Disclaimer: These questions are not IB “official” questions and are written with our best guess as to what the probable exam questions may look like. Not every possible question is covered but rather a wide sample of questions has been asked so you can get an idea of the types of questions that may appear.

Read More

• Abnormal Psychology exam bank (link)
• Biological approach core exam bank (link)
• Cognitive approach core exam bank (link)
• Sociocultural approach core exam bank (link)

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Human Relationships

The exam questions will be based on the topic and content headings as shown above (This table is taken from our revision guide, available here). There will be one question per topic.

Exam Questions

Approaches (Bio, Cog & Socio-cult)

If questions about the three core approaches are asked they will be based on the three “topics” for the human relationships option (personal relationships, group dynamics and social responsibility).

Personal Relationships

• Discuss the biological or cognitive approach to understanding personal relationships.
• Discuss the sociocultural approach to understanding personal relationships.
• Contrast the biological and cognitive approaches to understanding personal relationships.

Group Dynamics

• Discuss the sociocultural and/or cognitive approach to understanding group dynamics
• Evaluate the sociocultural approach to understanding group dynamics.

Social Responsibility

• Discuss the biological approach to understanding social responsibility.
• Evaluate the biological or cognitive approach to the study of social responsibility.
• Discuss the sociocultural approach to understanding social responsibility.

Research Methods & Ethical Considerations

Questions about research methods and ethics will be based on the three “topics” for the human relationships option (personal relationships, group dynamics and social responsibility).

Research Methods

Essay Questions

• Evaluate the use of one research method used to study personal relationships.
• Evaluate one or more research methods used to study social responsibility.
• Evaluate one research method used to study group dynamics.
• Discuss how and why one research method is used to study group dynamics.
• Discuss the use of one research method used to study personal relationships.
• Evaluate one approach to the research of social responsibility.
• Discuss one or more approaches to research (i.e. research method/s) used in the study of personal relationships.

*the phrase “approaches to research” is used in the official IB Psychology guide and it means “research methods” (e.g. true experiments, correlational studies, etc.) Students should be prepared for this phrasing, but hopefully the IB exam team will use the phrase “research methods” so as not to get confused with the three approaches (bio, cog & socio-cult). 

Ethical Considerations

Essay Questions

• Discuss one or more ethical considerations related to research on personal relationships.
• Discuss one ethical considerations related to research on group dynamics.
• Discuss one ethical considerations related to research on social responsibility.

Notes

• Paper Two is essay questions only.
• SL students write one essay for one option, HL students write two essays on two options.
• Like all options, there are three topics in the human relationships option and there will definitely be one question per topic, which means you can safely study only one topic per option. HOWEVER, if you’re doing this then you need to be prepared to answer any possible question on that topic, including the three approaches, research methods and ethical considerations in relation to that topic.

Noticed a mistake? Always feel free to let me know in the comments.

Travis Dixon

Travis Dixon is an IB Psychology teacher, author, workshop leader, examiner and IA moderator.