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 and most animals are euthanised at the end of the experiment. But what if researchers could use brain scanners on live rats so they didn’t have to kill them? That’s …
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. …
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 …
Example Essay: Research methods (case studies) in the biological approach
Essays on research methods and ethical considerations are the hardest to write in IB Psychology exams. Here is an example essay on the use of case studies in the biological approach. Notice how the essay has a good balance between explaining the method (central argument), using studies (supporting evidence) and explaining limitations (counter-arguments). Read More: Example Essay: Technological Techniques 10 …
Generalizability in Animal Studies: Cognition and Culture
Generalizability is the extent to which we can confidently predict the results of a study would apply to a different context, including different people, places, and procedures. When considering the extent to which we can generalize findings from animal studies, we are considering how confidently we could predict the same finding in humans. For example, animal studies like Sapolsky’s research …
Example SAQ – How agonists affect behaviour
The “additional terms” that have been added to Paper 1 SAQs in IB Psychology can be a nuisance. However, there are ways to address the potential questions without adding too much content to your course. This post shows you an example SAQ that uses Passamonti et al.’s study on neurotransmission for a potential answer on agonists and behaviour. An agonist …
Teenage pregnancy: an evolutionary explanation
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked with increased risks of developing a number of issues, including health problems (cancer, heart disease), psychological problems (addiction, depression) and sexual health issues (STDs, high-risk sexual behaviour and unwanted pregnancies). Studies have shown that teenage pregnancy is correlated with ACEs and there might be an evolutionary explanation for this link.¹ Most teenage pregnancies …
Biological Approach “Additional Terms”IB Psych Paper 1 Review
In the new IB Psychology guide they “clarified” their expectations by adding a number of new terms to the syllabus. For the biological approach, this has added significant content and quite a bit of confusion. This post aims to simplify the requirements and help you find the right studies for the right examples. You can get this post as a …
IB Psych Key Terms Quiz – THE BIOLOGICAL APPROACH
You can prepare for IB Psychology by asking three simple questions: What is…? How does…? …but…? The first question tests your knowledge, the second tests your deeper understanding of the topic and the third tests your critical thinking. The following quiz is designed to test your ability to answer the first question. (Scroll down for the answers) Read More Understanding IB …
Biological Approach: Key Terms Glossary
Knowing the meaning of key terms is one of the first steps in learning (and revising) any topic in Psychology. The following is a list of key terms and their definitions for the Biological Approach in IB Psychology. You can download a quiz to test your knowledge of these terms HERE. Glossary The biological approach to understanding human behavior: Trying …
Key Study: “The Sweaty T-shirt Study” (Wedekind et al. 1995)
Updated June, 2020 Can we smell someone’s genes? Not their trousers, but their genetics. The Swiss Biological Researcher Claus Wedekind and his colleagues conducted a famous study to see if our preference for smells is linked with our genetics. In other words, they wanted to see if we prefer the smell of someone who has genes that would be a …
MDMA and PTSDHow ecstacy (a serotonergic agonist) could help alleviate PTSD
Ecstasy has been a popular party drug since the 1980s. The active ingredient, MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine), can cause feelings of euphoria, increased empathy, enhanced sensations (e.g.; touch, sight, and auditory) and a positive mindset. Due to being categorized by the US’ Drug Enforcement Agency as Schedule 1 which is described as, “…substances, or chemicals…with no currently accepted medical use and a …
Agonists and Behaviour: PramipexoleDopamine agonists in the treatment of depression
An agonist is a chemical messenger that binds to the receptor sites of neurons and activates them to create a response. In this post, we’ll look at how the drug pramipexole is an agonist of the receptor sites for dopamine. Since dopamine has been linked to depression, we can also understand why this might be another option for treatment. Depression …
Posts You May Have Missed…
We’ve been doing some upgrading to our blog. In this time, you may not have been getting the email alerts of new posts. Here they are just in case. Synaptic Pruning and Neural Networks Synaptic pruning (aka neural pruning) helps the formation of neural networks. In this post we’ll look to understand the terms “synaptic pruning” and “neural networks.” We’ll …
Ketamine and PTSDHow an antagonist of glutamate may help treat PTSD
Agonists and antagonists are chemical messengers that affect the process of neurotransmission. They bind to specific receptor sites of neurotransmitters and this can affect brain function and behaviour. Ketamine is one antagonists of the receptor sites of the neurotransmitter, glutamate. In this post we’ll learn more about antagonists, how they work, how ketamine may help PTSD and a key study …
Ketamine: An antagonist used in the treatment of depression
Ketamine is the newest drug in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). But how does it work? In this post, we’ll look at how ketamine is an antagonist of the neurotransmitter glutamate and why this can help fight depression. For years serotonin has been the main focus of causes and cures for depression. As low levels of serotonin and …
Synaptic Pruning and Neural Networks
Synaptic pruning (aka neural pruning)¹ helps the formation of neural networks. In this post we’ll look to understand the terms “synaptic pruning” and “neural networks.” We’ll also look at how synaptic pruning can help the formation of neural networks. What is a “neural network?” A “neural network” is a series of connected neurons. Information travels along these networks that enable …
Exam Answer: Localization Short Answer QuestionAn example SAQ following a simple 7-step format
Recently I wrote a post about how to write better short answer responses (SAQs) in 7 simple steps for IB Psych’ Paper 1 and this video explains the same. But the only reason I am able to explain these frameworks with confidence is because I’ve written 100s of examples. Here’s one I’ll share with you. The example SAQ below is …
Exam Question Bank: Paper 1: Biological Approach
Paper One has two sections – A and B. In Section A you have three compulsory short answer questions, one from each approach (biological, cognitive and sociocultural). In Section B, you have three exam questions, also one from each approach and you answer only one. This means you should prep all core approach topics for SAQs and you can choose one …
Exam Question Bank: HL Extension Bio – Animal Studies
One, two or all three essay questions in Paper 1, Section B will be based on the extension topics. Biological Approach: Animal Research Remember that the extension questions are created by combining the HL extension topics with the three topics in each of the approaches. Biological extension topics: “The role of animal research in understanding human behaviour” The value of …
Key Study: Childhood stress and its effects on serotonin (an animal experiment), (Gardner et al. 2009)
This animal experiment by Gardner et al. (2009) could explain links between stress early in life when we’re kids and our behaviour as adults. The use of rats in this study allows the researchers to manipulate and measure IVs and DVs in ways that would be impossible in human subjects. The study provides possible explanations for why early life stress …
Key Study: Evolution of Gender Differences in Sexual Behaviour (Clark and Hatfield, 1989)
If a man sleeps with lots of women he’s a “stud” but if a woman does it she’s a “slut.” By why does this societal double-standard exist and are men really more promiscuous than women? Clark and Hatfield’s classic study might be able to give us some answers to these questions. Background Information The perception exists in society that men …
Key Study: The Minnesota Twin Study of Twins Reared Apart
Understanding how and why twin studies are used is an important topic in biological psychology because they can give us important insights into the extent to which our behaviour is nature (genetics) or nurture. Context Is our behaviour a product of nature or nurture? In other words, are we born the way we are, or have we become this way …
fMRI: An important technological technique used to study the brain
The invention of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has rapidly advanced our knowledge and understanding of the human brain. In the IB Psychology course, fMRIs are a good example of a “technique used to study the brain in relation to behaviour.” Background Information fMRIs are a modification of a regular MRI machine. Whereas MRIs simply show the structure of the …