How to write the IA Introduction

Travis DixonInternal Assessment (IB)

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!

Travis DixonRevision and Exam Preparation, Teaching Ideas

“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.

Travis DixonProducts, Teaching Ideas, Themantics

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 …

Stress and the Hippocampus

Travis DixonHealth Psychology

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

Travis DixonInternal Assessment (IB)

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 Tips: How to explain your…DESIGN

Travis DixonResearch Methodology

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

Travis DixonInternal Assessment (IB)

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

Travis DixonHuman 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 …