi, P. J. (2012). Retrieval-based learning: A perspective for enhancing meaningful Learning. Educational Psychology Review, 24 (3), 401–418. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-012-9202-2

Karpicke, J. D., Lehman, M., & Aue, W. R. (2014). Retrieval-based learning. In Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 61 , 237–284. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-800283-4.00007-1

Kornell, N., & Vaughn, K. E. (2016). How retrieval attempts affect learning: a review and synthesis. In B. H. Ross (Ed.), Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 65 , 183–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.plm.2016.03.003

Kühn, A. (1914). Über einprägung durch lesen und durch rezitieren (Vol. 9). Verlag von Johann Ambrosius Barth.

Larsen, D. P., Butler, A. C., & Roediger, H. L., III. (2013). Comparative effects of test-enhanced learning and self-explanation on long-term retention. Medical Education, 47 (7), 674–682. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12141

Leahy, W., Hanham, J., & Sweller, J. (2015). High element interactivity information during problem solving may lead to failure to obtain the testing effect. Educational Psychology Review, 27 (2), 291–304. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9296-4

*McDaniel, M. A. (2023). Combining retrieval practice with elaborative encoding: Complementary or redundant? Educational Psychology Review, 35 (3), 75.

McDaniel, M. A., Agarwal, P. K., Huelser, B. J., McDermott, K. B., & Roediger, H. L. (2011). Test-enhanced learning in a middle school science classroom: The effects of quiz frequency and placement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 103 (2), 399–414. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021782

McDermott, K. B. (2021). Practicing retrieval facilitates learning. Annual Review of Psychology, 72 (1), 609–633. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010419-051019

McDermott, K. B., Agarwal, P. K., D’Antonio, L., Roediger, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Both multiple-choice and short-answer quizzes enhance later exam performance in middle and high school classes. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 20 (1), 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000004

*Murphy, D. H., Little, J. L., & Bjork, E. L. (2023). The value of using tests in education as tools for learning—not just for assessment. Educational Psychology Review , 35.

*Pan, S. C., & Carpenter, S. K. (2023). Prequestioning and pretesting effects: a review of empirical research, theoretical perspectives, and implications for educational practice. Educational Psychology Review , 35.

Pan, S. C., & Rickard, T. C. (2018). Transfer of test-enhanced learning: Meta-analytic review and synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 144 (7), 710–756. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000151

Pashler, H., Bain, P. M., Bottge, B. A., Graesser, A., Koedinger, K., McDaniel, M., & Metcalfe, J. (2007). Organizing instruction and study to improve student learning. IES Practice Guide. NCER 2007–2004. In National Center for Education Research . National Center for Education Research. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED498555 . Accessed 24 Sept 2023.

Rawson, K. A., & Dunlosky, J. (2011). Optimizing schedules of retrieval practice for durable and efficient learning: How much is enough? Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 140 (3), 283–302. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023956

Rawson, K. A., & Dunlosky, J. (2022). Successive relearning: An underexplored but potent technique for obtaining and maintaining knowledge. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 31 (362–368), 096372142211004. https://doi.org/10.1177/09637214221100484

Rawson, K., Dunlosky, J., & Sciartelli, S. (2013). The Power of Successive Relearning: Improving Performance on Course Exams and Long-Term Retention. Educational Psychology Review , 25 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-013-9240-4

Richland, L. E., Kornell, N., & Kao, L. S. (2009). The pretesting effect: Do unsuccessful retrieval attempts enhance learning? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 15 (3), 243–257. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016496

Rickard, T. C., & Pan, S. C. (2018). A dual memory theory of the testing effect. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 25 (3), 847–869. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-017-1298-4

Roediger, H. L., & Butler, A. C. (2011). The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15 (1), 20–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2010.09.003

Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006a). Test-enhanced learning: Taking memory tests improves long-term retention. Psychological Science, 17 (3), 249–255. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x

Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006b). The power of testing memory: Basic research and implications for educational practice. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 1 (3), 181–210. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6916.2006.00012.x

Roediger, H. L., Putnam, A., & Sumeracki, M. (2011). Ten benefits of testing and their applications to educational practice. In Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 55 , 1–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-387691-1.00001-6

Roediger, H. L., Agarwal, P. K., Kang, S. H. K., & Marsh, E. J. (2010). Benefits of testing memory. In J. Rummel (Ed.), Current Issues in Memory (1st ed., pp. 360–395). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003106715-22

*Roelle, J., Endres, T., Abel, R., Obergassel, N., Nückles, M., & Renkl, A. (2023). happy together? On the relationship between research on retrieval practice and generative learning using the case of follow-up learning tasks. Educational Psychology Review , 35.

Rowland, C. A. (2014). The effect of testing versus restudy on retention: A meta-analytic review of the testing effect. Psychological Bulletin, 140 (6), 1432–1463. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037559

*Soderstrom, N. C., & Bjork, E. L. (2023). Pretesting Enhances learning in the classroom. Educational Psychology Review, 35 , 88. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09805-6

Spitzer, H. F. (1939). Studies in retention. Journal of Educational Psychology, 30 (9), 641–656. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0063404

*Sumeracki, M. A., Nebel, C. L., Kaminske, A. N., & Kuepper-Tetzel, C. E. (2024). Turning roadblocks into speed bumps: a call for implementation reform in science communication about retrieval practice. Educational Psychology Review.

Tullis, J. G., Finley, J. R., & Benjamin, A. S. (2013). Metacognition of the testing effect: Guiding learners to predict the benefits of retrieval. Memory & Cognition, 41 (3), 429–442. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-012-0274-5

van den Broek, G., Takashima, A., Wiklund-Hörnqvist, C., Karlsson Wirebring, L., Segers, E., Verhoeven, L., & Nyberg, L. (2016). Neurocognitive mechanisms of the “testing effect”: A review. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 5 (2), 52–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2016.05.001

van Gog, T., & Kester, L. (2012). A test of the testing effect: Acquiring problem-solving skills from worked examples: Cognitive Science . Cognitive Science, 36 (8), 1532–1541. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12002

van Gog, T., & Sweller, J. (2015). Not new, but nearly forgotten: The testing effect decreases or even disappears as the complexity of learning materials increases. Educational Psychology Review, 27 (2), 247–264. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9310-x

Witasek, B. (1907). Über lesen und rezitieren in ihren beziehungen zum gedächtnis. Zeitschrift Für Psychologie, 44 , 161–185.

Yang, C., Luo, L., Vadillo, M. A., Yu, R., & Shanks, D. R. (2021). Testing (quizzing) boosts classroom learning: A systematic and meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 147 , 399–435. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000309

*Yang, C., Li, J., Zhao, W., Luo, L., & Shanks, D. R. (2023). Do practice tests (quizzes) reduce or provoke test anxiety? a meta-analytic review. Educational Psychology Review, 35 (3), 87.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The editorial team thanks the submitting authors for their contributions. The many reviewers that participated in the peer review process and the editorial board members that offered their input are also much appreciated. Thanks also to Ralf Rummer for suggesting relevant historical citations. Finally, we are very grateful to Fred Paas, Editor-in-Chief, for supporting and guiding the successful completion of this special issue.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

Steven C. Pan

Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, USA

John Dunlosky

Faculty of Educational Sciences, Open University of the Netherlands, Utrecht, Netherlands

Department of Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Education, and Child Studies, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Kim Ouwehand

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steven C. Pan .

Additional information

Publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Test-Enhanced Learning and Testing in Education: Contemporary Perspectives and Insights

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Pan, S.C., Dunlosky, J., Xu, K.M. et al. Emerging and Future Directions in Test-Enhanced Learning Research. Educ Psychol Rev 36 , 20 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09857-2

Download citation

Accepted : 25 January 2024

Published : 12 February 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09857-2

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

  • Test-Enhanced Learning
  • Testing Effect
  • Retrieval Practice
  • Metacognition

Advertisement

  • Find a journal
  • Publish with us
  • Track your research

Overview A literature review. Now that you have found resources...

A literature review. Now that you have found resources related to different specializations in behavior-analytic practice, the next step is to look further into how they relate to each other and shed light on your research topic. Not only will you be writing literature reviews in some of your future courses at Capella, these skills will also help you in your future career. For example, as a BCBA, you might need to develop a treatment plan that is suited to a particular situation. You will need to turn to the literature to understand what is known and what is not about that situation. Using critical-thinking skills, you can find themes and determine what course of action your treatment plan should take. Behavior analysts also rely on the literature to determine evidence-based practices when assessing, setting goals, and developing support plans for clients.

Introduction

State your research topic and explain how it relates to your specialization and professional interests.

Synthesis of Literature Into a Cohesive Review

Identify at least two key themes, or foci of inquiry, that are relevant to your research topic in each article. These themes may be based on:

  • Related behaviors of interest.
  • Related treatment protocols.
  • Related treatment settings.
  • Related or differing conclusions.
  • Other factors or ideas the studies have in common.
  • Other points of contrast between the studies.

