“No two people read the same novel or watch the same movie.” This is one of my favourite sayings as an English teacher. It conveys the simple fact that our interpretations of stories are based on our personalities, our experiences, our biases, our schemas. While this might be common knowledge now, in the 1970s it was being slowly revealed through …
Key Study: The Office Schema Study (Brewer and Treyens, 1981)
Our life’s memories are filed away in our long-term memory and our mind categories these into clusters, which we call schema. These schema then affect how we process new information and remember old information. At least, these are the claims of schema theory. In this post we’ll look at how these claims are supported by a classic study. Because of …
How to “explain additional ethical considerations that could be taken into account when applying the findings.”
The following has been adapted from our IB revision textbook, now available as an online textbook. IB Psychology’s Paper 3 will have a question on ethical considerations. One of these questions asks you to “describe the ethical considerations in reporting the results…” This is comparatively easy to the second part of this question, “…and explain additional ethical considerations that could …
How to “describe the ethical considerations in reporting the results” in Paper 3
The following has been adapted from our IB revision textbook, now available as an online textbook. IB Psychology’s Paper 3 will have a question on ethical considerations. One of these questions asks you to “describe the ethical considerations in reporting the results” of the study summarized in the stimulus material. Let’s look at how you can score full marks (3/3) …
How to “explain if further considerations could be applied” in Paper 3.
The following has been adapted from our IB revision textbook, now available as an online textbook. In the new IB Psychology Paper 3, you may be asked to describe the ethical considerations that were applied in the study and “explain if further considerations could be applied.” This question is a little misleading, so let’s look at how you can score …
How to “describe the ethical considerations that were applied in the study.”
The following has been adapted from our IB revision textbook, now available as an online textbook. In the new IB Psychology Paper 3, you may be asked to “describe the ethical considerations that were applied in the study.” This post explains how. The most important thing to know about Question 2 in Paper 3 is that it’s worth 6 marks …
Should you study with music?
I was 16 and studying for my big exams. I sat down at my desk and read a brochure my mum gave me. The first line said, “Turn off your music. Stop kidding yourself, you don’t study any better with it on!” I did and it helped. But were they right? As always in psychology, we have to ask ourselves …
Applications of the working memory model (Baddeley and Hitch, 1974)
Theories and models in psychology can be evaluated based on their empirical evidence and their validity in explaining and predicting human behaviour. But they can also be judged on their productiveness – the extent to which they’ve inspired and provoked further research and applications in various fields. In this post, we’ll look at the various contributions the WMM has made …
Memory Effects & The Working Memory Model
Want to improve your memory? The secret is to understand your working memory. In this post, we’ll review some factors that can reduce memory and then explain these using Baddeley and Hitch’s working memory model. The Articulatory Suppression Effect The articulatory suppression effect happens when memory decreases because researchers block (suppress) someone’s ability to rehearse (articulate) information they’re trying to remember. …
How to answer Paper 3, Question 1 (a, b & c)
The following has been adapted from our textbook “IB Psychology: A Revision Guide.” (Now available as an online textbook). All HL students should score 100% (9/9) for the first questions in Paper 3 because it’s so easy. But most don’t because they make basic mistakes. Let’s look at the best and simplest way to answer these three questions. We know …
Four things you didn’t know about the multi-store model of memory
It’s in all the textbooks and every introduction to psychology course, but here are some things you didn’t know about Atkinson and Shiffrin’s multi-store model of memory. #1. There’s a store within the store The short-term store is where we temporarily hold information in our working memory. If it’s rehearsed enough it will transfer to the long-term store. But did …
Limitations of the multi-store model of memory (Atkinson and Shiffrin, 1968)
Atkinson and Shiffrin’s MSM is over 50 years old yet it’s still in every introduction to Psychology textbook and still influences modern psychologists. But it’s not without its critics. This post will examine some of their critiques. Because the MSM was so popular, it received a lot of criticism. But “…criticism could itself be viewed as a success, given the …
Key Study: Levels of Processing (Craik and Tulving, 1975)
