There are 17 possible “SAQ only” terms. At first these might seem daunting, but nearly all of these can be easily combined to the existing topics. One of the best ways to show knowledge of these topics (and earn marks in exams) is to offer precise and concise definitions of these terms. More Resources: Example SAQs and studies or all …
IA Graph: How to create the perfect graph for your IB Psychology IA
Your graph must be accurate and “address the hypothesis.” In this post we’ll look at how you can create the perfect IA graph for the IB Psychology IA. Your research hypothesis will be based on the effect of an independent variable on a dependent variable. To test this hypothesis you created two conditions (I hope) in your experiment to see …
Mean, median or mode? How to apply descriptive statistics for the IA.
Read carefully so you’ll know how to apply descriptive statistics for the IA PROPERLY! (Or watch the video explanation here). I will freely admit, that I can’t explain it any clearer than what’s included on this excellent post on MyIB. Perhaps the most value I can offer is to make people aware of this resource. Before we look at what you have …
How to describe the theory or model in your IA Introduction
Here I explain how to describe the theory or model in your IA Introduction for IB Psychology. WARNING: This post is only for those aiming for 7s. (Henceforth I will just say “theory” to make things easier but know that I mean theory or model) There are three things I would recommend including to have a full description of your …
How to write the IA Introduction
Knowing how to write the IA Introduction for IB Psychology can be difficult. This post gives a few tips to make it easier. While there is no prescribed way to write your IA Introduction in IB Psychology. if you’re struggling to get started the following format might help. However, feel free to structure it in a way that makes sense …
How to evaluate correlational studies….PROPERLY!
“This study was correlational but correlation doesn’t mean causation.” If you think this is critical thinking, think again! Let’s look at three ways to PROPERLY evaluate correlational studies. A correlational study is when researchers measure the strength of a relationship between co-variables by calculating a correlation coefficient. In order to show critical thinking you must give specific reasons why we can’t deduce …
Broken Video Links – Replacement videos for IB Psychology A Student’s Guide TSPs.
This post is designed to help teachers find replacement videos when those in the TSPs for “IB Psychology: A Student’s Guide” are removed. This is also a Facebook thread in our IB Psychology Teacher’s Group but that post can be difficult to manage. Organizing them here I hope will be more helpful. 1: Introduction 2: Criminology 2.2b: BBC Documentary: How …
IA Online: Which studies are the best?
Online learning can be a challenge so here are some tips for doing the IA online. Read more: Key Studies for the IA IA Tips: How to explain your…DESIGN How to avoid the biggest mistake in IAs Which studies work best? I’ve been through my complete recommended IA studies list and found the ones I recommend to my own students …
Stress and the Hippocampus
The following is adapted from our eBook for Health Psychology: “Stress and how to cope: A Health Psychology guide for IB Students” (Available here). Not all of this content could make the final cut. So read on if you’re interested in how your hippocampus could be causing you stress. IB Psych Health: This content is relevant for biological explanations of health problems …
IA Tips: How to explain your…SAMPLING TECHNIQUE
Explaining the sampling technique might just be the easiest part of the Exploration. Let’s look at how it can be done properly. The IB’s given some advice, too, but be careful – it’s not as straightforward as first appears. The most common sampling technique is opportunity sampling (aka convenience sampling). Alternative choices include: Random sampling Volunteer sampling (aka self-selected sampling) …
IA Procedures – Are they necessary?1 in favour, 4 opposed
In previous posts and videos I’ve advised to move your procedures to the appendices if word count is an issue in the IA. Is this really an acceptable approach? Here are 4 reasons why you don’t need a procedures section and one reason why you should have it. Some examiners think you’re not allowed to put the procedures in the appendices. …
IA Tips: How to explain your…DESIGN
You can write an excellent explanation of your “design” in just three sentences. You can’t go wrong with What-How-Why (State-Describe-Explain) approach. You can explain any section of the Exploration by showing how it controls for one or more confounding variables. Here are 3 steps to explaining your design: State the design you used. Summarize how it was applied. Give a …
IA Tips…How to explain your CONTROLLED VARIABLES
Explaining the “controlled variables” is tricky. Most students state or maybe describe, but few really explain them. Here’s how to do it and an example to show you. What are controlled variables? A “controlled variable” is any factor that could affect your results so you kept it constant in both conditions of your experiment. You want to control certain variables …
Paper Two in 8 Studies – Human Relationships
Trying to find ways to reduce the amount of studies in IB Psychology? Here’s how the Human Relationships option can be covered in just 8 studies. The following guidance is for the Human Relationships option, since it’s the most popular. The IB Guide states that “Each option is divided into three topics. For each option, there will be three essay …
Abnormal Psychology in 7 Studies
A challenging aspect of the IB Psychology course is remembering all the studies. It can be made easier. With some careful course planning (by teachers) and wise studying (by students), the Abnormal Psychology option could be covered in 7 studies. The IB Guide states that “Each option is divided into three topics. For each option, there will be three essay …
All SAQs in just 22 Studies
While creating the flashcard set for IB Psychology students I had to make sure that there would be enough studies for each topic in the course. This took some meticulous planning. Here’s what I found out… There are a total of 41 topics for the Paper 1 SAQs (see them all here). If we include the 6 possible combinations of research …
Over 100 Flashcards for IB Psychology NOW AVAILABLE!
