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PsychologySubjectGuide,

FirstExaminations2019

ANATOLIACOLLEGE,IBDP

RevisedJune2018

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1.Natureofthesubject..........................................................................................3

2.Aimsandassessmentobjectives.........................................................................3

3.Subjectoutline....................................................................................................5

4.Priorlearning......................................................................................................7

5.PsychologyandtheIBLearnerProfile.................................................................7

6.PsychologyandCoreComponents......................................................................8

7.Coursestructureandplanning............................................................................9

8.Assessment.......................................................................................................13

9.AcademicHonesty............................................................................................14

Appendix1:Syllabusdetails.................................................................................15

Appendix2:Assessmentdetails............................................................................16

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1.Natureofthesubject

Psychology is the systematic study of behaviour andmental processes. Psychology has its roots inboth the natural and social sciences, leading to a variety of research designs and applications, andproviding a unique approach to understanding modern society. IB psychology examines theinteractionofbiological,cognitiveandsocioculturalinfluencesonhumanbehaviour,therebyadoptingan integrative and multidisciplinary approach. Understanding how psychological knowledge isgenerated,developedandappliedenablesstudentstoachieveagreaterunderstandingofthemselvesandappreciatethediversityofhumanbehaviour.TheethicalconcernsraisedbythemethodologyandapplicationofpsychologicalresearcharekeyconsiderationsinIBpsychology.

2.Aimsandassessmentobjectives Aims TheaimsofthepsychologycourseatSLandatHLareto:

• Developanawarenessofhowpsychologicalresearchcanbeappliedforthebenefitofhumanbeings

• Ensurethatethicalpracticesareupheldinpsychologicalinquiry

• Developanunderstandingof thebiological, cognitiveandsociocultural influencesonhumanbehavior

• Developanunderstandingofalternativeexplanationsofbehavior

• Critically evaluate alternative explanations of behavior and apply them on specific behaviorareas

• Appreciateculturaldiversityanddevelopinternational-mindedness

• Understandandusediversemethodsofpsychologicalinquiry

• Understandmethodological,culturalandgenderconsiderationsofpsychologicalinquiry

• Ensurethatethicalpracticesareupheldinallpsychologicalinquiryanddiscussion

• Tolerateuncertainty.

AssessmentObjectives

HavingfollowedthepsychologycourseatSLoratHL,studentswillbeexpectedtodemonstratethefollowing.

1. Knowledgeandcomprehensionofspecifiedcontent

• Demonstrateknowledgeandcomprehensionofkeytermsandconceptsinpsychology• Demonstrateknowledgeandcomprehensionofresearchmethodsusedinpsychology• Demonstrateknowledgeandcomprehensionofarangeofpsychologicaltheoriesandresearch

studies• Demonstrateknowledgeandcomprehensionofthebiological,cognitiveandsociocultural

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approachestomentalprocessesandbehavior• DemonstrateknowledgeandcomprehensionofoneoptionatSLortwooptionsatHL

2. Applicationandanalysis

• Demonstrateanabilitytouseexamplesofpsychologicalresearchandpsychologicalconceptstoformulateanargumentinresponsetoaspecificquestion

• Demonstrateapplicationandanalysisofarangeofpsychologicaltheoriesandresearchstudies• Demonstrateapplicationandanalysisoftheknowledgerelevanttoareasofappliedpsychology• AtHLonly,analysequalitativeandquantitativeresearchinpsychology.

3. Synthesisandevaluation

• Evaluatethecontributionofpsychologicaltheoriestounderstandinghumanpsychology• Evaluatethecontributionofresearchtounderstandinghumanpsychology• Evaluatethecontributionofthetheoriesandresearchinareasofappliedpsychology• AtHLonly,evaluateresearchscenariosfromamethodologicalandethicalperspective.

4. Selectionanduseofskillsappropriatetopsychology

• Demonstrate the acquisition of skills required for experimental design, data collection andpresentation, data analysis and the evaluation of a simple experiment while demonstratingethicalpractice

• Work in a group to design a method for a simple experimental investigation, organize theinvestigationandrecordtherequireddataforasimpleexperiment

• Writeareportofasimpleexperiment.

DistinctionbetweenSLandHL

SLstudentsattend4hoursofpsychologyperweek,whereasHLstudentsattend6hoursperweek.

BothSLandHLstudentsareassessedonthesyllabuscore(levelsofanalysis)inpaper1.

