In the new IB Psychology course (first exams 2027), the first two questions in Paper One are SAQs. These are 150-250 word answers that explain a topic and use an example. Previously, supporting examples always had to be studies. Now you have the choice – a study or a real world example. In this post, we’ll look at the same …
Key Study: Rats in an fMRI (Brydges et al., 2013)A fun and fascinating study to highlight the Three Rs of animal research
Animal experimentation is contentious. Some argue they’re valuable and worthwhile, while others question their validity and ethicality. The fundamental issue with animal research is that animals cannot provide informed consent. Most animals are euthanised at the end of the experiment. This is especially true when studying the brain. But what if researchers could use brain scanners on live rats so …
5 Things to Love About the New IB Psychology Curriculum
My natural disposition is to be a bit of a jumped up pr*#k who’s a bit too full of himself, so I’m trying to be more Jonathan Haidt and less Jordan Peterson these days. With this in mind, I recently went on a mental gratitude walk through the new guide and realised five things I love about it. #5: Learning …
Tips for Teaching Concepts in IB Psychology
Originally posted on MyIB forum and adapted here in case it helps. The biggest challenge facing IB Psychology students and teachers in the new curriculum is the introduction of the SIX CONCEPTS: change, measurement, perspective, causality, bias and responsibility. This adds a lot of research method content to an already content-rich course. So here are some ideas I’m playing with …
Does fluoride affect IQ?
You might have seen the debate about fluoride and IQ in the news recently. I didn’t know much about the subject, so I decided to spend a few hours deep diving into the research. Fluoride has been used since the 1930s to help protect teeth. It’s a mineral that strengthens tooth enamel reducing the chance of cavities. In many places, …
Travis Dixon’s New Textbook for the New IB Psych Curriculum: A Timeline
Thank you to everyone who has been posting and writing to me asking if I’ll be writing a new textbook for the new IB Psychology curriculum, due to published early 2025. The answer is: OF COURSE! With the new subject brief being published by the IB, it has allowed me to start writing (IB Psych Subject Brief). Northern hemisphere schools …
How to explain a psychological study
Whether it’s for an extended essay, a test or an exam, writing about psychological studies can be a challenging task. This post is designed to help you focus your attention and efforts so you can write the best explanations possible. We’ll begin by breaking down the studies and then look at some examples. The Short Answer 100-200 words Focus on …
The Working Memory Model (Baddeley and Hitch, 1974)- A Simple Summary
At first glance the working memory model can be very complicated and overwhelming. This post will break it down into four simple steps so you can understand it. Step One: What is “working memory?” Step Two: What are the “slave systems?” Step Three: What is the “central executive?” Step Four: What is the “episodic buffer?” The Working Memory Model 1. …
Key Theory & Studies: The empathy-altruism hypothesis (Batson et al. 1981 & 1982)An explanation of prosocial behaviour
Why do people help others? It’s a simple question but it intrigues psychologists because it doesn’t make sense evolutionarily speaking. In this post we look at one simple explanation: empathy. Why do we humans help one another when there’s nothing to be gained for ourselves? This seems to contradict what we know about evolutionary psychology – that we instinctively look …
Key study: Working memory and a dual task study on chess (Robbins et al. 1996)
Looking for a study that supports the working memory model? Here’s a good one. Working memory is the stuff we’re thinking about right now. The working memory model (WMM) was an elaboration of the multi-store model of memory (MSM) as it zooms in on the short-term store and explains how our short-term (working) memory actually works. If you can comprehend …