Flashcards you can hold in your hand are infinitely better than digital ones. Now you can have over 100 flashcards specifically designed for IB Psychology students. BUY YOURS HERE! The flashcard pack contains: 72 studies 34 key terms 9 theories and models Now you don’t need to spend hours and hours making your own flashcards. Download full list of flashcards …
How to use APA referencing for your IA and EE
This post is designed to give you a quick guide on how to make sure you’re using APA formatting properly. It will cover the two main elements to consider when using APA-style referencing in your psychology papers: in-text citations and the references list. When it comes to citations, I think the why is just as important as the how. So I am intent …
EE Tips for Completing the Reflections (RPPF Form)
Giving students an empty space and saying, “reflect” can be really challenging. This is why I like to give a few possible ideas of what they could write about. These are explained below. The RPPF (Reflections on Planning and Progress Form) is where EE students write their three reflections: First, Interim and Final (after the viva voce). The maximum word …
EE Supervisor Tips – The Viva Voce
In this post, I will share my tips on how I do the viva voce – a compulsory final interview with the student after they’ve submitted their EE final draft. The viva voce takes about 20-30 minutes and is conducted after the final draft is submitted. According to the EE Guide, the viva voce is an opportunity … “…to ask …
IA Tips…How to explain your PARTICIPANTS
You must “explain” the five elements of the exploration: Design, Sampling technique, Controls, Materials, Participants to get full marks for the IA exploration (4 marks). In this post we’ll look at how to explain your choice of participants. Explaining participant choices is quite difficult. I would aim to have one really excellent explanation that clearly shows how you are controlling …
IA Tips: How to explain your…MATERIALS
The key to a great IA is attention to detail. The Exploration is worth the fewest marks (4) but probably requires the most attention. I don’t think the Exploration is a difficult section to write, as long as you follow some basic guidelines. I’ve already made a video explaining how to use the What-How-Why method (State-Describe-Explain) to explain each section …
Generalizability in Animal Studies: Cognition and Culture
Generalizability is the extent to which we can confidently predict the results of a study would apply to a different context, including different people, places, and procedures. When considering the extent to which we can generalize findings from animal studies, we are considering how confidently we could predict the same finding in humans. For example, animal studies like Sapolsky’s research …
IA Tips for Loftus and Palmer
By far it’s the most popular study to conduct for the IB Psychology IA. But watch out, the “car crash study” can cause major accidents if you’re not careful. So if you’re doing Loftus and Palmer for the IA, read this post carefully. Below is a summary of some common errors students make and tips on how to avoid these …
IA tips for Glanzer and Cunitz Studies
It’s a popular study to replicate for the IA, but Glanzer and Cunitz’s 1966 study on the serial position effect is filled with danger when you’re not careful. If you’re doing this study for your IA, read this post carefully! Read more: Key Study: Multi-store Model and The Primacy and Recency Effects Key Studies for the IA These famous psychologists …