ThefollowingextensiontothecoreapproachesarestudiedatHLonly:

• Theroleofanimalresearchinunderstandinghumanbehavior

• Cognitiveprocessinginthedigitalworld

• Theinfluenceofglobalizationonindividualattitudes,identitiesandbehaviour.

Inaddition:

• SL students are assessed on one option in Paper 2, whereas HL students are assessed on twooptions;

• HL students are assessed on their knowledge and comprehension of qualitative and quantitativeresearchmethodologyinPaper3;

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3.SubjectoutlineTheCore:

a.TheBiologicallevelofanalysis

It examines the physiological aspects of psychological phenomena. Our cognitions, emotions andbehavioursareproductsoftheanatomyandphysiologyofournervousandendocrinesystems.Theemphasis is on the interrelation between biological and psychological factors in the formation ofbehaviour. For example, it studies the effect of neurotransmitters and hormones on behavior, thelocalizationoffunction,geneticexplanationsofbehavior,neuroplasticityetc.

b.TheCognitivelevelofanalysis

It studies in depth various cognitive processes such as memory, thinking and decision making,cognitivedissonance,artificialintelligence,etc.

Cognitive psychology adopts the information processing model and applies it on human cognitiveprocesses.Itrepresentsavastarrayofresearchareasinpsychologyincludingcognitivepsychology,cognitivescience,cognitiveneuropsychologyandcognitiveneuroscience.Cognitivepsychologistsusetraditional research methods (for example, experiments and verbal protocols) but there is anincreasingfocusontheuseofmoderntechnology.Examplesoftopicsofinvestigationincludeschemaprocessing, the extent towhichmemoryor other cognitiveprocesses are reliable, the interrelationbetweencognitiveprocessesandemotionetc.

c.TheSocioculturallevelofanalysis

At the third level of analysis, the biological and cognitive systems thatmake up the individual areembedded in an even larger system of interrelationships with other individuals. The socioculturalapproach investigates the role of social and cultural influences in shaping human behavior. Someareas of investigation under Socialcultural psychology include social influence, that is, how thepresence and behaviour of one or a few people affect the behaviour and attitudes of anotherindividual, social identity theory, that is, how one understands himself/herself in relation to othergroups, social cognitive theory, stereotypes etc. This level of analysis explores also how culturalnorms and cultural dimensions affect human behavior. Social and cultural psychologists applyquantitativeandqualitativeresearchmethodstoinvestigatecomplexsocialbehaviours.

Thereisageneralconsensusinthedisciplineofpsychologythatasynthesisofthebiological,cognitiveandsocioculturallevelsofanalysisholdsoutthegreatestpromiseofbringingusclosertothegoalofmore fully understanding the nature of the complex interacting systems thatmake up the humanbeing.

TheOptionsThereisalsoanin-depthstudyofone(forstandardlevel)ortwo(forhigherlevel)areasofthefieldofpsychology.Theoptionsthatareusuallycoveredare:

a) Abnormal Psychology (SL & HL): Abnormal psychology focuses on diagnosing, explaining andsupportingindividualsexperiencingpsychologicaldisorders.Thisoptionbeginswithaconsiderationof normal and abnormal behaviour. An understanding of issues related to diagnosis provides aframeworkforthesubsequentstudyofdisordersandtherapeuticapproaches.

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Bystudyingoneormorepsychologicaldisorders,studentsareencouragedtodevelopanawarenessoftherangeofpsychologicaldisorders.Thisapproachembracestheetiology,symptomsandprevalenceof each disorder. As a consequence of this understanding, it is possible to administer effectivetreatmentswhileatthesametimehavinganappreciationofrelevantculturalandgendervariations.Differenttherapeuticapproachestotreatingdisordersarediscussed.

b)DevelopmentalPsychology (HL):Developmentalpsychology is thestudyofhowandwhypeoplechange over time in the way they behave, think, and relate to others. Developmental psychologyfocusesoninfluencesoncognitiveandsocialdevelopment,developinganidentityanddevelopingasalearner. It is important to gain an understanding of the extent to which early experiences mayinfluencelaterdevelopmentandiftherearecriticalperiodsindevelopment.Controversiesrelatedtodevelopmental psychology include the extent of the impact of early experiences and why somechildrenseemtobemoreresilientthanothersafterstressfulexperiencesinchildhood.

