Correlational studies are one of the most commonly used research methods in the study of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In this post we’ll review WHAT correlational studies are, HOW they’re used to study PTSD and WHY they’re used. We’ll also review three key studies that can support this explanation. Research methods essays are the hardest to write, but that also …
Example Essay: Research methods (case studies) in the biological approach
Essays on research methods and ethical considerations are the hardest to write in IB Psychology exams. Here is an example essay on the use of case studies in the biological approach. Notice how the essay has a good balance between explaining the method (central argument), using studies (supporting evidence) and explaining limitations (counter-arguments). Read More: Example Essay: Technological Techniques 10 …
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 …
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 …
Let’s STOP the research methods madness!
“What was the research method of (x’s) study?” Along with, “Is this a good EE question…”, it’s the most common question IB Psych teachers ask. But we shouldn’t have to and we need to put an end to the research methods madness. Why? Well, let me count the ways (or if you’d rather just read some exam tips, scroll to …
How to evaluate any study in 3 simple steps
Being able to critically evaluate a study is a key skill for any budding psychologist. However, like anything, when you’re first learning how to do this it can be very difficult. In this post, we look at 3 simple steps you can take to evaluate any study. Read More 7 exam tips for evaluating studies So you want to assess …
How to solve the reproducibility crisis in Psychology
The “reproducibility crisis” (or “replicability crisis”) is the term used to describe the recent discovery in psychology that many classic studies are failing to have their results reproduced. In fact, the whole of psychology, especially social psychology research, seems to be in a crisis regarding its credibility as a source of knowledge. Other fields like economics and the sciences are facing …
Exam Tips: How to write a research methods essay
Updated Feb 2021 One of the most difficult of the five types of exam questions to write about in IB Psychology is research methods. Like most other essay questions, students tend to focus on studies and miss other important aspects of the essay. In this post, I offer my best tips for how to write an excellent essay on research …
Lesson Idea: Sampling Methods – Practice for Paper 3
For IB Psychology Paper 3, students need to know the following five sampling methods: Opportunity/convenience Random Self-selected/volunteer Snowball Purposive The stimulus material (summary of a study) that you are given in the exam may or may not state the sampling method used. Therefore, you need to be prepared to identify the method used based on the summary of how the …
fMRI: An important technological technique used to study the brain
The invention of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has rapidly advanced our knowledge and understanding of the human brain. In the IB Psychology course, fMRIs are a good example of a “technique used to study the brain in relation to behaviour.” Background Information fMRIs are a modification of a regular MRI machine. Whereas MRIs simply show the structure of the …