The first step in getting a 7 in Paper 1 is to smash your SAQs. But every year the IB examiner reports that students are “too descriptive.” To score higher marks, students need more analysis and application. What does this mean? In this post, I’ll explain what it means and a simple way to improve your SAQs. For teachers, this can help planning.
The InfoGraphic
In your written paragraphs, the reason will go after the effect. I like to put it visually like this because it’s usually in this order in real-life – something happens, there’s a flow on effect (reason) and then this produces the behaviour (effect).
It’s misleading to say answers are “too descriptive.” This isn’t the problem. A descriptive answer is one with lots of information and facts. The problem? There’s nothing else. The answer doesn’t use the information described to explain anything. That’s why I like this simple infographic. (Download: Cause Effect Planner).
This will elevate your answers so they’re beyond descriptive and have full analysis. For example, many students will write about testosterone influencing aggression or serotonin influence depression. They describe facts about these neurotransmitters and the related behaviours, but they don’t explain why changes in levels of these chemicals influences behaviour. Do they affect brain function? Cognition? What is the reason?
However…
The above infographic is really helpful for cause-effect topics. If you look at the full list of SAQ exam topics below, you’ll see they fit into three nice categories:
- Cause-Effect
- Research
- Theories/models
Read more about these categories and why I think they’re helpful here.
The cause-effect topics require you show how and why biological, cognitive or sociocultural factors influence behaviour. But what about the other two types of questions – theories/models and research?
Research Topics
These are techniques and approaches to researching human behaviour. You have to show you know what they are, but you also understand how and why these are used. So we can adapt the infographic so you start by knowing “What is” the research technique/approach and then how it’s used – this means you can describe the procedures. To elevate your answer into the top mark band add a reason why this particular research technique is used.
Examples of “research” topics include:
- Biological reductionism,
- Emic and etic approaches
- Brain imaging.
- See the full list here.
Tip: After you’ve used this to plan your thoughts, try writing them into a full 100(ish) word paragraph.
Theories/Models
The final type of SAQ topic is about theories/models. These include social learning and social identity theory, dual processing theory, a cognitive model of your choice, etc. For these topics you need to focus on the description more than the explanation. In other words, give a full, detailed summary of the theory, what it tries to explain and how it explains it. Perhaps this infographic can help with that…
Describe or Explain
Your SAQ will ask you to describe or explain a topic. What’s the difference? One word: reasons! A description is a “detailed summary,” whereas an explanation is the same but with added “reasons or causes.” My advice? Explain all research and cause-effect topics. For example, if you’re asked to “Describe the role of one chemical messenger,” it won’t hurt to give a reason why that chemical messenger affects behaviour. Similarly, if you’re asked to “Describe biological reductionism” then you’re not going to get penalised if you explain why psychologists use a reductionist approach in their research.
The one exception is theories or models, as it might be hard to think of a “reason or cause.” It’s likely you’ll be able to describe the theory/model, but if you can think of a “reason” then go for it. For example, one reason why Bandura came up with social learning theory (SLT) was because he thought behaviourism couldn’t explain everything. Like most theories, his was a response to existing ideas in psychology. Tajfel proposed social identity theory in response to his real-life experiences during WWII.
Travis Dixon has been teaching for over 20 years and is an experienced IB Psychology, History and English teacher, author, workshop leader and examiner