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 …
Can you bench-press your way out of depression?The relationship between strength and depressive symptoms.
The common explanation for increased rates of depression for boys and men is because they’re unwilling to seek help and talk about their feelings. Personally, I have my doubts about this explanation. An alternative explanation is that men are becoming physically weaker, and this is leading to the psychological problems. But what does the research say? Before we get to …
The Warrior / Worrier HypothesisA biological explanation of stress
The following is adapted from our textbook, Stress: A Student’s Guide for IB Health Psychology. Are some people naturally more stressed than others? The Warrior / Worrier hypothesis says yes. This theory identifies the specific gene that explains stress levels. The Basic Theory How do genes affect stress? How you respond to stress could be based on your COMT gene. …
#1 Best Study Tip for IB Psych: Write Things Down
Only 3% of IB Psychologists will get a 7. That means if your goal is a 7, you need to be working harder than 97% of all other IB Psychologists. Are you? If you’ve read the other 9 exam tips, you might be. Following this final tip could be the decider. In my experience, there seems to be one factor …
#2 Best Study Tip for IB Psych: Use Flashcards
Flashcards are the most effective way for remembering lots of information. That’s why it’s important to use them when studying for your exams. They’re great for things like key terms, studies and theories. You could use digital apps like Quizlet or make hard copies. If hard copy, you could use the Leitner System or the Three Pile System. How good …
#4 Best Study Tip for IB Psych: Match Topics with Studies
Only 3% of IB Psychology students get 7s. There’s very little room for error if you’re aiming for top marks. The biggest error I see some students making is using the wrong studies. For example, the question might ask about social identity theory and someone writes about Bandura’s bobo doll study, or about Loftus and Palmer’s car crash study on …
#3 Best Study Tip for IB Psych: Focus on Results
While psychological studies aren’t the only part of the IB Psychology exams, they’re very important. So make sure you’re focusing on the right thing. Some students spend all their efforts revising the aims and procedures of the experiments but miss the most important part – the results. By exam day you should be ready to write about 100-150 words on …
#5 Best Study Tip for IB Psych: Ignore Command Terms
This tip is sure to cause a stir amongst some IB teachers as the command terms are like IB Gospel. In my early years of teaching I thought so, too. I had these plastered around the wall and thought they were the most important thing to know about the IB Psychology exams. However, over the years I’ve realised that they’re …
#6 Best Study Tip for IB Psych: Write Plans, Not Essays
A popular but silly strategy for IB Psych exams is to pre-write essay answers for every.single.question and then try to memorise them. Worse yet, downloading or buying existing essays and trying to memorise them. This is much, much harder than planning your own revision strategy. A much better strategy, imho, is to write plans for each topic. Don’t worry about …
#7 Best Study Tip for IB Psych: 5 Minute Practice Exams
Practice makes permanent. The only problem is that the IB Psych exams are 3-5 hours long, so they’re very difficult to practise. There are also over 50 different topics to study, but only a few will be asked on the exam. So while it might be great doing a couple of practice exams, including your school’s mocks, it’s not good …