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c)HealthPsychology(HL):Healthpsychologyisconcernedwithhowdifferentfactors,suchaslifestyleandsocialcontext,mayinfluencehealthandillness.Thehealthpsychologyoptionfocusesonstress,substance abuse, addiction, obesity and health promotion. Health psychologists have investigatedcausesofhealthproblemsinordertofindwaystocountertheirdamagingconsequencesandpreventtheiroccurrence.Thishelpsinthedevelopmentofpreventionandtreatmentstrategies,forexample,intermsofunderstandinghowpeoplevaluetheirhealth.Italsoenableshealthpromotioncampaignstobemoreefficientlydesigned.Therearedifferences inattitudestowardshealth-relatedbehaviouramongdifferentcultures,soitisimportantforhealthpsychologiststotakethesefactorsintoaccount.

ResearchMethodology(ExaminedonlyfortheHigherLevel)

BothHigherandStandardlevelstudentsmusthaveanunderstandingofquantitative(experimental)and qualitative (non-experimental) research methodology. All students are expected to criticallyevaluateandchallengeresearches.Anunderstandingofthequantitativeapproachisalsointegralforthe design, conduction and analysis of an experiment as part of the students’ Internal Assessment.However, knowledge and understanding of qualitative and quantitativemethodswill be externallyassessedinaseparateexampaper,onlyforHLstudents.

Skillstobedevelopedinthisclassincludetheabilitytocriticallyanalyzeandevaluate,compareandcontrast,debateandapplythematerial.

Itisimportanttostressthatoneofthemostintriguingcharacteristicsofpsychologyasadisciplineishowitrelatesdirectlytoeveryoneofusandourpersonalexperiencesanditsconnectionstoreal life.Through this class studentswillgainabetterunderstandingofhowtheirbody,mindandsocialenvironmentinteracttoinfluencetheirbehavior.

A diverse set of teaching methods is incorporated for the purpose of accommodating differentlearning styles. Apart from lectures, this course relies heavily on class discussions. Students areexpectedtoreviewtheassignedreadingsbeforeeachclassandcomepreparedtoaskquestionsandtoparticipateinclass.Thecourseissupportedbyanelectronicteachingplatform(Moodle)onwhichallrelevant materials (i.e., PowerPoint presentations, handouts, links to useful websites, homeworkassignments, videos, suggested readings, and course-related fun jokes!) are posted and becomeavailabletostudentgradually,astherelevantmaterialiscoveredinclass.Further,teachingincludesfrequent and systematic reviews of the material offering students the opportunity to consolidate,

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combinenewinformationwiththeprevious,approachissuesfromdifferentperspectivesandclarifypoints. An emphasis is placed on group work and group projects. Students are assigned work tocomplete in collaborationwith each other and present in class. They also practicepeer grading bymarking each other’s work and providing each other with feedback in order to have a betterunderstanding of how their work is assessed. The students are also introduced to, and becomefamiliarwiththeschool libraryandtheprocessofconductinga literatureresearch; theyarenotonlyencouraged but expected to research information, mainly published research studies in peer-reviewedscientificjournals,ontheirowninitiativeandusethemwhencompletinghomework.

Psychologyisoneofthesocialsciencesanditsstudyatthislevelwouldbeusefulforanybodywhoisinterested in studyinga social science,or laterworking inareas suchasbusinessandmarketing,philosophy,education,languageandliterature,orthehealthdomain.Moreover,itsemphasisonresearchmethodsandstatisticsmakesitaninterestingsubjectforthosewhohaveaninclinationintheseareas.

4.PriorlearningTherearenopriorlearningrequirementsforthiscourse.

Thiscoursewillbuilduponpreviousknowledgestudentsmayhavegainedinpsychology,biology,orsociologycourses.

5.PsychologyandtheIBLearnerProfile

TheIBlearnerprofileisessentialtotheIBDPprogramandthuspromotedthroughallIBsubjects.Inpsychology,eachoftheseattributesisdevelopedinmultiplewaysandsupplementseachother.

Knowledgeable: Students will acquire a wide range of knowledge through a variety of teachingmethods (see “Subject Outline”). Knowledge in psychology focuses on research methods andempirical evidence, in other words scientific knowledge on the subject. Students are assessed onknowledgeandcomprehension.

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Caring:Psychology isahuman-centeredscience. It focusesonunderstandingandpredictinghumanbehavior.Itisadisciplinethatcannotbetaught,understoodorpracticedwithouthumancompassion.Further, students gain anunderstandingonvariousneurological andpsychological disorders,whatpatientsexperienceandhowtheycanbetreated.