Use concise formulations of these themes as headings for the next sections of the paper. In these sections, compare and contrast your resources' positions relative to each theme, then synthesize your own position relative to the theme. Support your conclusions by citing your references.

Restate the conclusions you came to regarding the themes you explored with your research. Support your conclusions by citing your references. 

Hodges, H., Fealko, C., & Soares, N. (2020). Autism spectrum disorder: definition, epidemiology, causes, and clinical evaluation.  Translational Pediatrics ,  9 (S1), S55-S65. https://doi.org/10.21037/tp.2019.09.09

Shepley, C., & Grisham-Brown, J. (2018). Applied Behavior Analysis in Early Childhood Education: An overview of policies, research, blended practices, and the curriculum framework.  Behavior Analysis in Practice ,  12 (1), 235-246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-018-0236-x

Kapur, R. (2018). Study of organizational Behavior in Education.  ResearchGate . https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323829603_Study_of_Organizational_Behavior_in_Education

Answer & Explanation

The research topic of interest is the application of behavior analysis in addressing challenges related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) within early childhood education settings. This topic aligns with my specialization in behavior analysis and professional interests in supporting individuals with ASD through evidence-based practices.

Theme 1: Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Interventions in Early Childhood Education

         Hodges et al. (2020) provide an overview of clinical evaluation techniques for ASD, highlighting the importance of early intervention and behavioral therapies such as ABA in improving outcomes. They emphasize the efficacy of ABA in targeting specific behaviors and enhancing social and communication skills in children with ASD.

           Similarly, Shepley and Grisham-Brown (2018) discuss the integration of ABA principles into early childhood education, emphasizing the effectiveness of ABA-based strategies in promoting skill acquisition and reducing problem behaviors. They advocate for the incorporation of ABA techniques into the curriculum framework to support individualized learning and behavioral support plans.

Synthesis:  

           Both articles underscore the significance of ABA interventions in early childhood education for children with ASD. They highlight the effectiveness of ABA in addressing behavioral challenges and fostering skill development, emphasizing its role in enhancing outcomes for children with ASD in educational settings.

Theme 2: Organizational Behavior and Implementation of ABA Practices

            Kapur (2018) explores organizational behavior in education settings, focusing on factors influencing the implementation of interventions such as ABA. The study discusses organizational structures, leadership styles, and staff collaboration as critical determinants of successful ABA program implementation in educational settings.

           In contrast, Hodges et al. (2020) and Shepley and Grisham-Brown (2018) primarily focus on the clinical application of ABA interventions rather than organizational factors. While they acknowledge the importance of organizational support, their emphasis lies on the efficacy of ABA techniques in addressing ASD-related challenges.

            While Kapur (2018) provides insights into organizational behavior and its impact on ABA program implementation, Hodges et al. (2020) and Shepley and Grisham-Brown (2018) primarily focus on the clinical aspects of ABA interventions. Integrating organizational behavior principles with clinical practice is crucial for ensuring the successful implementation and sustainability of ABA programs in educational settings.

            Through the synthesis of literature, it is evident that ABA interventions play a crucial role in addressing ASD-related challenges in early childhood education. Both Hodges et al. and Shepley and Grisham-Brown emphasize the effectiveness of ABA techniques in promoting skill development and reducing problem behaviors in children with ASD. However, organizational factors highlighted by Kapur are equally important in facilitating the successful implementation of ABA programs within educational settings. Thus, a comprehensive approach that integrates clinical expertise with organizational behavior principles is essential for maximizing the impact of ABA interventions in educational settings.

Approach to solving the question: I analyzed the prompt, identified the key requirements, and structured the response accordingly, drawing upon my understanding of academic writing conventions and the principles of synthesizing literature.

Other answer

Introduction:

My research topic delves into the application of applied behavior analysis (ABA) within early childhood education, specifically focusing on devising effective interventions for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This topic holds profound significance for me as a behavior analyst specialized in early childhood development and intervention. The exploration of how ABA principles can be effectively integrated into educational settings to support children with ASD resonates deeply with my professional aspirations of fostering positive outcomes for individuals grappling with developmental disabilities.

Synthesis of Literature Into a Cohesive Review:

Theme 1: Related Treatment Protocols

Hodges, Fealko, and Soares (2020) present an exhaustive analysis of autism spectrum disorder, covering its definitions, epidemiology, etiology, and clinical assessment. Within this comprehensive overview, they delve into various treatment protocols commonly utilized in ABA interventions. These include discrete trial training (DTT), pivotal response treatment (PRT), and naturalistic teaching strategies. The authors underscore the importance of tailoring interventions to suit the unique needs of children with ASD based on individualized assessment and observation.

In a related vein, Shepley and Grisham-Brown (2018) offer a focused exploration of ABA's role within early childhood education. Their work highlights the significance of blending evidence-based practices with established curriculum frameworks in early childhood settings. Emphasizing the need for individualized interventions, they advocate for a tailored approach that aligns with the developmental needs and learning styles of children with ASD. The authors stress the importance of collaboration among educators, behavior analysts, and caregivers to ensure the successful implementation of ABA interventions within educational contexts.

Theme 2: Related Behaviors of Interest

While not directly linked to ABA interventions for children with ASD, Kapur (2018) delves into the study of organizational behavior within educational institutions. Kapur's research sheds light on the intricate dynamics at play within educational settings, emphasizing their impact on teaching and learning outcomes. While Kapur's focus differs from the aforementioned articles, the insights gleaned from organizational behavior studies are pertinent to understanding the broader context in which ABA interventions are implemented. This includes factors such as administrative policies, teacher collaboration, and institutional support, all of which play a crucial role in shaping the effectiveness of ABA interventions within educational settings.

Conclusion:

The synthesis of literature underscores the multifaceted nature of effective ABA interventions for children with ASD within educational settings. By integrating evidence-based practices with established curriculum frameworks and fostering collaboration among stakeholders, behavior analysts can play a pivotal role in facilitating positive outcomes for children with ASD in early childhood education contexts. Additionally, understanding the organizational dynamics of educational institutions is essential for navigating the complexities inherent in implementing ABA interventions within educational settings.

References:

Hodges, H., Fealko, C., & Soares, N. (2020). Autism spectrum disorder: definition, epidemiology, causes, and clinical evaluation. Translational Pediatrics, 9(S1), S55-S65. https://doi.org/10.21037/tp.2019.09.09

Shepley, C., & Grisham-Brown, J. (2018). Applied Behavior Analysis in Early Childhood Education: An overview of policies, research, blended practices, and the curriculum framework. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 12(1), 235-246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-018-0236-x

Kapur, R. (2018). Study of organizational Behavior in Education. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323829603_Study_of_Organizational_Behavior_in_Education

Approach to solving the question:

Detailed explanation: 

Key references:

Related Q&A

  • Q Look at the Web sites for Apple ( apple.com  ), Dell ( www.dell.com ), and Hewlett-Packard ( www.hp.com ). Which types o... Answered over 90d ago
  • Q                    . A vector field F is called conservative if there exists a function f such that F = O the gradient o... Answered over 90d ago
  • Q Assessment Deliverable Create a 15- to 20-slide presentation  in which you showcase the 3 science and engineering practi... Answered over 90d ago
  • Q Consider a specific job within the criminal justice system. What characteristics of that job are sources of motivation, ... Answered over 90d ago
  • Q How does the school of Nursing and Midwifery philosophy align with your values, beliefs, qualities and person identify a... Answered over 90d ago
  • Q You were responsible for the following Metamorphic Rocks: Slate, Phyllite, Mica Schist, Gneiss, Marble, Quartzite, Hornf... Answered over 90d ago
  • Q Fill in the blanks of the hate u give. police station after the services. As she returns to her seat, she makes meaningf... Answered over 90d ago
  • Q The cognitive revolution a revolution in the Kuhnian sense?  Identify the features of the cognitive revolution that do/d... Answered over 90d ago
  • Q Buhle is interested in comparing her marks for completed Statistics and Personality theories examination. On the Statist... Answered over 90d ago
  • Q  . putdonr Luggage Inc. makes high-end, hard-sided luggage for sperts equipment. Data concerning three of the company's ... Answered 24d ago
  • Q        . Suppose that Salem Co, a U.S.-based MNC that both purchases supplies from Canada and sells exports in Canada, i... Answered over 90d ago
  • Q american government unit 5 lesson 3. Guided Reading Activity Making Social and Domestic Policy Lesson 3 Income Security ... Answered 40d ago
  • Q we need a model of a eukaryotic cell using any material of your choice. Drawings are good too. In your model be sure to ... Answered over 90d ago
  • Q Make a journal critique answering all the needed information below. check the image below for the journal article. Pleas... Answered 10d ago
  • Q Write a speech formal outline with the thesis of PROS and CONS of procrastination.  https://www.template.net/business/ou... Answered over 90d ago
  • Q When you begin your career teaching at the elementary, middle, or high school level in a public school, your students wo... Answered over 90d ago

MINI REVIEW article

The brief introduction to organizational citizenship behaviors and counterproductive work behaviors: a literature review.

