Disclaimer: These questions are not IB “official” questions and are written with our best guess as to what the probable exam questions may look like. Therefore, not every possible question is covered. READ MORE IB Psychology Exam Question Banks Paper 1: Biological approach (Link) Paper 1: Sociocultural approach (Link) Paper 1: HL Ext Bio Animal Studies (Link) Paper 1: HL Ext …
Cell phones at the dinner table – a qualitative observation (Radesky et al.)
Mobile phones are everywhere and they are consuming more and more of our time. Could this be having an effect on family life? The researchers who conducted this study wanted to investigate how cell phones might influence the interactions of parents and children. The researchers used a nonparticipant, covert observational method by watching a total of 55 caregivers eating with …
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 SocCult – Globalization
One, two or all three essay questions in Paper 1, Section B will be based on the extension topics. Sociocultural Approach: Globalization Remember that the extension questions are created by combining the HL extension topics with the three topics in each of the approaches. Sociocultural extension topics: “The influence of globalization on individual behaviour.” How globalization may influence behaviour The …
Exam Question Bank: HL Extension Cog – Technology & Cognition
One, two or all three essay questions in Paper 1, Section B will be based on the extension topics. Cognitive Approach: Technology and Cognition Remember that the extension questions are created by combining the HL extension topics with the three topics in each of the approaches. Cognitive extension topics: “Cognitive processing in the digital world.” The influence of digital technology …
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 …
NEW Revision Textbook: FREE Preview Now Available
Our brand new revision book contains all the material students need to ace their IB Psychology exams. It takes the content from IB Psychology: A Student’s Guide and condenses it to a format suitable for fast, effective revision. DOWNLOAD FREE PREVIEW HERE! Delivery: 2 to 4 weeks (often much earlier, especially in Asia/Australasia) Supplements: IB Psychology – A Student’s Guide. Contents*: Introduction Biological Approach …
Exam Tips: How to write a research methods essay
Updated Feb 2021 One of the most difficult of the five types of exam questions to write about in IB Psychology is research methods. Like most other essay questions, students tend to focus on studies and miss other important aspects of the essay. In this post, I offer my best tips for how to write an excellent essay on research …
“IB Psychology: A Revision Guide” Book Now Shipping!
I’m so pleased to announce that our second textbook, IB Psychology: A Revision Guide (AVAILABLE HERE!), is now shipping and our first pre-orderers can expect their copies in the mail any day now, if they haven’t already got them. This book takes all the content from our first textbook (A Student’s Guide – here) and condenses it into 180 pages. Here are …
Essay Advice: Reconstructive Memory
Recently my class worked on a take-home essay with the question, “Discuss research memory, making referencing to one or more studies.” When reading and giving feedback on their essays, I found myself making similar comments – and the same ones I’ve been making for ten years. So here’s some advice that might help you avoid the same mistakes. Before we …
Lesson Idea: Sampling Methods – Practice for Paper 3
For IB Psychology Paper 3, students need to know the following five sampling methods: Opportunity/convenience Random Self-selected/volunteer Snowball Purposive The stimulus material (summary of a study) that you are given in the exam may or may not state the sampling method used. Therefore, you need to be prepared to identify the method used based on the summary of how the …
Essay Writing Advice: Do we need a counter-argument in every essay?