Risk-takers:Studentsareencouragedtocriticallythinkaboutandevaluatetheinformationprovidedandcomeupwithadvantagesanddisadvantages,strengthsandweaknesses,orevidencesupportingand/orrefutingtheories,modelsandresearchstudies.Throughthisprocess,theylearntovolunteertheirownopinionorcombinetheevidencetocomeupwithconclusionsoftheirown.

Balanced: By covering several approaches or levels of analysis in psychology, as well as differentmethodsof therapyand treatment, students areprovidedwithdifferentways to viewhumansandhumanbehavior.

Thinkers,Inquirers&Reflective:Inthisclass,studentsarenotassessedexclusivelyontheknowledgetheyacquire;theirperformanceheavilydependsontheirabilitytodevelopskillssuchasreflectingontherelevantresearch:evaluatingtheresearchmethodology,andcomparingandcontrastingresearchfindings. Further, they learn todiscuss theories andmodels, take initiative to find further researchstudies, develop questions (research hypotheses) and find answers/solutions through conductingtheir own research study. They are asked to critically think about the various approaches that aretaught.Finally, theyarerequiredtoanalyzeandapplythe informationandstudyresults toreal-lifesituations.Oneofthemostimportantcomponentsofthisclassistobeabletopresentadebatewithargumentsforeachsidebasedontheoriesandresearchstudies.

Open-minded:Theclassincorporatesacross-culturalcomponentandagendercomponent.Studentsare required to critically evaluate the material while taking cultural and gender variations intoconsideration.Weextensivelydiscusshumandiversity,andalsofactorscontributingtoprejudiceanddiscrimination.

Principled: Ethics are a very important component of this class. Students are familiarizedwith thepsychologists’codeofethicsandethicalprinciplesinresearchandclinicalpractice.

Communicators: Students are required to provide written responses in short answer and essayformat. They practice communicating their ideas using appropriate language and terminology. Inclass,studentsareinvolvedinclassdiscussionsandarealsoencouragedtopresentonmaterialandengageindebates.

6.PsychologyandCoreComponents

Psychologyhasastrongconnectiontothecorecomponentsoftheprogram,includingCAS,TOK,andtheEE.

ManyoftheopportunitiesforvolunteerworkthatareprovidedthroughCASarerelatedtoassistingindividualswithvarioustypesofdisabilityorillness.AlllevelsofanalysisinpsychologyarestronglylinkedtoTOK;notonlydowedrawthese links inclassandthere ismentionof themin thecoursetextbooks,butalsoTOKteachersregularlyrefertopsychologymaterialwhenteachingTOK.Finally,students are given the opportunity to conduct an extended essay in psychology. The student,withguidancefromtheteacher,developsaresearchquestionandthenindependentlyconductsaliterature

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review in an effort to answer the question based on theories and research studies that have beenpublishedinscientificbooksorjournals.

7.Coursestructureandplanning

Forthepurposeofthiscourse,studentsareassignedreadingsweekly.Readingsareeitherfromtheclasstextbook,orhandoutsaregivenouteitherashardcopiesorelectronically(postedonMoodle).Studentsshouldcarefullyreviewreadingsandbepreparedtodiscussthematerialinclass,meaningbe in a position to ask and answer questions. Further, students are given homework assignmentsweeklyorbiweeklyonwhichtheyaregraded.Studentsalsotakein-classquizzes(oneschoolperiod)orreviewtests(twoschoolperiods).Studentswillalwaysbegivennoticeaweekormoreinadvancewhensuchquizzes/testsarescheduled.Aneffortismadetoavoidassigninghomeworkoverthesameweek that students are preparing for an in-class quiz/test, however with HL students this maysometimesbedifficulttoavoidasassignmentsfortheirHLoptionmaycoincidewithassignmentsinthecore(HL/SL)class.

Atthebeginningof their IB1year,studentsare initially introducedtothe followingconcepts.Then,throughoutthiscourse,theseapproachestopsychologyarediscussedinrelationtoeachofthecoreoroptionalcomponents:

DebatesinPsychology

• Functionalismversusstructuralism

• Natureversusnurture

• Holismversusreductionism

• Freewillversusdeterminism

ResearchMethods

• ExperimentalMethods:

• Non-experimentalMethods

EthicalConsiderations

CultureandGenderConsiderations

Debatesinpsychology,researchmethods,andethicsarecoveredindetailinthebeginningoftheIB1year,whereascultureandgenderconsiderationsarementionedbutdiscussedinmoredetailoverthecourseofthetwo-yearprogram.

