1. Study Tips and Features for IB Psychology
1.1 Syllabus
| Content of Study | |
| SL | 1. Core
|
| HL | 1. Core
|
1.2 Overview of Psychology
For IB psychology, both HL and SL cover the same topics. The only difference is that HL covers one more topic compared to SL for the options as well as having one more additional paper (paper 3) that covers the approaches to researching behaviour. Students will be asked to critically evaluate the theories, research, and knowledge through the lenses of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural approaches.
1.3 Study Tips
- Summarise the studies you have learned in class and keep them simple so that it is easy for you to revise.
- Practice the questions at the end of each chapter by writing out the responses and peer review them so that you can use these sample answers to revise effectively.
- Make sure to include critical thinking for the longer essays as it is a key to scoring high.
2. Assessment Model for IB Psychology
Studying for IB psychology requires dedication and could be time consuming. It is important to master the exam techniques for each paper in order to gain a higher score. Always seek for help from your teachers or peers when you are stuck or unsure about a topic so that you can study efficiently without wasting your time!
| Psychology HL (Higher Level) | ||
|
External Assessment |
Paper 1 |
Section A– One question per each core topic: biological, cognitive, and social-cultural |
| Paper 2 |
For each topic, you have three choices to choose from. |
|
| Paper 3 |
|
|
| Internal Assessment | Experimental Study |
|
| Psychology SL (Standard Level) | ||
|
External Assessment |
Paper 1 |
Section A– One question per each core topic: biological, cognitive, and social-cultural |
| Paper 2 |
For your option topic question, you have three choices to choose from. |
|
| Internal Assessment | Experimental Study |
|
3. Advices and Tips for Improving Your Score
3.1 Advices and Study Tips for Psychology
1. Summarise the studies and theories in your own words
The explanations of the theories and studies in the textbooks are helpful for you to fully understand the concepts. However, in the exam, you will have to be able to answer the questions by providing both the theories and the study that supports your argument in a very short time. Therefore, the best way to study is to summarise the studies in a concise and accurate manner so that you can revise them and use them in your exam to save time. Always include, aim, method, and results for the studies. Make sure you only pull out the information you need to explain your point. Do not overwrite!
2. Come up with critical thinking points beforehand
Being able to provide critical thinking points in your 22 mark essay will definitely take your response to another level. If you want your score to reach that level 7, make sure you have your critical thinking points ready for the longer essays by making a general list. Use the ones that fit into your argument or tweak the points to fit your argument. Evaluate the studies, the explanation, or the theories depending on the question and provide an alternative explanation if possible.
3. Make model answers for all the short response and extended responses questions
Write a model answer for a potential question every time you finish studying a theory and a study. Have your friends to review your answers and ask your teacher to mark the response. Polish the response until they are perfect and memorise them so that you have a fully prepared answer when it comes to your exams. Remember, do not overwrite your answers because you will only have 20 mins per each short response question and an hour for your extended response question. Teaming up with a friend for this process might be a good idea as you can both write for different topics and share them with each other in the end.
4. Know the key terms and provide a definition
Whenever you introduce a key term for your response, provide a short definition of what it means as if you are educating someone who does not know anything about psychology. Providing these definitions shows that you know what you are talking about and that you fully understand the topic. After writing out your responses, show it to your family or your friends who do not study psychology and see if they can fully understand your explanation. If they do, then it means that you have successfully defined all the terms in a clear manner!
5. Recycle the studies by using them to explain multiple concepts
Some studies can be used to explain multiple theories so that you can lessen the amount of studies for memorising. For example, Maguire (2000), a study done to examine the hippocampus of taxi drivers, can be used to explain both neuroplasticity and localization. The only thing that you will have to be careful is to make sure the way you present your study fits the explanation of the theory. Some parts of the studies can be useful to explain one specific theory while other parts might be useful to explain other theories, however it may not be the most suitable study for this particular moment.
6. Do not try to cram
Do not try to cram everything before the exams. Your brain needs time to memorise all the theories and studies. Applying the information you’ve learned in class to your everyday life can be fun and it can help you! Who knows? Maybe you can explain how the memory system works to your friend when they are having a hard time studying and make their life easier.
3.2 Strategies for Each Paper
Paper 1:
This paper will be based on all three approaches. Even though you will have to answer all three short answered questions which are each based on the three approaches, you will only have to pick one question to answer for the essay question. This means that for the essay question, you will only have to become an absolute expert on one of the approaches in order to minimise the amount of information you have to memorise. Make sure you have two studies ready for each subtopic for the essay question as well as the evaluation points. These are not required for the short answered questions so you do not need to do this for the other two approaches. For HL students, don’t forget that the essay question might be based on the extension topics! Try to aim spending 20 mins per each short answered question and 45 mins for the essay. The last 15 mins should be spent for double checking.
Paper 2:
This paper is based on one option topic for SL students and two option topics for HL students. Regardless of HL or SL, the question format is the same: you will have to answer one essay question per each option topic you study. The recommended time spent on each essay question is the same as the essay question in paper 1: 45 mins for writing and 15 mins for checking. Again, for each subtopic, prepare two studies to back up your point and include evaluation points. Don’t forget to include critical thinking points too! SL students should become an expert on one option topic and HL students should become an expert on two option topics.
Paper 3 (HL only):
There are no surprises for this paper. Know your research methods. The first 9 marks is always the same where you will be asked to identify the method used and the two characteristics of it, describe the sampling method, and suggest an alternative or additional research method with a reason. The study itself will be something that you haven’t seen before but don’t freak out! Prepare model answers for the other two questions on the paper and everything should be fine.
4. Psychology IA (Internal Assessment) & EE (Extended Essay)
4.1 Psychology IA (Internal Assessment) Advice
You will be asked to conduct an experimental study designed by yourself and write a report based on it. The internal assessment (IA) will be assessed by your teachers in school and the IBO will check the gradings externally. The requirements are the same for SL and HL and 20 hours of class time will be dedicated to your IA for IB psychology. The report should be 1,800 – 2,200 words in length and should include the four key components: introduction, exploration, analysis, and evaluation. The maximum marks you get for the IA is 22 marks and the key is to include everything that is stated in the mark scheme.
Tips for writing your IA:
- Choose a study that is replicable and easy to design as you do not want to overcomplicate things.
- Always explain why you chose the specific design, material, way of conducting etc. rather than another.
- Be concise yet informative and keep it within the word count.
- Do not write a full essay for the introduction, keep it simple!
- Analysis and evaluation can take up more words than the other components so save some words for these areas as they are crucial in taking your IA to the next level.
4.2 EE Advice and Tips
The IB Psychology Extended Essay (EE) requires the student to accurately and confidently apply the terminology of psychological research methods. Students will be assessed on their understanding of the psychological theories and concepts as well as their skills in analysis and evaluation. Primary data should never be used. Instead, students should use secondary data from published sources and develop their argument from these. It is also important to do your citations properly when it comes to writing the EE. Know how to cite in certain formats such as the MLA (Modern Language Association) format.
Things that you should be careful about the EE:
- Choose a supervisor who is knowledgeable in the subject area of your EE. Your supervisor is the person who is going to monitor your progress and give you advice. Therefore, you should schedule meetings with your supervisor regularly to make sure you are on track.
- Choose a topic that you are interested in as you will have to stick with it until the end of the IB course.
- Always evaluate the research you cite and dive deep in the analysis.
- Make sure you demonstrate critical awareness and understanding of the material you use rather than just throwing them into the essay.
- Avoid choosing topics within the fields of “pop psychology” or “self-help” as they are not supported by peer-reviewed research studies.