My dissertation committee keeps flagging my proposal topic for being too broad, so how do I actually tighten the scope without losing my core argument?

Narrow your focus by anchoring your research to a specific population, timeframe, and setting rather than trying to cover an entire field. When you look at your notes, pick just one angle that genuinely interests you, like how Division I basketball players handle late-game pressure during away tournaments, instead of looking at the whole history of sports psychology. This approach actually makes writing easier because instead of shallowly summarizing dozens of broad themes, you can deeply analyze a tight cluster of relevant literature. You'll easily hit your page count by critically comparing specialized studies within that exact niche rather than struggling to stretch a massive topic across too few words.