IB Psychology Exam Review
IB Exam Study Resources
Biological Approach Short Answer (SAQ) and Essay Response (ERQ) Guide
Listed below are the possible Biological Approach question topics for Paper 1
Research methods in biological research
- SAQs will use lower level command terms and one study for support
- ERQs will use higher level command terms and two studies for support
- Samples of each essay are available on the Writing Samples: Biological page of the InThinking website
Research methods in biological research
- Experiments: Newcomer (1999)
- Case study: Milner (1966) HM
- Deception: Newcomer (1999) - placebos
- Informed consent: Milner (1966).
- MRI: Maguire (1997)
- fMRI: Sharot (2007)
- Milner (1966) hippocampus
- Maguire (1997) posterior vs anterior hippocampus
- Maguire (1997)
- Rosenzweig, Bennet and Diamond (1972)
- Draganski (2004)
- Rogers and Kesner (2003)
- Trostser and Beatty (1989)
- Antonova (2011)
- McGaugh and Cahill (1995) - adrenaline
- Newcomer (1999) - cortisol
- Wedekind (1995)
- Zhou et al (2014)
- Kendler et al (2006)
- Caspi et al (2003)
- Gangestad and Buss (1993)
- Wedekind (1995)
Cognitive Approach Short Answer (SAQ) and Essay Response (ERQ) Guide
Listed below are the possible Cognitive Approach question topics for Paper 1
Research methods in cognitive research
Ethics in cognitive research
Memory models
Schema theory
Thinking and decision making
Reconstructive memory
Flashbulb memory
- SAQs will use lower level command terms and one study for support
- ERQs will use higher level command terms and two studies for support
- Samples of each essay are available on the Writing Samples: Cognitive page of the InThinking website
Research methods in cognitive research
- Experiments: Loftus & Palmer (1974)
- Questionnaires: Brown & Kulik (1977)
Ethics in cognitive research
- Deception: Loftus & Pickerell (1995)
- informed consent: any study
Memory models
- Multi-Store Model: HM (1966)
- Glanzer & Cunitz (1966)
Schema theory
- Bartlett (1932)
- Loftus & Palmer (1974)
Thinking and decision making
- Dual Process Model: Evans & Wason
- Englich and Mussweiler (2001)
Reconstructive memory
- Bartlett (1932)
- Brewer & Treyens (1981)
Flashbulb memory
- Brown & Kulik (1977)
- Sharot et al (2007)
Sociocultural Approach Short Answer (SAQ) and Essay Response (ERQ) Guide
Listed below are the possible Sociocultural Approach question topics for Paper 1
Ethics of sociocultural approach
Research methods in sociocultural research
Social Identity Theory
Social Cognitive (Learning) Theory
Stereotypes
Cultural dimensions
Effect of culture on behavior
Effect of culture on cognition
Enculturation
Acculturation
- SAQs will use lower level command terms and one study for support
- ERQs will use higher level command terms and two studies for support
- Samples of each essay are available on the Writing Samples: Sociocultural page of the InThinking website
Ethics of sociocultural approach
- Deception: Asch, Berry
- Undue stress or harm: Asch, Bandura.
Research methods in sociocultural research
- Experiments: Abrams et al (lab); Joy et al (natural)
- Interviews: Lueck and Wilson (semi-structured)
Social Identity Theory
- Tajfel
- Abrams et al
Social Cognitive (Learning) Theory
- Bandura et al
- Joy et al
Stereotypes
- Focus on memory distortion
- Martin & Halvorson
- Payne
Cultural dimensions
- Individualism vs. collectivism: Berry (conformity)
- Kulkoffksy (Flashbulb memory)
Effect of culture on behavior
- Berry on conformity
- Kulkoffsky on flashbulb memory
Effect of culture on cognition
- Kulkoffsky
- Cole & Scribner
- Kearins
Enculturation
- Focus on gender roles
- Fagot
- Williams
- Martin & Halvorson
Acculturation
- Lueck and Wilson
- Miranda and Matheny
Abnormal Psychology Essay Response (ERQ) Study Guide
Listed below are the possible Abnormal Psychology question topics for Paper 2
- There will be ERQs will use higher level command terms and two studies for support
- Samples of each essay are available on the Writing Samples: Sociocultural page of the InThinking website
- Defining normality
- Classification systems
- Validity and reliability
- Biases in diagnosis
- Ethics in diagnosis
- Biological etiology of MDD
- Cognitive etiology of MDD
- Sociocultural etiology of MDD
- Prevalence of disorders
- Biological treatments of MDD
- Psychological treatments
- Culture and treatment
- Effectiveness of treatment