Psychology

Group 3

Course outline

Students opting to study the IB programme will study Psychology in group 3 (Individuals and Societies). We will study the influence of biological, cognitive and sociocultural factors on behaviour.

The aim of the Psychology course is to encourage students to develop a sense of wonder about how the behaviour of other people can be explained using psychological theories. By examining research that relates to everyday issues and events, students will naturally become curious about themselves and the world they live in.

Psychology students will gain a knowledge and understanding of scientific methods and the theoretical underpinnings of the research. Students will develop their critical thinking skills by learning to analyse, interpret and evaluate scientific information gained from research.

Practical skills will be developed when students design and conduct their own research, find relevant sources to support their hypotheses, and present their findings in a report format. Students will become proficient at presenting their findings using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Students will develop an awareness of the cultural differences in behaviour when we explore multi-cultural research from individualistic and collectivistic cultures.

Core

• The biological approach to understanding human behaviour.

• The cognitive approach to understanding human behaviour.

• The sociocultural approach to understanding human behaviour.

Research methods

Simple experimental study (SL/HL) Internal assessment Options

• Abnormal psychology

• Psychology of human relationships (HL only)

Standard Level is assessed as follows:

Paper 1 (50%) 2 hours. Section A: three short answer questions on the core approaches (27 marks) Section B: one essay from a choice of three on the core approaches (22 marks)

Paper 2 (25%) 1 hour. One question from a choice of three on one option (22 marks)

Internal assessment (25%) A report on an experimental study conducted by the student (22 marks)

Higher Level is assessed as follows:

Paper 1 (40%) 2 hours Section A: three short answer questions on the core approaches (27 marks) Section B: one essay from a choice of three on the core approaches (22 marks)

Paper 2 (20%) 2 hours Two questions from a choice of three on one option (22 marks each) - Total 44 marks

Paper 3 (20%) 1 hour Three short-answer questions form a list of six static questions on approaches to research (24 marks)

Internal assessment - 20%

A report on an experimental study conducted by the student (22 marks)