Background Information The multi-store model of memory (MSM), while straightforward, seemingly common sense, and with plenty of empirical support, is not without its limitations. Do you really need to pay attention to, and rehearse, all sensory information in order for it to be transferred to your long-term memory? Take, for instance, experiences of traumatic or emotionally shocking events (e.g. Flashbulb …
The multi-store model of memory (Atkinson and Shiffrin, 1968)
50 years later and Atkinson and Shiffrin’s multi-store model of memory (aka the modal model) is still relevant today. This post summarizes the model in more detail than most introductory Psychology textbooks, which will give you the chance to distinguish your explanations from the rest. Background The multi-store model of memory (the MSM) is a product of the cognitive revolution …
MUST READ: IB Psych IAs are now marked differently
The first rule of IB examining is don’t talk about IB examining. I have broken this rule before by sharing valuable information with everyone (on the IB platform) and was kicked off marking. Watch video. I’ve waited patiently to see if the shocking change in the IB’s marking of IAs was reported in this year’s subject reports. It was so …
The answer to every question in psychology
I’m about to tell you the answer to every essay question in IB Psychology. It’s a simple two word answer. WARNING: you’re probably not going to like the answer. It may frustrate or disappoint you. You might think this is useless and no help whatsoever. If that’s your reaction, then you’re not ready for the IB Psychology exams. Or at …
The Prefrontal Cortex and Stress
The following information didn’t quite make the final cut of our new eBook: “Stress: A Student’s Guide to IB Health Psychology.” The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is important in stress because it’s connected with the amygdala through numerous neural networks. The PFC can increase or decrease amygdala activity depending on the thoughts generated by the PFC (i.e. how threatening we think …
Key study: Subjective social status and stress (Steen et al. 2020)
The following is adapted from our latest book for IB Health Psychology about Stress. Social status is correlated with numerous physical and mental health problems, including stress. Socioeconomic status (SES) is the most commonly studied and it’s a type of social status measured by income, education, and employment. However, when studying stress and teenagers subjective social status might be more relevant. This …
Exam Wheel of Fortune: IB Health Psychology
Click the wheel to get a practice question for IB Health Psychology. Use this for quick review by writing down the example/s and studies you would use if this came up in an exam.
Key Studies: Workplace stress, status and the Whitehall Studies
This material was in the first draft of “Stress: A Student’s Guide to IB Health Psychology.” It was removed from the final edition in favour of studies about teenagers. The information is here instead as extra optional content for extended and/or interested students. Executive Stress Syndrome Hypothesis In the 1950s and 1960s, psychologists thought that high-ranking individuals had higher stress. …
How stress can kill: The HPA Axis & Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
This material was in the first draft of “Stress: A Student’s Guide to IB Health Psychology.” It was removed from the final edition and the information is here instead as extra optional content for extended and/or interested students. What is stress? In laboratory experiments stress can also be measured in multiple ways, including physiological responses to the Trier Social Stress …
Wheel of Fortune: Biological Approach Exam Questions
Click the “Wheel of IB Psych Exam Fortune” below to generate a random SAQ for the Biological approach. Scroll down to see some possible uses for this wheel. Ways to use this wheel: Find an SAQ to practice writing exam answers. Click the wheel and say the study you would use for the question. Check your notes to make sure …
Key study: Subjective social status and stress in teenagers (Rahal et al. 2019)
Social status is an important predictor of numerous mental and physical health problems. Generally speaking, the lower your social status, the more at risk you are for developing health problems, like chronic stress and heart disease. While socioeconomic status has been extensively researched, more modern studies are focusing on subjective social status. This is particularly relevant for understanding stress in teenagers. …
Example Exam Essay: Prevalence rates of one health problem (IB Health Psychology)
Discussing “prevalence rates” is easy when you’re writing about psychological disorders. That’s because these disorders have standardized diagnoses. You can calculate a specific % of the population who have depression, for example, and that is your “prevalence rate.” It might be more difficult in Health Psychology. For some health problems the same is true. Obesity, cardiovascular disease and addiction are …
Cognitive explanations of one health problem: Appraisals and stress
The following content is adapted from our eBook Stress: A Student’s Guide for IB Health Psychology. Stress is one health problem that students could explain for IB Psychology’s Paper Two. In this post we’ll look at the most common cognitive explanation of stress – cognitive appraisals. Humans are different from other animals in that stress can be caused completely by …