Qianqian Fan,

  • 1 Faculty of Business and Communications, INTI International University, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
  • 2 International Education College, Hebei Finance University, Baoding, China
  • 3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Quantity Surveying, INTI International University, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

This paper presents a literature review on the topic of organizational performance. The study conceptualizes the overall performance of the organization as comprising of organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) and counterproductive work behaviors (CWB). While there are numerous research studies on OCB, not many have focused on how OCB and CWB affect organizational performance simultaneously. The paper provides an explanation of the OCB and CWB concepts, followed by the primary research and focus of the study. The article presents a comprehensive framework for understanding the meanings of OCB and CWB, along with an internal hierarchy. This framework will serve as a beneficial resource for working managers, academics, and researchers, who seek to optimize economic productivity through improved understanding and management of OCB and CWB.

Introduction

Employees play a direct or indirect role in numerous factors that affect the operational results of an organization, by “shaping the organizational, social, and psychological context that serves as the catalyst for task activities and processes.” This behavior is referred to by some scholars as Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) or Counterproductive Work Behavior (CWB), both of which have been the subject of numerous psychological and management studies ( Shah et al., 2022 ). According to these scholars, OCB is associated with an ethical organizational working environment and corporate sustainability performance ( Fein et al., 2023 ). In contrast, CWB represents intentionally destructive conduct aimed at harming an organization’s legitimate interests ( Lee, 2020 ). In previous research, many scholars have explained employee behaviors using Blau’s (1964) social exchange theory and the theory of Person-Organization Fit (POF) ( Kristof-Brown et al., 2005 ). The former elucidates the interaction among attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors, interpreting employee behaviors as a two-way communication between the individual and the organization ( Yıldız et al., 2015 ). The latter serves as a predictor of certain positive behaviors (e.g., OCB) and negative behaviors (e.g., CWB). In studying constructive workplace behaviors, researchers have distinguished between OCB and CCB (Compulsory Citizenship Behaviors). They have also identified the differential effects of various antecedents, including equity sensitivity, Chinese tradition, and job stress ( Yildiz et al., 2023 ). In research on destructive deviant workplace behaviors, these behaviors have been labeled with various terms that share similar meanings, such as counterproductive workplace behaviors (CWB) ( Yıldız et al., 2015 ). Furthermore, Yıldız and Alpkan (2015) proposed a comprehensive model to analyze these destructive deviant workplace behaviors. They also introduced individual and organizational antecedents of negative behaviors, including POF, careerism, participative decision-making, and alienation. Current findings suggest that the more positive an employee’s perceptions are of OCB, the less likely they are to engage in negative behavior. Most recent research in this field supports these findings ( Hossein and Somayeh, 2018 ; Jiang et al., 2022 ; Fein et al., 2023 ). These behaviors are shaped by the intent and direction of targeted actions ( Neuhoff, 2020 ).

The definition of OCB and CWB

The concept of OCB was formally recognized by Organ (1988) , who introduced it as a variable that could enhance organizational effectiveness ( Yow, 2017 ). It should be noted that while there is a concept similar to OCB, its nature is distinct: Compulsory Citizenship Behaviors (CCBs). CCBs refer to involuntary extra-role behaviors that arise under external pressure, not from the individual’s genuine goodwill. According to existing literature, various positive organizational and managerial factors can positively influence OCB. However, these factors may inadvertently pressurize employees, compelling them to display what appears to be OCB, but is in fact imposed. Such behaviors are termed as CCBs ( Yildiz et al., 2023 ). In another study, Yildiz et al. (2022) examined the CCBs, anger, and moral disengagement levels of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. They found that when nurses are subjected to CCBs, they might harbor feelings of resentment toward the organization. This can drain employees’ positive energy and resources, and potentially compromise their moral decision-making mechanisms. In essence, imposing extra behaviors upon employees without their genuine willingness can be more detrimental than beneficial to organizations.

Another concept, akin to OCB and gaining traction in recent organizational behavior studies, is Constructive Deviant Workplace Behaviors (CDWB). While both are similar in that they exceed typical role expectations, OCB has a more passive nature, necessitating employees’ adherence to organizational and managerial norms and rules. In contrast, constructive deviance demands proactive actions from employees that may contravene norms. This suggests that employees exhibiting constructive deviance tend to be more risk-prone than their peers ( Yildiz et al., 2015 ).

The above comparison helps clarify the characteristics of OCB. According to existing literature, OCB has been defined from a variety of perspectives ( Suprapty Hidar et al., 2023 ). However, after reviewing these definitions, most scholars agree that OCB represents behaviors demonstrated by employees which, although not required for their current task or role, contribute to the organization’s operations and growth ( Al-Ahmadi and Mahran, 2021 ). Examples of OCB in the workplace may include assisting coworkers and initiating improvement measures. Consequently, understanding why employees engage in OCB is both necessary and insightful. Educators have positive perceptions of organizational citizenship, with behaviors including suggesting improvements for the university, voluntarily assisting new lecturers, and dedicating their personal time to enhance the performance of their students and the university ( Khalid et al., 2021 ; Bastian and Widodo, 2022 ).

On the other hand, CWB refers to actions that can be detrimental to an organization or its members. This type of behavior has garnered increasing attention from scholars and managers due to its potential negative impacts on businesses ( Reizer et al., 2020 ). Some scholars adopts the psychological contract theory to explain the relationship between workplace ostracism and employees’ CWB in the tourism industry of China, found that understanding the effects for employees who are working in a cultural context that attributes high value on relationships and implicit psychological contracts ( Li and Khattak, 2023 ). It is important to emphasize the defining characteristics of CWB: it is goal-oriented, as employees intentionally partake in harmful behavior ( Akbari et al., 2022 ). As such, the repercussions of this behavior can significantly affect a wide range of stakeholders, including employees, coworkers, customers, and others.

Reasons for research OCB and CWB

Why are scholars so interested in studying OCB and CWB? There are two primary reasons. First, both OCB and CWB fall under a broad definition of work performance that extends beyond assigned tasks ( Neale, 2019 ). When assessing an employee’s performance, managers take these behaviors into account. Second, both OCB and CWB influence individual and organizational effectiveness and productivity ( Susnienė et al., 2021 ). OCB is typically associated with positive outcomes such as improving coworker/managerial activities, efficient utilization of resources, employee retainment, while CWB is generally linked to negative outcomes like theft; destruction of property; sabotage; misuse of information, time and resources ( Shah et al., 2022 ). At present, much interest has recently been paid to employee extra-role work behaviors (i.e., OCB, CWB) that are outside the technical core (i.e., task performance) but “shape the organizational, social, and psychological context that catalyzes task activities and processes” ( Macias et al., 2023 ).

Some researchers have sought to more comprehensively explain the origins of OCB and its impact on organizational development. Some hypothesize that OCB leads to improved organizational performance and outcomes ( Romi et al., 2019 ). Numerous studies have tied perceptions of unfair treatment to CWB actions, such as Siswanti et al.'s (2020) study, which employed organizational fairness theory and leader-member exchange theory to elucidate the connection. Just like Fein et al. (2023) study, who found that both OCB and CWB can be consequent behaviors following perceptions of distributive organizational injustice perceived as inequity.

According to Liu et al. (2023) , employees’ turnover intention is positively related to their subsequent CWB, and permanent workers are less likely to engage in CWB compared to temporary workers because of the former’s higher organizational affective commitment. As Talaeipashiri (2016) stated, aggression may occur within the organization and could be targeted at certain individuals or the organization as a whole. Thus, we can conclude that organizational CWBs refer to actions directed at the organization itself, such as theft or use of violence, whereas interpersonal CWBs refer to actions directed at individuals within the organization, such as rudeness toward coworkers.

Impact on the organization

Due to the importance of employee performance, OCB is crucial to an organization. Previous research has shown that organizations benefit from employee contributions that go above and beyond the formal job requirements, also known as OCB ( Organ, 2018 ). Scholars strive to explain the positive effects of OCB from a broader research perspective ( Vagner et al., 2022 ). For instance, OCB presents commitments that reasonable in nature and when totaled after some time and people, may upgrade the execution by greasing up the building the mental texture of the association, decreasing erosion, and/or expanding productivity ( Guntuku et al., 2020 ). Furthermore, some scholar’s studies have highlighted the relationship between OCB and employee, they found that OCB has a significant and negative impact on intention to leave. When an employee has performed better OCB, it will lead to a lower intention to leave the organization ( Abror et al., 2020 ).

The majority of CWBs involve proactive actions that intentionally or voluntarily harm an organization and its stakeholders, such as clients, colleagues, and supervisors ( Liu et al., 2023 ). CWBs specifically include intentionally failing to perform work duties properly, engaging in workplace deviance, or engaging in behaviors that violate organizational policies and procedures ( Mert, 2023 ). The most critical aspect of CWB is that they must be intentional and purposeful, not accidental ( Kraak et al., 2023 ). Thus, when a worker chooses and engages in such harmful behavior, they do so with a conscious intent.