TheCore(HL&SL)

These approaches to behavior are compulsory for SL and HL students (expect for the HLextensions,whichisforHLstudentsonly).

BiologicalPsychology

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• Thebrainandbehavior

• Hormonesandbehavior

• Geneticsandbehaviour

• Theroleofanimalresearchinunderstandinghumanbehavior(HLonly)

This section is the first to be covered in the beginning of the IB1 year, after covering the generalsectionsofdebates,researchmethods,ethicsandcultureandgenderconsiderations.Approximately2-3 months are devoted to this section. We emphasize debates (issues of nature vs. nurture,determinismandreductionismareparticularlyrelevanthere),researchmethods(mainlycasestudies,correlational studies, and laboratory experiments, with extensive reference to animal research),ethical considerations in research, and gender considerations such as differences in male versusfemale brains, hormones, and genetics. It is important that students start developing the skill tocritically evaluate the material they are being taught. Assessment emphasizes knowledge in thebeginning, but students are gradually introduced to IB-type questions which require criticalevaluation and debate. Such questions are initially practiced in-class and then tried in homeworkassignments.Studentresponsesare the furtherdiscussedandstudentsareprovidedwithextensivefeedback in order to understand and develop skills for critical thinking (application, analysis,synthesisandevaluation),aswellasorganizationoftheiressays.

CognitivePsychology

• Cognitiveprocessing

• Reliabilityofcognitiveprocesses

• Emotionandcognition

• Cognitiveprocessinginthedigitalworld(HLonly)

Thisisthesecondsectiontobecoveredoverthedurationofanother2-3months.Again,wediscussdebates, researchmethods(laboratoryexperiments, casestudies),ethicalconsiderations,andcovergenderissues.Culturalconsiderationsareparticularlyrelevantherewhendiscussingschematheory,emotionandmemory.Studentscontinuetoshifttheirfocustowardscriticalthinkingofthematerialratherthanrotelearning.Itisimportanttodrawconnectionsbetweenthissectionthebiologicallevelof analysis previously covered in an effort to review, understand in more depth, and also gain abroaderperception.Memoryandthebrainoruseofneuroimagingtoexplorebrainfunctioningandbehaviorarerelevanttomakingtheseconnections.Applicationsoftheresearchineducation,butalsointhelegalsystemarediscussed.

SocioculturalPsychology

• Theindividualandthegroup

• Culturaloriginsofbehaviorandcognition

• Culturalinfluencesonindividualattitudes,identityandbehaviors

• Theinfluenceofglobalizationonindividualattitudes,identitiesandbehavior(HLonly)

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ThissectionisusuallycoveredtowardstheendoftheIB1yearandinthebeginningoftheIB2year.The influence of the social environment on the individual raised thedebate of determinismversusfree will and nature versus nurture once again. Although some lab experiments are discussed,researchmethods shift to field and natural experiments, correlational studies and surveys. Ethicalconsiderationsareimportanthereasmanyresearchstudiesinvolvedeceptionofparticipantsaboutthe true aim of the study. There are many applications in real life in fields such as business andmarketing, policy making and designing interventions to prevent prejudice and discrimination,monitoring violent television for children, and others. At this point in the program, students areexpectedtohavedevelopedtheirabilitytocriticallyevaluatethematerialtoasignificantdegree.

TheOptions

AbnormalPsychology

• Factorsinfluencingdiagnosis

• Etiologyofabnormalpsychology

• Symptomatologyandepidemiologyofdisorders

• Treatmentofdisorders

o Anxietydisorders

o Depressivedisorders

o Obsessivecompulsivedisorder

o Traumaandstressrelateddisorders

o Eatingdisorders.

In the IB2 year, students will spend 2-3 months discussing abnormal psychology, meaningpsychopathology, diagnostic issues, and treatment practices and interventions. This section lendsitself to review of previous sections, as we discuss biological, cognitive and social explanations ofpsychopathology and treatments. Research methods include laboratory experiments (also animalresearch),casestudiesandcross-culturalstudies.Ethicalissuesalsoaddressethicsintreatmentandpsychological clinical practice. Gender and cultural considerations are emphasized in relation toculture-bound syndromes, variation in epidemiology across cultures and different responses totreatment. Direct applications to real life clinical practice aremade, also taking into considerationfactorssuchascost-andtime-effectivenessofvarioustreatments.

The followingtwooptionsarecoveredwithHLstudentsonly.Onlyoneof thetwooptionswillbecovered(eitherHealthPsychology,orDevelopmentalPsychology).

