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TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students

This annual competition invites students to submit a video, essay, or other product that demonstrates their understanding of psychological science. The 2025 competition theme will be announced by fall 2024.

Deadline: Spring 2025
Sponsor: TOPSS

Students are invited to create a video not longer than 3 minutes that demonstrates their understanding of how a topic in psychological science has the potential to benefit their school and/or local community and improve people’s lives. The topic must be related to the content covered in the Cognition Pillar of the National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula (i.e., a topic related to cognition, memory, perception, or intelligence). Up to three students will receive a $300 scholarship award each for their winning entries.

Submissions should demonstrate students’ understanding of psychology’s real-world applications and include the following:

  • An accurate description of a key psychological construct (e.g., theory, concept, or term) from content within the Cognition Pillar of the National Standards

  • Reference to at least one published research study that demonstrates how this construct has the potential to benefit society and improve people’s lives.

    • The research study should be highly relevant to the topic and demonstrate the potential impact of the psychological construct. The presenter should summarize critical features of the research study so that a viewer will at least understand what was being investigated, the population studied, and the study’s conclusion.

  • A real-world example of how broader knowledge of this construct within their school and/or local community could benefit the school and/or community and improve lives.

The student entering the contest must be the only one seen or heard in the video. The video must include a closing slide to provide at least one APA Style reference. Instructions for uploading the video through YouTube are under the submission instructions tab. 

Eligibility

  • Only current high school students can compete. International students are eligible to participate in the competition.

  • Team submissions are not eligible.

  • No more than five (5) entries per school will be accepted.

Rules

Please read these rules carefully. Contributions will be disqualified and not judged if they do not adhere to the rules. Please note the disclaimer below on the APA Style formatting rule.

  • The information must be accurate and supported by psychological theory and/or research.

  • All sources should be cited in APA Style (see Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition). If a winning entry contains sources that are not cited correctly, the student will be asked to fix their entry before the prize is awarded. 

  • The research study(ies) should be described in your own words and should demonstrate your understanding of the main findings of any study that you cite. Direct quotations are discouraged.

  • Each submission should include one reference slide at the end of the video.

  • Submitted videos are limited to 3 minutes maximum. This time limit includes the amount of time the reference slide appears on screen. Any video over 3 minutes long will be disqualified.

  • No media, video, or music is permitted. No emojis or other clip art are allowed. Text for closed captioning, to accompany the dialogue, and/or on a PowerPoint slide or slide deck is allowed.

  • All entries must be student-produced. All dialogue, video, production, and editing must be an original production.

  • Contest entrant must operate all equipment, including all editing equipment used in the production of the presentation. Contest entrant can borrow equipment from others (e.g., a friend’s cell phone or school video camera); however, the student should operate technology used.

  • Contest entrant must provide the narration, voice-over, and/or dramatization.

  • Only the contestant should appear or be heard in the video.

  • By submitting your video to the contest, you grant APA a non-exclusive right to use, promote, or display your video as it relates to this project at the sole discretion of APA.

  • APA will not be held responsible for any costs, claims, damages, liabilities, and expenses arising out of or generally related to this submission.

  • All contest entrants must read and approve of the terms, conditions, and rules of the contest per the submission form. If a contest entrant is under 18, their parent or legal guardian must also read, approve of, and sign the terms, conditions, and rules of the contest per the submission form.

  • Videos must be posted to YouTube. See submission instructions tab for details.

  • Contest entrant must work with a teacher prior to submitting the entry to ensure the submitted content follows competition guidelines and rules. Entrants are required to confirm teacher oversight when submitting their entry.

  • Entries must be submitted by March 1, 2024.

Tips to consider

  • The judges will look for evidence that you understand the psychology concepts and research you are citing and can explain them in your own words.

  • Be sure to convey your excitement and enthusiasm for your subject.

  • Practice your presentation to make sure you can cover all the key points in 3 minutes.

  • Speak clearly.

Please contact Emily Leary Chesnes if you have any questions.

Students should submit their video by midnight (ET) on March 1, 2024. Submission instructions are provided below.

Submit your video

Submission instructions:

  • Videos must be posted to YouTube. Entrants must comply with YouTube’s terms of service. A link to the video must be submitted via the submission database. The following YouTube instructions are required:

    • Create a YouTube account if needed and upload your video.

    • While uploading, tag your video with the following keyword: APA TOPSS 2024 Contest. To tag a video, you’ll see a “Tags” section below the upload progress bar where you can add your tags. To add tags to an existing video, visit the Video Manager and click the Edit button below the video for which you’d like to add formatting tags.