Actually, CWB are generally assimilated to “arbitrary behaviors performed by employees that overshadow the accepted norms of the organization and might then inflict pernicious shocks on the body of the organization and lead to extensive economic and psychological losses” ( Akbari et al., 2022 ). It can be seen as a mechanism for employees to engage in deliberate behavior to restore perceived fairness in their transactions with the organization (“I am not paid enough, so I will work less”). According to researcher’s study, CWB is prevalent in the workplace and is regarded as one of the most pressing challenges encountering current organizations, costing them billions annually ( Macias et al., 2023 ).

Behavioral manifestations of OCB

OCBs are defined as “individual behavior that is discretionary, not directly or explicitly recognized by the formal reward system and promotes the effective functioning of the organization as a whole” ( Organ, 1988 ; Fein et al., 2023 ). A multitude of strategic Human Resource Management issues—such as talent management, employee engagement, organizational climate, organizational effectiveness, turnover intentions, and organizational commitment—are intricately connected with human behavior-related psychological issues ( Ren et al., 2023 ). Among all of these antecedents HRM practices play the most vital and challenging role in enhancing employees OCB ( Sultana and Johari, 2023 ). As a result, organizations are keen to maintain industrial harmony through the identification of sociable behavioral skills, underscoring the practical relevance of this research.

Simultaneously, the growing interest in the study of OCB indicates that even positive behaviors can lead to negative outcomes. Several studies suggest that organizational citizenship behavior can be time-consuming ( Reizer et al., 2020 ), potentially distracting workers from their core tasks and leading to employee burnout ( Klotz et al., 2018 ). Specifically, some researchers have proposed that attachment acts as a personality regulator in the relationship between OCB and Work-Family Facilitation (WFF) ( Reizer et al., 2020 ). Numerous studies show that attachment orientation can illuminate how individuals connect with others and foster healthy interpersonal relationships ( Gazder and Stanton, 2023 ). These orientations, which consider fundamental personality tendencies, provide a theoretical foundation and a set of empirically validated data in the social and personality domains, and personality traits have a significant impact on direct and indirect organizational citizenship behaviors for the environment ( Szostek, 2021 ).

In general, OCB is a crucial factor for organizational development ( Somech and Ohayon, 2019 ), contributing to the creation of a psychosocial work environment that supports the organization’s core activities ( Organ and Ryan, 1995 ). Regarding the direction and typology of OCB, several models have been developed since the construct’s inception ( Turner and Connelly, 2021 ).

In Organ’s (1988) research, he identified five different types of behavior to exemplify organizational citizenship behavior: altruism, conscientiousness, sportsmanship, courtesy, and civic virtue ( Atatsi et al., 2021 ).

Altruism entails discretionary assistance provided to peers or colleagues concerning job-related tasks, such as helping newcomers and freely dedicating time to others. While typically directed at individuals, it enhances group efficiency by improving individual performance ( Dipaola and Hoy, 2005 ). In essence, altruism is “a motivational state with the ultimate goal of increasing another’s welfare” ( Ma et al., 2018 ).

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness alludes to behavior that surpasses the minimal expected levels, like efficient time use and exceeding base expectations, thereby enhancing both personal and group efficiency ( DiPaola and Hoy, 2005 ). Notably, conscientiousness is among the Big Five personality traits, epitomizing diligence and self-discipline. It has been identified as a consistent predictor of academic achievement ( Icekson et al., 2020 ). Additionally, Abbas and Raja (2019) found conscientiousness to be the most influential predictor of problem-solving coping in response to stressors.

Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is an individual’s capacity to endure suboptimal situations without complaints ( Lan, 2018 ), such as refraining from unnecessary grievances, thereby enhancing productive organizational time ( Dipaola and Hoy, 2005 ). Despite its importance, sportsmanship has garnered limited attention in academic literature. Organ’s definition appears narrower than the broader implications of the term. For instance, “good sports” not only tolerate inconveniences but also maintain positivity despite setbacks, do not take offense easily, sacrifice personal interests for collective good, and handle rejection gracefully ( Podsakoff et al., 2000 ). Puspitasari et al. (2023) suggest that sportsmanship enables teachers to tolerate imperfect organizational conditions without dissent. High sportsmanship fosters a positive climate, promoting collaboration and creating a harmonious work environment.

Courtesy is characterized as polite and thoughtful actions toward colleagues. Employees exhibiting courtesy consciously evade causing issues for others, thereby reducing managerial burdens and amplifying organizational performance ( Faajir et al., 2021 ). Such behavior is proactive, preventing issues rather than addressing existing problems ( Magdalena, 2014 ). Examples include giving advance notices and reminders, which helps avert issues and ensures productive time utilization ( Dipaola and Hoy, 2005 ). In essence, courtesy fosters positive relations among peers, crafting a conducive and amiable work setting ( Oamen, 2023 ).

Civic virtue

Civic virtue encompasses behaviors emphasizing participation in overarching organizational issues, like committee work and voluntary attendance at events, bolstering the organization’s interests ( Dipaola and Hoy, 2005 ). Robbins and Judge (2015) equate civic virtue with responsible behavior, which includes following organizational changes, suggesting improvements, and safeguarding organizational resources. Civic virtue implies that organizations empower employees to enhance their work quality ( Puspitasari et al., 2023 ). Broadly, it signifies an employee’s inclination to represent and elevate their organization’s image positively ( Oamen, 2023 ).

Contemporary literature explores other distinctions within OCB, although many of these dimensions are still applicable. In the early 1990s, researchers began differentiating between Organizational Citizenship Behavior—Individual (OCBI) and Organizational Citizenship Behavior—Organizational (OCBO) ( Smith et al., 1983 ). OCBIs involve helping behaviors directed toward other individuals (e.g., assisting a sick coworker), while OCBOs encompass actions directed at the entire organization, such as participating in a voluntary company fundraiser. Proponents of this perspective argue that OCBI and OCBO are distinct variables with unique antecedents and motivators and that they are associated with job satisfaction in different ways ( El-Kassar et al., 2021 ; Rahman and Karim, 2022 ).

Behavioral manifestations of CWB

The means and likelihood of employee retaliation-based behaviors as reactions to poor leadership and management have been noted extensively as behavioral manifestations of Counterproductive Work Behaviors (CWB) ( Fein et al., 2023 ). Individual CWBs refer to actions directed against individuals within the organization, while organizational CWBs refer to actions against the organization as a whole. The study of deviant workplace behavior by Robinson and Bennett (1995) provides evidence for this interpretation.

Several researchers have examined the connections between CWB and occupational stressors. Some researcher found that perceived increases in workload were positively related to increased exhaustion after work, psychosomatic symptoms, and to spillover effects at home, even after controlling for negative affect ( Rodríguez, 2019 ). The same as Lenz et al. (2023) study, whose research suggests that when exposed to stressors, individuals take longer breaks, or work slower than necessary (i.e., show CWB) as a strategy to avoid further resource loss. The work stress/mood/CWB model developed by Fox et al. (2001) suggests that CWB is an instinctive emotional response to workplace stressors. According to Spector and Jex (1998) , workplace stressors are understood to pose threats to health and to lead to negative emotional responses such as anger and anxiety. Furthermore, some scholars argue that job insecurity is associated with CWB behavior. Many organizations face restructuring and downsizing, especially in today’s uncertain and volatile economic climate, which can heighten employee anxiety and stress ( Pu et al., 2023 ).

Here is a comprehensive explanation of the five components of CWB. Mistreatment of others is considered individual counterproductive behavior (CWB), whereas deviant behavior, destructive behavior, withdrawal behavior, and theft are classified as organizational counterproductive behaviors (CWB).

Abuse against others

Abuse against others within an organization involves an individual’s behavior that is harmful to their coworkers ( Bal, 2021 ). These behaviors can inflict physical harm, such as humiliation, contempt, insulting remarks, or intimidation, or psychological harm, such as neglect and hindering effective work. Simultaneously, it should be stressed that since direct and overt physical violence is rare within organizations, many researchers focus on non-violent behaviors. The concept of abuse in this context is closely related to notions of incivility, emotional abuse, workplace bullying, and psychological siege, as outlined in the relevant literature. In other words, within the context and scope of CWB research, the study focuses on individuals who engage in these actions ( To and Huang, 2022 ).

Production deviance

The component of production deviance includes behaviors such as not deliberately and properly performing the tasks in the job description of the employee, making mistakes, performing poorly, slowing down and obeying the instructions ( Bal, 2021 ). A summation of items reflecting “interpersonal and organizational deviance” should indicate the participation levels of each form of deviance ( Fleming et al., 2022 ). Early work in CWB focused on what was characterized as employee deviance, falling into categories of product deviance, property deviance, political divisions, and personal aggression; while deviance has been characterized as “violating behaviors,” which are those that benefit self, those that benefit the organization in an unethical manner, or destruction to exact revenge ( Allen, 2023 ).