Do we need a counter-argument in every essay? This is a common question that has different answers depending on who you ask, so I want to make my position on this question very clear. In my advice to students I say that yes, they should have a counter-argument in every essay. In fact, they should aim for three counter-arguments to show …
Exam Review Tip: How to create hard copy flash cards using quizlet
Did you know you can use quizlet to create print flashcards? I just learned this now. Here’s how to do it… Create your study list on quizlet Open the study set and hit the “Print” button Choose your lay-out (I recommend large and double-sided printing) and it “Open PDF” You’re now ready to print, paste and cut. Here’s a …
Exam tips for writing about research methods and ethics
In this blog post I’ve written about how to use the D.E.A.L framework to evaluate and write essays about theories and models in psychology. If you find this helpful, you can also apply the same acronym to writing about research methods and ethics. Let’s recap what D.E.A.L stands for when writing about theories and studies: D: Describe the theory/model/study E: …
Practice Paper 3 – Observation of Hospitals – EXAMPLE ANSWERS
The following are some sample answers to THIS PRACTICE PAPER THREE. Paper Three: Example Answers The following are example answers to the practice three paper found on pg. 1.(a) Identify the research method used and outline two characteristics of the method. Method = covert participant observation Observations in qualitative studies like this one tend to happen in naturalistic environments, like hospitals. …
Practice Paper 3 – Observation of Hospitals – MARK SCHEME
The following is a mark scheme to be used as a guide when marking answers to THIS PRACTICE PAPER THREE. 1.(a) Identify the research method used and outline two characteristics of the method. Method = covert participant observation (1 mark) participant observations involve the researcher becoming a member of the group they’re being observed (in this case they were a …
Practice Paper 3 – Observation of Hospitals
The following is a summary of a study that can be used for practice when preparing for the new Paper 3. You have one hour and need to answer all five questions. The stimulus material below is based on a research article. People living in poverty find it difficult to access health care resources (e.g. medical treatment, Doctor’s appointments, vaccinations, …
Paper 1 Review Activity
The review document linked below could be used at many different times in the course. I have just had my first lesson in Year 2 of my course and so I used it to review what we’ve done in Year 1. Download the Paper 1 Review Documents HERE! Group Review Idea I created mixed groups of 3 students and passed …
Essay Writing Tips: Three Rules of Three
If you’re learning how to write essays in IB Psychology or looking for good tips to pass on to your students, I would suggest the following “Three Rules of Threes.” #1: Three Parts to an Essay Every good essay has three parts (excluding the introductions and conclusions): Central argument/s Supporting Evidence Counter argument/s The central argument is where you address …
Free flashcard maker
When it comes to revising for tests and exams, it’s hard to go past flashcards as an excellent way to review. While digital versions, such as quizlet, have their benefits, I personally have always preferred to have hard-copies in my hands. But who has the time to spend hours and hours writing out flashcards? What if you’ve got messy handwriting? …
How to go beyond “describing” and into “application” of studies
One of the most common mistakes IB Psychology students make is they don’t explain studies, i.e. they don’t apply the study to show how the study is relevant to the question. Instead, students summarize aims, methods and results and that’s it. This is description. What’s missing? An applied conclusion. Describing a study = summarizing aims methods conclusions Explaining a study = summary …
7 exam tips for evaluating studies
When you’re preparing for your exams and you’re aiming for a 7, here are some tips that will help you study smarter, not harder. Tip #1: Ignore internal validity, including… Hawthorne effect Screw you effect Demand characteristics Participant expectancy effect I think you should avoid focusing on internal validity factors when you’re trying to explain limitations. Why? Here are a …
Paper 3 Review Pack Now Ready!
Download FREE preview here! The pack contains everything you need to get a 7 in Paper Three. Example answers (with examiner comments) Practice papers Key terms glossary Explanation of all learning outcomes Tips on how to write exam questions Don’t let Paper Three bring you down!!! Paper Three is the one that most IB Psychology students struggle with and it …
How do you “explain the problem/issue” in essay introductions?
In the new IB Psychology curriculum, students have to “explain the problem/issue raised in the question” to get 2 marks for their essays (Paper 1, Part B and Paper 2). But what does this mean and how do you do it? In this post, I’ll explain what I think it means and will show a simple framework for how students …
Tips for writing “Discuss research related to…” essays
In the new IB Psychology syllabus it’s fair to anticipate numerous questions that will require students to discuss research related to particular topics. This will be especially true in the options. Here are some possible questions: Discuss research related to neuroplasticity. Discuss research related to attachment. Discuss research related to bystanderism. You can find an example essay here: Sample Essay from …