    • When uploading to YouTube, choose “unlisted” from the dropdown menu (rather than public). Once uploaded, edit the title. The end of title should include brackets [APA TOPSS 2024 Contest student last name] – e.g. Motivating Students [APA TOPSS 2024 Contest Smith.] Go to the Advanced Settings tab and follow these three steps:

      • Uncheck “allow comments.”

      • Uncheck “users can view ratings for this video.”

      • Choose “Education” for category.

  • Check the box to declare that the video is not for children.

  • Press publish when upload is complete

  • Copy the video URL (link) and include it in your submission per the database linked above

Judging criteria

  • Conveys a strong understanding of the critical psychological construct that is the presentation’s focus. (20 points)

  • Demonstrates a strong understanding of a highly relevant research study. (20 points)

  • Includes a strong and compelling example of how broader knowledge of the construct within their school and/or local community could benefit the school and/or community and improve lives. Conveys the example’s importance in a powerful and impactful way. (20 points)

  • The central message is compelling (precisely stated, appropriately repeated, memorable, and strongly supported). (20 points)

  • Organizational pattern (specific introduction and conclusion, sequenced material within the body, and transitions) is clearly and consistently observable, skillful, and makes the presentation’s content cohesive. (10 points)

  • Delivery techniques (articulation, pace, volume, vocal expressiveness) make the presentation compelling, and the speaker appears prepared and knowledgeable. (10 points)

Scoring Rubric

Excellent (20)

Good (10)

Not acceptable (0)

Content (psychological construct)

Conveys a strong understanding of the critical psychological construct that is the presentation’s focus.

Conveys an understanding of the psychological construct, but some aspects are incomplete or confusing.

Does not demonstrate a basic understanding of the psychological construct.

Source

Research study is highly relevant to the topic and demonstrates the potential impact of the psychological construct
AND
The presenter conveys a strong understanding of the key features of the research study.

 The research study is somewhat relevant to the topic and partially demonstrates the potential impact of the psychological construct
AND
The presenter conveys some understanding of the critical features of the research study.		 The research study is not related to the topic
OR
The presenter leaves out key features of the research study, focuses on irrelevant details.

Content (example)

Includes a strong and compelling example of how broader knowledge of the construct could benefit the school and/or community and improve lives.

Chooses an accurate example of how broader knowledge of the construct could benefit the school and/or community and improve lives.

Chooses an example that doesn’t relate to construct
OR
Doesn't clearly explain why the example is essential.

Central message

The central message is compelling (precisely stated, appropriately repeated, memorable, and strongly supported).

The central message is clear and consistent with the supporting material.

The central message is not understandable, not often repeated, and/or not memorable.

Excellent (10)

Good (5)

Not acceptable (0)

Organization

Organizational pattern (specific introduction and conclusion, sequenced material within the body, and transitions) is clearly and consistently observable, skillful, and makes the presentation’s content cohesive.

Organizational pattern (specific introduction and conclusion, sequenced material within the body, and transitions) is intermittently observable within the presentation.

Organizational pattern (specific introduction and conclusion, sequenced material within the body, and transitions) is not observable within the presentation.

Delivery techniques

Delivery techniques (articulation, pace, volume, vocal expressiveness) make the presentation compelling, and the speaker appears prepared and knowledgeable.

Delivery techniques (articulation, pace, volume, vocal expressiveness) make the presentation understandable.

Delivery techniques (articulation, pace, volume, vocal expressiveness) detract from the understandability and impact of the presentation.

2024 TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students

The APA Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS) is pleased to announce the winners for the 2024 APA TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students. Each winner received a $300 scholarship award.

  • Clara Choi of Orange County School of the Arts (California), The War on Teenage Attention and the Switch-Cost Effect
  • Chih-Syuan Lin of Kaohsiung American School (Taiwan), Bilingualism Meets Memory
  • Amasha Samaraweera of Classen High School of Advanced Studies at Northeast (Oklahoma), Stop Vaping with Framing

In 2024, students were invited to create a video not longer than 3 minutes that demonstrated their understanding of how a topic in psychological science has the potential to benefit their school and/or local community and improve people’s lives. The topic had to be related to the content covered in the Cognition Pillar of the National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula (i.e., a topic related to cognition, memory, perception, or intelligence). 

2023 TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students

TOPSS is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 APA TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students. Each winner received a $300 scholarship award.

In 2023, students were invited to create a video not longer than three minutes that demonstrates their understanding of how a topic in psychological science has the potential to benefit their school and/or local community and improve people’s lives. The topic was required to be related to content covered in the Social and Personality Pillar of the National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula (i.e., a topic related to social psychology, personality, multiculturalism and gender, motivation and emotion).