Sabotage involves the intentional and deliberate destruction (such as arson or property damage) or damage of organizational assets (like equipment) by employees in an effort to reduce productivity ( Spector et al., 2006 ; Kim and Jo, 2022 ). This vandalism can be traced back to the machine destruction during the workers’ movement following the Industrial Revolution, and can be seen as an extension or derivation of that act. In some studies, destructive behavior is interpreted from a broader perspective and is considered as negative behaviors based on employees’ personal interests, such as damaging organizational functions, disrupting or altering organizational order, creating and spreading negative rumors within the organization, slowing production, or harming customers and employees ( Skarlicki et al., 2008 ; Szostek, 2022 ). Several factors contributing to the emergence of destructive behavior include anger or hostility, responses to unfairness, the desire for personal gain, resistance to organizational change, and the need for approval from coworkers ( Wiseman and Stillwell, 2022 ).

Withdrawal includes reduce the working time below the minimum necessary to achieve the goals (for example, extending breaks, unjustified dismissals). Different from other forms of CWB, the employees engaged in withdrawal were characterized by a lower level of emotional exhaustion ( Szostek et al., 2020 ). Withdrawal is behavior where an employee attempts to avoid a situation rather than harming the organization and its members thus, this type of behavior is used as a passive way to influence the organization by withholding effort usually used to produce for the organization. At the same time, looking at the description of production deviance there is a noticeable similarity between the categories, but as previously stated, withdrawal is more passive in that it involves withdrawing effort systematically ( Van der Westhuizen, 2019 ).

Employees commit theft with the intention to harm organizations or individuals ( Sackett et al., 2006 ). It is a form of instrumental aggression (mainly toward the organization) motivated by the will to: obtain approval, help colleagues, equalize conditions and protect oneself in case of harmful actions of superiors ( Szostek, 2022 ). Many employees may view theft from the organization as non-aggressive due to financial needs, dissatisfaction with the job, or a sense of being treated unfairly ( Bal, 2021 ). In these instances, employees do not intend to use or sell the stolen items but aim to harm the organization’s economic interests.

The influencing factors of OCB and CWB

An individual’s inherent and immutable personality has a more stable and lasting impact on OCB/CWB ( Aspan et al., 2019 ). Previous research has elaborated on why intrinsic motivation theory can influence employees’ propensity to engage in civic behavior. Intrinsic motivation refers to the internal factor of employee self-satisfaction ( Runge et al., 2020 ; Schattke and Marion-Jetten, 2022 ). Since OCBs are less likely to be formally rewarded than prescribed work behaviors, they are most likely to be driven by internal incentive channels ( Dermawan and Handayani, 2019 ; Ren et al., 2022 ).

Personality traits can influence how individuals perceive and respond to diverse motivations ( Clark, 2010 ; Reizer et al., 2020 ). According to Neale’s (2019) study, the findings suggest that that the intentionality behind job crafting behaviors is predicted differentially by individual needs as well as personality traits (the dark triad and conscientiousness). Bright job crafting is more associated with engagement in OCBs while dark job crafting is more associated with engagement in CWBs. Related research demonstrates that organizational commitment is the most influential factor affecting OCB. High organizational commitment is related to high OCB and employee performance, low absence rates, and fewer delays ( Nurjanah et al., 2020 ).

Furthermore, it is believed that organizational commitment is positively related to perceived organizational support. When employees feel respected and supported for their roles, organizational commitment increases ( Lambert et al., 2017 ). This bond can be strengthened in numerous ways. Leadership has a significant effect on the perception of organizational support ( Wang et al., 2021 ). Specifically, Delegach et al. (2017) found that transformational leadership is positively associated with organizational commitment, whereas transactional leadership is positively associated with commitments to safety and the organization’s mission. Given the strong emphasis on transformational leadership practices in encouraging OCBs, these findings are intriguing. It’s possible that organizational commitment may increase if transactional leaders are better equipped to instill organizational values in employees.

Some scholars believe that job autonomy may have positive effects on organizational performance. Job autonomy is defined as the extent to which the job offers employees the freedom to make choices about what, when, and how they perform their work. Greater job autonomy reduces limitations from other job factors and improves individuals’ job performance ( Matteson et al., 2021 ). These contradictory findings and a contingency perspective suggest that the relationships between job autonomy, OCB, and organizational performance may depend on organizational circumstances ( Park, 2018 ).

From the comprehensive literature review, we observe various research perspectives and conclusions on deviant behaviors. In studying constructive and destructive deviant workplace behaviors, scholars have refined a general classification of workplace deviance. Using precise definitions of terms, they have analyzed antecedent factors, constructed various models or frameworks, and proposed feasible measures. This literature review aids in further summarizing the relevant content concerning OCB and CWB.

In this paper, previous scholars’ conclusions shed light on the propositions. In general, this paper provides a succinct overview of previous research on deviant behaviors, with a particular focus on OCB and CWB as well as their various aspects. It discusses personality, organizational commitment and job autonomy, three concepts intrinsically related to OCB/CWB, and how they function. This section underscores the impact that CWB and OCB have on organizational performance. Each aspect of CWB and OCB is also detailed within this study for relevance. The literature review offered above allows us to envision an optimal portrayal of organizational performance, and this theoretical framework can be beneficial in terms of practitioners and researchers. Within organizations, employees should exert additional effort and be open to adopting new work methods, while leaders should provide comprehensive support, effectively implement employees’ suggestions, set high standards, and commit more resources and energy to work-related matters rather than traditional management and rigid control. Given sufficient trust, employees are more likely to engage in cooperative behaviors, such as assisting coworkers and performing actions that benefit the group. Consequently, the costs associated with hiring, selecting, and integrating new coworkers should be reduced. Although this is not an empirical paper, the compilation of previous research findings constitutes a significant contribution to guiding managerial actions in organizations. This paper can serve as a guide for organizations seeking to improve their employees’ organizational performance and curtail the occurrence of negative behaviors.

The limitations of this paper are manifold. While the primary focus was on OCB and CWB, the intricate relationships among OCB, CWB, and deviant workplace behaviors were not fully explored. Moreover, the study centered on just three determinants: personality, organizational commitment, and job autonomy, assessing their influence on OCB/CWB. Future studies might consider a broader range of individual, task, and organizational antecedents and delve into potential indirect effects, such as moderator impacts, on OCB and CWB. Furthermore, this research did not narrow down to specific industries or professions, suggesting that subsequent research, when tailored to distinct sectors or job roles, might yield recommendations with heightened relevance and applicability.

Author contributions

All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Abbas, M., and Raja, U. (2019). Challenge-hindrance stressors and job outcomes: the moderating role of conscientiousness. J. Bus. Psychol. 34, 189–201. doi: 10.1007/s10869-018-9535-z

CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Abror, A., Patrisia, D., Syahrizal, S., Sarianti, R., and Dastgir, S. (2020). Self-efficacy, employee engagement, remuneration and employee loyalty in higher education: the role of satisfaction and OCB. Int. J. Adv. Sci. Technol. 29, 5456–5470.

Google Scholar

Akbari, M., Omrane, A., Nikookar-Gohari, H., and Ranji, E. (2022). The impact of transformational leadership on CWBs: the moderating effect of management level in a developing country. Trans. Corporat. Rev. , 1–22. doi: 10.1080/19186444.2022.2118492

Al-Ahmadi, A. T., and Mahran, S. M. (2021). Organizational citizenship behavior and job satisfaction from the nurses’ perspective. Evid. Based Nurs. Res. 4, 9–54. doi: 10.47104/ebnrojs3.v4i1.230

PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar

Allen, K. (2023). Igniting counterproductive work behavior (CWB): the role of personality. Florida Atlantic University. Available at: https://medium.com/@arifwicaksanaa/pengertian-use-case-a7e576e1b6bf

Aspan, H., Wahyuni, E. S., Effendy, S., Bahri, S., Rambe, M. F., and Saksono, F. B. (2019). The moderating effect of personality on organizational citizenship behavior: the case of university lecturers. Int. J. Recent Technol. Engin. 8, 412–416.

Atatsi, E. A., Stoffers, J., and Kil, A. (2021). Work tenure and organizational citizenship behaviors. Sustainability 13, 1–14. doi: 10.3390/su132413762

Bal, T. (2021). The examination of perceived organizational support (POS), organizational cynicism and counter productive work behavior (CWB) in public employees: intergroup gap analysis. Sosyal Guvence 9, 321–357. doi: 10.21441/sosyalguvence.948483

Bastian, A., and Widodo, W. (2022). How innovative behavior affects lecturers’ task performance: a mediation perspective. Emerg. Sci. J. 6, 123–136. doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2022-SIED-09

Blau, P. (1964). Exchange and Power in Social Life . Wiley, New York, NY: USA.

Clark, M. A. (2010). Why do employees behave badly? An examination of the effects of mood, personality, and job demands on counterproductive work behavior . Wayne State University.

