coming up with research ideas - advice appreciated

[earthlywater]

Hello so I'm a psychology student entering my 4th year of undergrad. I go to a Canadian university and am planning to do a 4th year independent project. I have an interview coming up really soon.

This PI's research centres on the effects of estrogen on cognitive functioning (ex. memory) and basically how hormones affect sex differentation and
gender identity.

So I have heard, based on word of ear, that some students come up with their very own research hypotheses and other students are simply given a hypothesis by the professor.

1. Is it better to come up with my own research hypothesis/question rather than the professor giving me one?
If I do want to come up with my own research hypothesis, how do I best go about doing so? 
Do I first have to conduct a thorough psychological literature search to find all the information out there?

2. FYI I am a non-heterosexual male. I'm not sure if the professor would be happier if I focused on women? Or does it not matter if I focus on men? 
Men are not affected by estrogen as much as women are, however. And most of the professor's research is on the effects of estrogen.
Though some of her research literature does talk about gay men, trans men and women, and gender identity and how gender identity is affected by hormones (ex. estrogen), her research doesn't seem to talk about testosterone as much. So I feel like it wouldn't be the greatest idea to come up with a research question about testosterone levels in gay/straight women and men 

Would mentioning my own sexual orientation help facilitate some good ideas for discussion? Or Would mentioning my own sexual orientation have a negative impact
on my interview with the professor?
Should my focus be on males or females? I would assume that most of the lab's research data is collected from women and male-to-female trans individuals. 

I would appreciate any advice on how to prepare effectively on the interview and really impress the professor! 
I know most of you who browse here are absolutely brilliant thinkers, so I truly am grateful for any advice/words of wisdom! Thanks!

Edited July 9, 2017 by earthlywater

[rising_star]

You should ask the professor what they prefer for students to do. In general, as an undergrad, it can be difficult to come up with some sort of groundbreaking/innovative project on your own because you just aren't steeped in the literature as deeply. That's common and why it's pretty common for undergrads to be given research projects by a PI. BUT, that doesn't mean you shouldn't familiarize yourself with the literature in general and as preparation for this interview.

As for your second question, I'm not sure your sexuality matters since you wouldn't be studying yourself as part of this study. Consequently this isn't something that I'd bring up at all. To better understand why the professor focuses on estrogen not testosterone, you probably need to start reading the relevant academic literature. It could be that other researchers focus on testosterone or that it's not the right thing to study for various reasons. Keep reading and keep asking questions.

For interview tips, consult the "Interviews and Visits" subforum on this board. Good luck!

[wrighna]

I would add that the reason most undergrad theses are PI-driven is because of limited resources. If you're working on a small project contained within an already-collected dataset or are tacking something small onto an existing grant, that is often much more accessible than obtaining funding yourself for a totally new project. Schools or foundations sometims have small undergrad-focused grants for this type of research, but it's going to be the $500-$1,000 range.