2022 TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students

TOPSS is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 APA TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students. Each winner received a $300 scholarship award.

Students were asked to write an essay of up to 1,500 words to address the following five points:

  1. Describe a societal systemic problem of your choice, such as racism, discrimination, poverty, educational disparities, health disparities, or climate change (this list is not inclusive).
  2. Discuss how this problem impacts a specific group of people through personal or more general examples.
  3. Describe one way that the study of psychology can help you and others understand an aspect of human behavior related to this systemic problem. You must state, describe, and provide an example relating to at least one specific concept in psychology.
  4. Discuss one way in which the study of psychology can help you understand an aspect of human thought related to this systemic problem. You must state, describe, and provide an example relating to at least one specific concept in psychology.
  5. Discuss one way in which a concept in psychology can help inform a solution to this systemic problem. You must state, describe, and provide an example relating to at least one specific concept in psychology.

Students were asked to cite research from at least two peer-reviewed journal articles in their essay.

2021 TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students

TOPSS is pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 APA TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students. Each winner received a $250 scholarship award.

Students were invited to write an essay of no more than 3,000 words that addressed the topic of resilience in relation to stress or trauma. The essays described the current psychological understanding of resilience and could use recent events to support student ideas. Students could draw upon any approach to psychology that could include, but was not limited to, topics such as cognition, personality, biopsychology, and health psychology. Students discussed identifiable psychological concepts that have contributed to the definition of resilience and discussed, using identifiable psychological concepts, how resilience can be developed. Students also described ways in which applying psychological science’s understanding of resilience and the development of resilience can be made available to societies and individuals.

2020 TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students

TOPSS is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 APA TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students. Each winner received a $250 scholarship award.

  • Richard Chen of Solon High School (Solon, Ohio)
    The American Political Climate: Psychological Concepts and Their Application to Politics 
  • Stephanie Chung of Crean Lutheran High School (Irvine, California)
    A Psychological Perspective on Political Polarization and Possible Mitigating Treatments 
  • Mary Goncharenko of Pine Crest School (Pompano Beach, Florida)
    Understanding Explaining and Reducing Intergroup Conflict in Politics 
  • Teresa Padilla of Pennsylvania Homeschoolers (Kittanning, Pennsylvania)
    Negativity, Bias, and Misinformed Partisans in the 2016 Presidential Elections: Understanding Political Polarization 
  • Roy Rao of Oaks Christian School (Thousand Oaks, California)
    Psychology in Politics: Inherent Biases in Polarized Views on Immigration 

Students were invited to write an essay of no more than 3,000 words that addressed the topic of psychology in politics. The essays described the role and relevance of psychology in politics by referencing peer-reviewed research that could include but was not limited to topics such as cognition, data exploration techniques, and social psychology. Students were also asked to discuss identifiable psychological concepts that can help understand political polarization and how psychological science can explain how different individuals and groups of like-minded individuals might look at identical information and draw different conclusions. Students were finally asked to describe ways in which applying psychological science to specific aspects of politics might improve the current political climate.

2019 TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students

TOPSS is pleased to announce the winners of the 2019 APA TOPSS Competition for High School Psychology Students. Each winner will receive a $250 award.

  • Samuel Hansen of Pennsylvania Homeschoolers (Kittanning, Pennsylvania)
    Understanding the Neurobiology of Fear Extinction through Nonhuman Animal Research

  • Seung Bin Hong of Mountain View High School (Mountain View, California)
    Effects of OPRM1 and OPRD1 Genes on Delay Discounting Impulsivity a Study of Impulsivity in Mice

  • Joseph Petchauer of Pennsylvania Homeschoolers (Kittanning, Pennsylvania)
    Psychology’s Living Research: The Past, Present, and Future of Animal Studies

  • Aman Singh of Central Peel Secondary School (Mississauga, ON, CN)
    Placebo-Induced Treatment for the Chronic Mild Stress Animal Model of Depression

Students were invited to write an essay of no more than 3,000 words that addresses the topic of research with non-human animals in psychology. The essay was to describe the role and relevance of nonhuman animal research in psychology, by referencing peer-reviewed research with non-human animals. Students were to describe a hypothetical study that complies with and references non-human animal research guidelines. The essay was to address the implications of not conducting psychological research with non-human animals.

Last updated: July 2024Date created: 2014

Contact Information

Teachers and students should contact Emily Leary Chesnes at (202) 572-3013 with any questions.

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