Delegach, M., Kark, R., Katz-Navon, T., and Van Dijk, D. (2017). A focus on commitment: the roles of transformational and transactional leadership and self-regulatory focus in fostering organizational and safety commitment. Eur. J. Work Organ. Psy. 26, 724–740. doi: 10.1080/1359432X.2017.1345884

Dermawan, R., and Handayani, W. (2019). Factors triggering organizational citizenship behavior, failure and success: a case study of a higher education institution. Human. Soc. Sci. Rev. 7, 156–163. doi: 10.18510/hssr.2019.7119

Dipaola, M. F., and Hoy, W. K. (2005). School characteristics that foster organizational citizenship behavior. J. School Lead. 15, 387–406. doi: 10.1177/105268460501500402

DiPaola, M. F., and Hoy, W. K. (2005). Organizational citizenship of faculty and achievement of high school students. High Sch. J. 88, 35–44. doi: 10.1353/hsj.2005.0002

El-Kassar, A. N., Yunis, M., Alsagheer, A., Tarhini, A., and Ishizaka, A. (2021). Effect of corporate ethics and social responsibility on OCB: the role of employee identification and perceived CSR significance. Int. Stud. Manag. Organ. 51, 218–236. doi: 10.1080/00208825.2021.1959880

Faajir, A., Lubem Asenge, E., and Ikyanyon, D. D. (2021). Effect of altruism and courtesy on the growth of listed deposit money banks (DMBS) in Nigeria. J. Entrepreneurship Innov. 1, 79–92.

Fein, E. C., Tziner, A., and Vasiliu, C. (2023). Perceptions of ethical climate and organizational justice as antecedents to employee performance: the mediating role of employees’ attributions of leader effectiveness. Eur. Manag. J. 41, 114–124. doi: 10.1016/j.emj.2021.11.003

Fleming, A. C., O’Brien, K., Steele, S., and Scherr, K. (2022). An investigation of the nature and consequences of counterproductive work behavior. Hum. Perform. 35, 178–192. doi: 10.1080/08959285.2022.2102635

Fox, S., Spector, P. E., and Miles, D. (2001). Counterproductive work behavior (CWB) in response to job stressors and organizational justice: some mediator and moderator tests for autonomy and emotions. J. Vocat. Behav. 59, 291–309. doi: 10.1006/jvbe.2001.1803

Gazder, T., and Stanton, S. C. E. (2023). Longitudinal associations between mindfulness and change in attachment orientations in couples: the role of relationship preoccupation and empathy. J. Soc. Pers. Relat. 40, 1398–1421. doi: 10.1177/02654075221139654

Guntuku, R. K., Nanak, G., and Technical, I. (2020). OCB at workplace: contribution for organizational excellence. South Asian J. Market. Manage. Res. 10, 11–21. doi: 10.5958/2249-877X.2020.00010.7

Hossein, D., and Somayeh, K. (2018). Organizational citizenship behaviors and counterproductive work behaviors: A study of Tehran University of medical sciences staff. Rev. Public Admin. Manage. 6, 215–224. doi: 10.4172/2315-7844.1000247

Icekson, T., Kaplan, O., and Slobodin, O. (2020). Does optimism predict academic performance? Exploring the moderating roles of conscientiousness and gender. Stud. High. Educ. 45, 635–647. doi: 10.1080/03075079.2018.1564257

Jiang, L., Lawrence, A., and Xu, X. (2022). Does a stick work? A meta-analytic examination of curvilinear relationships between job insecurity and employee workplace behaviors. J. Organ. Behav. 43, 1410–1445. doi: 10.1002/job.2652

Khalid, S. A., Rahman, N. A., Darus, N. A., and Shahruddin, S. (2021). Lecturers’ organizational citizenship behaviours during COVID19 pandemic. Asian J. Univers. Educ. 17, 215–226. doi: 10.24191/ajue.v17i2.13401

Kim, S. M., and Jo, S. J. (2022). An examination of the effects of job insecurity on counterproductive work behavior through organizational cynicism: moderating roles of perceived organizational support and quality of leader-member exchange. Psychol. Rep. 00332941221129135. doi: 10.1177/00332941221129135

Klotz, A. C., Bolino, M. C., Song, H., and Stornelli, J. (2018). Examining the nature, causes, and consequences of profiles of organizational citizenship behavior. J. Organ. Behav. 39, 629–647. doi: 10.1002/job.2259

Kraak, J. M., Griep, Y., Lunardo, R., and Altman, Y. (2023). The effects of host country language proficiency on the relationship between psychological contract breach, violation, and work behaviors: a moderated mediation model. Eur. Manag. J. doi: 10.1016/j.emj.2023.04.001

Kristof-brown, A. L., Zimmerman, R. D., and Johnson, E. C. (2005). Consequences of individuals’ fit at work: a meta-analysis of person-job, person-organization, person-group, and person-supervisor fit. Pers. Psychol. 58, 281–342. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-6570.2005.00672.x

Lambert, E. G., Qureshi, H., Klahm, C., Smith, B., and Frank, J. (2017). The effects of perceptions of organizational structure on job involvement, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment among Indian police officers. Int. J. Offender Ther. Comp. Criminol. 61, 1892–1911. doi: 10.1177/0306624X16635782

Lan, J. (2018). Past, present or future?: the effects of temporal focus on employees’ discretionary behaviors. Open Access Theses and Dissertations.

Lee, S. H. (2020). Achieving corporate sustainability performance: the influence of corporate ethical value, and leader-member exchange on employee behaviors and organizational performance. Fashion Textiles 7, 1–17. doi: 10.1186/s40691-020-00213-w

Lenz, L., Hattke, F., Kalucza, J., and Redlbacher, F. (2023). Virtual work as a job demand? Work behaviors of public servants during COVID-19. Public Perform. Manag. Rev. , 1–31. doi: 10.1080/15309576.2023.2217552

Li, H., and Khattak, S. I. (2023). Towards a parsimonious model of faculty motivation, engagement, and work performance: a case study of a Chinese university. Work 75, 899–915. doi: 10.3233/WOR-211394

Liu, X., Lu, W., Liu, S., and Qin, C. (2023). Hatred out of love or love can be all-inclusive? Moderating effects of employee status and organizational affective commitment on the relationship between turnover intention and CWB. Front. Psychol. 13, 1–13. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.993169

Ma, E., Qu, H., Wei, X., and Hsiao, A. (2018). Conceptualization and operationalization of an altruistic and egoistic continuum of organizational citizenship behavior motivations. J. Hosp. Tour. Res. 42, 740–771. doi: 10.1177/1096348015619412

Macias, T. A., Chapman, M., and Rai, P. (2023). Supervisor interactional injustice and employee counterproductive work behaviour and organisational citizenship behaviours: the mediating role of distrust. Int. J. Organ. Anal. doi: 10.1108/IJOA-10-2022-3447 [Epub ahead of print].

Magdalena, S. M. (2014). The effects of organizational citizenship behavior in the academic environment. Procedia Soc. Behav. Sci. 127, 738–742. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.346

Matteson, M. L., Ming, Y., and Silva, D. E. (2021). The relationship between work conditions and perceptions of organizational justice among library employees. Libr. Inf. Sci. Res. 43:101093. doi: 10.1016/j.lisr.2021.101093

Mert, M. (2023). The mediator role of burnout in the effect of personality on counterproductive work behaviors. Uluslararası Ekonomi İşletme Politika Dergisi 7, 152–171. doi: 10.29216/ueip.1250774

Neale, C. A. (2019). The relationship between OCB, CWB, job crafting, values, and personality: the dark side of job crafting . Raleigh, United States: North Carolina State University.

Neuhoff, E. (2020). Beyond the good soldier: A structural equation model examining the relationships between procedural justice, leadership, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment on extra-role work behavior . Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

Nurjanah, S., Pebianti, V., and Handaru, A. W. (2020). The influence of transformational leadership, job satisfaction, and organizational commitments on Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) in the inspectorate general of the Ministry of Education and Culture. Cogent Bus. Manag. 7:1793521. doi: 10.1080/23311975.2020.1793521

Oamen, T. E. (2023). The impact of firm based organizational citizenship behavior on continuance and normative commitment among pharmaceutical executives: an SEM approach. J. Econ. Manage. 45, 47–67. doi: 10.22367/jem.2023.45.04

Organ, D. W. (1988). Organizational citizenship behavior: The good soldier syndrome . Lexington books/DC heath and com.

Organ, D. W. (2018). Organizational citizenship behavior: Recent trends and developments. Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ. Behav. 80, 295–306.

Organ, D. W., and Ryan, K. (1995). A meta‐analytic review of attitudinal and dispositional predictors of organizational citizenship behavior. Pers. Psychol. 48, 775–802.

