IB Psychology

This Wikibook is for the old syllabus, until it has been updated please refer to links below for the new 2011 syllabus

IB Psych Revision Blog for 2011 syllabus

Crane's Edublog

taken from IB Wikipedia Page:

The IB syllabus in psychology contains four main parts. The first part is concerned with the perspectives, the second part with the options, the third part with research methodology and finally all students have to carry out their own experimental study. There are three main perspectives, the biological, the cognitive and the learning. In addition to that higher level students also study the humanistic perspective. The options include comparative psychology, cultural psychology, psychology of dysfunctional behavior, health psychology, developmental psychology, sport psychology, human relationships, lifespan psychology, psychodynamic psychology and social psychology. Students at higher level study two options whereas standard level students study only one.

Each of the perspectives should be explored using the following four compulsory topics:
 * development and cultural contexts
 * framework
 * methodologies
 * application.

The aims of the psychology course at HL and at SL are to:
 * interpret and/or conduct psychological research to apply the resulting knowledge for the benefit of human beings
 * ensure that ethical practices and responsibilities are implemented in psychological inquiry
 * develop an understanding of the biological, social and cultural influences on human behavior
 * develop an understanding of different theoretical processes that are used to interpret behavior, and to be aware of how these processes lead to the construction and evaluation of psychological theories
 * develop an awareness of how applications of psychology in everyday life are derived from psychological theories
 * develop an appreciation of the eclectic nature of psychology
 * understand and/or use diverse methods of psychological inquiry.

First, students must choose an experiment to replicate. When conducting the experiment, the IB demands that certain ethical guidelines be followed.[4] After the experiment has been completed, a written report must be produced detailing the experiment. The external assessment, which is administered in May or November, is the second component of the IB Psychology SL exam. The test is divided into two parts, which are referred to as "papers". Using the internal and external assessment, the IB calculates a grade value of one through seven. A score of four is considered passing; a score of seven is considered outstanding.

Table of Contents

 * Biological Level
 * Cognitive Level
 * Sociocultural Level