{"id":15777,"date":"2026-02-17T10:26:29","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T01:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.themantic-education.com\/ibpsych\/?p=15777"},"modified":"2026-02-17T16:17:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T07:17:30","slug":"three-types-of-saqs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themantic-education.com\/ibpsych\/2026\/02\/17\/three-types-of-saqs\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Types of SAQs<\/br>Categorising the Approaches in IB Psychology<\/font>"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are 27 SAQ topics from three approaches. <\/strong>Next to each topic in the IB Guide there’s a learning objective. If your confident in knowing what to study (or teach) for each topic, then skip this post. If you’d like another perspective on this then read on.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the SAQs in Paper One, “only the first column of each table (psychological terminology) in the relevant syllabus section will be used in formulating the questions.” (TSM pg. 46).<\/p>\n

Here’s an example of the psychological terminology and associated learning objectives taken from the IB Psychology guide,\u00a0 pg.25:<\/strong><\/em>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This means students need to explain the topic (psychological terminology column) in about 100-150 words. But what to explain? We can use the learning objectives for guidance and\/or we can look at the three types of topics.<\/p>\n

It’s great to see learning objectives come back in this new curriculum. They’re helpful for teachers, but maybe not so helpful for students. For instance, I don’t particularly like the phrase “the role of” in these learning objectives. I think it’s too broad and difficult for students to know what to explain. Is the role of cognitive load theory in understanding human cognition different to the role of any other psychological theory in understanding behaviour? Knowing what this looks like in practice is quite difficult to discern, I think. This is why I like to break the topics down into three different types.<\/p>\n

All Topics<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/h2>\n

Three Types of Topics<\/span><\/h2>\n

Psychology is the scientific study of how and why we think and act the way we do. It makes perfect sense then that the three approaches are all about this fundamental question. Furthermore, we can break the approach topics down into three categories:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Cause-and-effect<\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. Theories and models<\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. Research<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Cause-and-Effect<\/h2>\n

    The first type of topic is the most common. If we’re trying to explain human cognition and behaviour, then it’s logical we’re looking at potential causes. This is also how we distinguish between the three approaches – what do we think is the cause of human behaviour? Biology, cognition or the sociocultural environment?<\/p>\n

    Revision Qu: <\/strong>How and why does (x) influence<\/em> (y)?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    What to know? <\/strong>For each of these, the topic is either the cause\u00a0or\u00a0<\/em>the effect. In planning your exam answers (or what to teach), it helps to identify a specific cause-effect relationship. Then go one step further and have a reason or cause. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n