Park, R. (2018). The roles of OCB and automation in the relationship between job autonomy and organizational performance: a moderated mediation model. Int. J. Hum. Resour. Manag. 29, 1139–1156. doi: 10.1080/09585192.2016.1180315

Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Paine, J. B., and Bachrach, D. G. (2000). Organizational citizenship behaviors: a critical review of the theoretical and empirical literature and suggestions for future research. J. Manag. 26, 513–563. doi: 10.1177/014920630002600307

Puspitasari, V., Hidayati, T., and Rahmawati, R. (2023). Analyzing the effect of sportsmanship and civic virtue behaviors on teacher performance: moderating role of affective commitment. J. Madani Soc. 2, 9–16. doi: 10.56225/jmsc.v2i1.173

Pu, W., Roth, P. L., Thatcher, J. B., Nittrouer, C. L., and Hebl, M. (2023). Post-traumatic stress disorder and hiring: the role of social media disclosures on stigma and hiring assessments of veterans. Pers. Psychol. 76, 41–75. doi: 10.1111/peps.12520

Rahman, M. H. A., and Karim, D. N. (2022). Organizational justice and organizational citizenship behavior: the mediating role of work engagement. Heliyon 8, e09450–e09413. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09450

Reizer, A., Koslowsky, M., and Friedman, B. (2020). OCB-work-family facilitation: is it positive for all attachment orientations? Front. Psychol. 10, 1–14. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02900

Ren, S., Cooke, F. L., Stahl, G. K., Fan, D., and Timming, A. R. (2023). Advancing the sustainability agenda through strategic human resource management: insights and suggestions for future research. Hum. Resour. Manag. 62, 251–265. doi: 10.1002/hrm.22169

Ren, S., Tang, G., and Kim, A. (2022). OCB-E among Chinese employees of different contract types. Empl. Relat. Int. J. 44, 609–628.

Robbins, S. P., and Judge, T. A. (2015). Organizational Behavior (16th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.

Robinson, S. L., and Bennett, R. J. (1995). A typology of deviant workplace behaviors: A multidimensional scaling study. Acad. Manage. J. 38, 555–572.

Rodríguez, J. F. (2019). Perceptions of leadership and climate in the stressor-strain process: influences on employee appraisals and reactions. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering.

Romi, M. V., Ahman, E., Disman, S., Suryadi, E., and Riswanto, A. (2019). Islamic work ethics-based organizational citizenship behavior to improve the job satisfaction and organizational commitment of higher education lecturers in Indonesia. Int. J. Higher Educ. 9, 78–84. doi: 10.5430/ijhe.v9n2p78

Runge, J. M., Lang, J. W. B., Zettler, I., and Lievens, F. (2020). Predicting counterproductive work behavior: do implicit motives have incremental validity beyond explicit traits? J. Res. Pers. 89:104019. doi: 10.1016/j.jrp.2020.104019

Sackett, P. R., Berry, C. M., Wiemann, S. A., and Laczo, R. M. (2006). Citizenship and counterproductive behavior: clarifying relations between the two domains. Hum. Perform. 19, 441–464. doi: 10.1207/s15327043hup1904_7

Schattke, K., and Marion-Jetten, A. S. (2022). Distinguishing the explicit power motives. Z. Psychol. 230, 290–299. doi: 10.1027/2151-2604/a000481

Shah, S. I., Shahjehan, A., and Afsar, B. (2022). Leading Machiavellians on the road to better organizational behavior. Pers. Rev. 51, 1604–1626. doi: 10.1108/PR-04-2020-0304

Siswanti, Y., Tjahjono, H. K., Hartono, A., and Prajogo, W. (2020). Cross level analysis of organizational justice climate to counterproductive work behavior: leader-member exchange as mediation. Syst. Rev. Pharm. 11, 85–94. doi: 10.31838/srp.2020.11.14

Skarlicki, D. P., van Jaarsveld, D. D., and Walker, D. D. (2008). Getting even for customer mistreatment: the role of moral identity in the relationship between customer interpersonal injustice and employee sabotage. J. Appl. Psychol. 93, 1335–1347. doi: 10.1037/a0012704

Smith, C. A. O. D. W. N. J. P., Organ, D. W., and Near, J. P. (1983). Organizational citizenship behavior: Its nature and antecedents. J. Appl. Psychol. 68:653.

Somech, A., and Ohayon, B. E. (2019). The trickle-down effect of OCB in schools: the link between leader OCB and team OCB. J. Educ. Adm. 58, 629–643. doi: 10.1108/JEA-03-2019-0056

Spector, P. E., Fox, S., Penney, L. M., Bruursema, K., Goh, A., and Kessler, S. (2006). The dimensionality of counterproductivity: Are all counterproductive behaviors created equal? J. Vocat. Behav. 68, 446–460.

Spector, P. E., and Jex, S. M. (1998). Development of four self-report measures of job stressors and strain: interpersonal conflict at work scale, organizational constraints scale, quantitative workload inventory, and physical symptoms inventory. J. Occup. Health Psychol. 3:356.

Sultana, S., and Johari, H. (2023). HRM practices, impersonal trust and service oriented OCB: an empirical evidence from Bangladesh. Asia Pacific J. Bus. Admin. 15, 1–24. doi: 10.1108/APJBA-05-2021-0197

Suprapty Hidar, R., Sultan, S., and Mashita Diapati, M. (2023). The effect of psychological empowerment on job satisfaction auditors with OCB as a moderating variable. Int. J. Econ. Finance Manage. Sci. 11, 69–75. doi: 10.11648/j.ijefm.20231102.14

Susnienė, D., Purvinis, O., Zostautiene, D., and Koczy, L. T. (2021). Modelling OCB and CWB by combined fuzzy signature model. Econ. Res. 34, 1546–1565. doi: 10.1080/1331677X.2020.1844581

Szostek, D. (2021). Employee behaviors toward using and saving energy at work. the impact of personality traits. Energies 14:3404. doi: 10.3390/en14123404

Szostek, D. (2022). Central European version of counterproductive work behavior checklist (CWB-CPL). Econ. Soc. 15, 74–94. doi: 10.14254/2071-789X.2022/15-2/5

Szostek, D., Balcerzak, A. P., and Rogalska, E. (2020). The relationship between personality, organizational and interpersonal counterproductive work challenges in industry 4.0. Acta Montan. Slovaca 25, 577–592. doi: 10.46544/AMS.v25i4.11

Talaeipashiri, A. (2016). Testing a need satisfaction approach to organizational citizenship behaviours and counterproductive work behaviours. Electronic Theses and Dissertations.

To, W. M., and Huang, G. (2022). Effects of equity, perceived organizational support and job satisfaction on organizational commitment in Macao’s gaming industry. Manag. Decis. 60, 2433–2454. doi: 10.1108/MD-11-2021-1447

Turner, M. R., and Connelly, S. (2021). Helping in the eyes of the beholder: The impact of OCB type and fluctuation in OCB on coworker perceptions and evaluations of helpful employees. J. Theor. Soc. Psychol. 5, 269–282.

Vagner, B., Blix, L. H., Ortegren, M., and Sorensen, K. (2022). Upward feedback falling on deaf ears: the effect on provider organizational citizenship and counterproductive work behaviors in the audit profession. Manag. Audit. J. 37, 17–38. doi: 10.1108/MAJ-09-2020-2845

Van der Westhuizen, J. (2019). The influence of HEXACO personality factors and job demands on counterproductive work behaviour (Doctoral dissertation, Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University).

Wang, Y., Lin, J., Osman, Z., Farooq, M., and Raju, V. (2021). Transformational leadership and employee performance in international commercial banking industry in Malaysia: the role of self-efficacy as a mediator under BRI. J. Chin. Hum. Resour. Manag. 12, 25–36. doi: 10.47297/wspchrmWSP2040-800503.20211202

Wiseman, J., and Stillwell, A. (2022). Organizational justice: typology. Encyclopedia (Basel, 2021) 2, 1287–1295. doi: 10.3390/encyclopedia2030086

Yıldız, B., and Alpkan, L. (2015). A theoretical model on the proposed predictors of destructive deviant workplace behaviors and the mediator role of alienation. Procedia. Soc. Behav. Sci. 210, 330–338. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.11.373

Yildiz, B., Alpkan, L., Ates, H., and Sezen, B. (2015). Determinants of constructive deviance: the mediator role of psychological ownership. Int. Bus. Res. 8, 107–121. doi: 10.5539/ibr.v8n4p107

Yıldız, B., Alpkan, L., Sezen, B., and Yıldız, H. (2015). A proposed conceptual model of destructive deviance: the mediator role of moral disengagement. Procedia Soc. Behav. Sci. 207, 414–423. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.10.111

Yildiz, B., Kaptan, Z., Yildiz, T., Elibol, E., Yildiz, H., and Ozbilgin, M. (2023). A systematic review and meta-analytic synthesis of the relationship between compulsory citizenship behaviors and its theoretical correlates. Front. Psychol. 14, 1–21. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1120209

Yildiz, B., Yildiz, H., and Ozbilgin, M. (2022). How do compulsory citizenship behaviors affect moral disengagement in organizations? Significance of anger toward the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front. Psychol. 13, 1–16. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1038860

Yow, M. C. (2017). Employee interpretations of organizational citizenship behavior in tertiary sector organizations: A generic qualitative study. Available at: http://search.proquest.com/openview/e15d93700ac88c3f64bb3949c60a4155/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y

Keywords: organizational performance, organizational citizenship behavior, counterproductive work behavior, economic productivity, influencing factors

Citation: Fan Q, Wider W and Chan CK (2023) The brief introduction to organizational citizenship behaviors and counterproductive work behaviors: a literature review. Front. Psychol . 14:1181930. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1181930

Received: 08 March 2023; Accepted: 29 August 2023; Published: 13 September 2023.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2023 Fan, Wider and Chan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Walton Wider, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

IMAGES

  1. Psychology Literature Review Writing Service for Help 24/7

    literature review topic psychology

  2. Literature Review Definition Psychology

    literature review topic psychology

  3. PPT

    literature review topic psychology

  4. The List of 30 Topic Ideas for Psychology Literature Review.pdf

    literature review topic psychology

  5. (PDF) Writing a Literature Review in Psychology

    literature review topic psychology

  6. 🏆 How to write a psychology review paper. How to Write Psychology

    literature review topic psychology

VIDEO

  1. Literature Review

  2. Approaches to searching the literature

  3. Review of literature

  4. Writing a Literature Review

  5. Effective Review of Literature

  6. how to write a literature review

COMMENTS

  1. Writing a Literature Review

    1. Identify and define the topic that you will be reviewing. 2. Conduct a literature search.

  2. 50+ Topics of Psychology Research for Your Student Paper

    50+ Topics of Psychology Research How to Find Psychology Research Topics for Your Student Paper By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Updated on March 13, 2023 Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD Are you searching for a great topic for your psychology paper?

  3. PDF University of Washington Psychology Writing Center http://www.psych.uw

    Literature reviews survey research on a particular area or topic in psychology. Their main purpose is to knit together theories and results from multiple studies to give an overview of a field of research. How is a Literature Review Different from a Research Article? Research articles:

  4. PDF Writing a Psychology Literature Review

    There are two main approaches to a literature review in psychology. One approach is to choose an area of research, read all the relevant studies, and organize them in a meaningful way.

  5. Research Guides: Psychology: Conducting a Literature Review

    Conducting a Literature Review - Psychology - Research Guides at Drake University What is a Literature Review? Description A literature review, also called a review article or review of literature, surveys the existing research on a topic.

  6. Literature Reviews

    A literature review provides an overview of previous research on a topic that critically evaluates, classifies, and compares what has already been published on a particular topic. It allows the author to synthesize and place into context the research and scholarly literature relevant to the topic.

  7. PDF A Brief Guide to Writing the Psychology Paper

    review paper is to synthesize research on a topic in psychology while also shedding a new light on that topic. Writing a literature review paper involves first doing substantial research both online and in the library. The goal of your research should be not just to find all of the relevant articles on the topic, but also to evaluate those ...

  8. Literature Review

    APA PsycInfo From the American Psychological Association (APA), PsycINFO contains nearly 2.3 million citations and abstracts of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations in psychology and related disciplines. It is the largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health. DynaMed

  9. Literature Review

    In reviewing the published literature, the aim is to explain what ideas and knowledge have been gained and shared to date (i.e., hypotheses tested, scientific methods used, results and conclusions), the weakness and strengths of these previous works, and to identify remaining research questions: A literature review provides the context for your ...

  10. Writing A Literature Review

    Literature: a collection of materials on your topic. (does not mean "literature" in the sense of "language and literature" (To Kill a Mockingbird, Jane Eyre, etc.) —means understanding the difference between primary, secondary and tertiary literature Primary—peer reviewed, scholarly, original, review articles—secondary

  11. The Literature Review

    PsycINFO Citations and summaries of journal articles, book chapters, books, dissertations, and technical reports. (Psychological Abstracts, Psychinfo) [1806 - current] more... PubMed Citations and abstracts in the fields of biomedicine and health, as well as portions of the life sciences, behavioral sciences, chemical sciences, and bioengineering.

  12. Writing a Literature Review in Psychology

    The Introduction of a research article includes a condensed literature review. Its purpose is to describe what is known about the area of study, with the goal of giving the context and rationale for the study itself. Published literature reviews are called review articles. Review articles emphasize interpretation.

  13. Literature review guidelines

    Guidelines for writing literature reviews for Psychology of Men & Masculinities, including general considerations, essential elements, and standard sections. ... and make a strong case for why a literature review of this topic is important. Include a critical and inclusive review of previous theory related to the relevant topic. "Critical ...

  14. Literature Reviews

    Introduction What is a good literature review? Searching Future proofing A literature review is a comprehensive and critical review of literature that provides the theoretical foundation of your chosen topic. A review will demonstrate that an exhaustive search for literature has been undertaken.

  15. PDF Writing a Psychology Literature Review

    There is no strict rule, but a short literature review generally requires about 7-12 research articles and is about 10-15 pages long. There are three main steps: (1) select a research topic, (2) collect and read the relevant articles, and (3) write the review article. This straightforward-sounding process in fact requires quite a bit of work.

  16. How to Write a Literature Review

    Tip We've also compiled a few examples, templates, and sample outlines for you below. Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes. Table of contents What is the purpose of a literature review? Examples of literature reviews

  17. LibGuides: Psychology

    A literature review discusses published research studies on a specific topic or subject area. What is the purpose of writing it? The goal of the lit review is to describe, summarize, and evaluate previous research in a given area. It should explain important conclusions about your topic as well as identify any gaps in the research or areas for ...

  18. C. The literature review

    The literature review - Psychology Research Portal. C. The literature review. A good literature review synthesizes the research and presents an overview of the current level of understanding in a particular field to form the context for your research project. Once you have done an initial search of the literature to narrow down your ideas, it ...

  19. PSY3750: Cognitive Psychology: Your Research Topic

    Writing a Psychology Literature Review (University of Washington) Writing a Psychology Literature Review. Your Topic. Every great research paper starts with a good topic, but it's not always so easy to come up with one. While you should always work within the scope of the assignment, these tips can help you find a topic that works for you: ...

  20. Literature Reviews

    PSY 306: Cognitive Psychology What is a Literature Review? A literature review is a critical, analytical summary and synthesis of the current knowledge of a topic. As a researcher, you collect the available literature on a topic, and then select the literature that is most relevant for your purpose.

  21. PSY 246

    The literature review that you write summarizes and explains research that has been done on a particular topic. All of the articles will be on the same topic. You've seen literature reviews in academic articles that are written to show what's already been researched and why the authors choose to do their own research.

  22. Writing a literature review

    Writing a literature review requires a range of skills to gather, sort, evaluate and summarise peer-reviewed published data into a relevant and informative unbiased narrative. Digital access to research papers, academic texts, review articles, reference databases and public data sets are all sources of information that are available to enrich ...

  23. Writing a Literature Review

    A literature review is a document or section of a document that collects key sources on a topic and discusses those sources in conversation with each other (also called synthesis).The lit review is an important genre in many disciplines, not just literature (i.e., the study of works of literature such as novels and plays).

  24. Getting started

    What is a literature review? Definition: A literature review is a systematic examination and synthesis of existing scholarly research on a specific topic or subject. Purpose: It serves to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge within a particular field. Analysis: Involves critically evaluating and summarizing key findings, methodologies, and debates found in ...

  25. Emerging and Future Directions in Test-Enhanced Learning Research

    Publication rates for peer-reviewed articles addressing the "testing effect", "retrieval practice", and/or "test-enhanced learning" from 1999 to 2022. In total, 1,215 such articles were published during that time frame. Results drawn from topic searches of Clarivate's Web of Science database conducted in early September 2023.

  26. [Solved] Overview A literature review. Now that you have found

    A literature review. Now that you have found resources related to different specializations in behavior-analytic practice, the next step is to look further into how they relate to each other and shed light on your research topic. Not only will you be writing literature reviews in some of your future courses at Capella, these skills will also ...

  27. Frontiers

    This paper presents a literature review on the topic of organizational performance. The study conceptualizes the overall performance of the organization as comprising of organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) and counterproductive work behaviors (CWB).

  28. RES 820

    RES 820C-O500 - The Literature Landscape: Psychology T1DQ1: Consider the research article by Walter and Stouck (2020) provided in this topic. The article has all the major sections of empirical research (abstract, introduction, literature review, methods, discussion, implications, and recommendations). Without addressing the article's content specifically, how would you characterize the ...

  29. Topic_4_Article_Review_(Obj._4.2_4.3_and_4.4).pdf

    The analysis of human behavior in terms of occasions, situations, circumstances, experiences, or acts, as well as actions and experiences, social and psychological processes, and unexpected events in one's encounters, is a. component of qualitative research, according to Balkin and Kleist (2017). Quantitative research employs unbiased ...