HealthPsychology

• Determinantsofhealth

• Healthproblems

• Promotinghealth

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o Stress

o Addiction

o Obesity

o Chronicpain

o Sexualhealth.

Over the course of one school year (usually IB1), students are introduced to the field of HealthPsychology,whichexamineshumanbehaviorinrelationtophysicalhealth.Inthetwohoursperweekthat are devoted to the HL option, we discuss research that includes experiments, correlationalstudies and surveys. Factors that contribute to the presentation of stress, substance abuse andobesity,includingbiological,cognitiveandsocioculturalarediscussed.Further,wediscusspreventionandtreatment,againfrombiological,cognitiveandsocioculturalperspectives.Practicalapplicationstobeusedinschoolsorworkenvironmentsforpreventionandhealthpromotion,developingpoliciesandimplementingeffectiveinterventionsareextensivelycovered.Ethicalconsiderations,genderandcultural considerationsareaddressed.Asassessmentof thisoption reliesexclusivelyonwritinganessay (Paper 2), we practice critical thinking and organization extensively. Further, students areprovided with a hands-on experience as a teaching method that usually involves designing andparticipating inapreventionprogram forstress, substanceabuseorobesitywithyoungerstudentswithintheschool.

DevelopmentalPsychology

• Influencesoncognitiveandsocialdevelopment

• Developinganidentity

o Attachment

o Genderidentityandsocialroles

o Developmentofempathyandtheoryofmind

• Developingasalearner

o Cognitivedevelopment

o Braindevelopment

Alternatively, instead of Health Psychology, a second option for HL students is DevelopmentalPsychologytaughtoverthecourseofoneschoolyear(usuallyIB1).Developmentalpsychologystudiesthedevelopmentofhumanbeingsfrombirthtilldeath.Becauseofitsvastfield,specificissuesrelatedtothreemajorareasofdevelopmentareintroducedbytheIBOsyllabus.Studentsbecomeacquaintedwith major traditional and recent theories on the above fields and are encouraged to understanddifferencesinpastandcurrentdevelopmentalperspectives. Biological,Cognitiveandfsocioculturalfactors that contribute to individual development are discussed. Potential effects of early to laterdevelopmentareextensivelydiscussedalongwith theirreal lifeexamplesandstrategies topreventadverseeffects.Practicalimplicationsandapplicationstobeusedineducationandchildassessmentare also discussed. Ethical considerations, gender and cultural considerations are extensively

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addressed. The uniqueness of individuality and the appreciation and acceptance of individualdifferencesareofcentralattention.Asassessmentofthisoptionreliesexclusivelyonwritinganessay(Paper2),analysis,evaluationandthoughtorganizationareextensivelypracticed.

ResearchMethodology

• Quantitative&qualitativeresearchmethods

• AnalyzingandInterpretingdata

• Evaluatingresearch

• Drawingconclusions

The studyof psychology is evidencebased andhas evolved through a variety of different researchapproaches,bothqualitativeandquantitative.Asstudentsareexposedtoresearchitisimportantthattheyunderstandtheadvantagesandlimitationsofdifferentapproachesinordertocriticallyevaluatethe contribution of research studies to the understanding of human behavior. Asking questions,challengingassumptionsandcriticallyassessingthemethodsusedbyresearchersareintegralskillsinthestudyofpsychology.Theseskillsareassessedinpaper1sectionBandpaper2,andtheyapplytobothSLandHLstudents.

Anunderstandingofapproachestoresearchisimportantfortheinternalassessmenttaskinordertodesign,conduct,analyze,drawconclusionsandevaluateexperiment.ThisappliestobothSLandHLstudents.

OnlyHLstudentswillbedirectlyassessedontheirunderstandingofapproachestoresearchinpaper3.Overthecourseofoneschoolyear(IB1orIB2),HLstudentsdevelopanunderstandingofhowtorecognize, critically evaluate and apply qualitative and quantitative methods in psychologicalresearch.Studentspractice readingsections (unseensample text) fromqualitativeandquantitativeresearch studies and answering questions related to issues such as sampling techniques, dataanalysis,ethicalconsiderations,credibilityoftheresearchstudy,reflectionoftheresearcher,etc.

8.AssessmentStudentsareassignedtermgradesbasedontheiroralperformanceinclass(comingpreparedtoclass,being in aposition toansweror askquestionson thematerial assigned, classpresentations, groupprojects) and theirperformanceonwrittenorotherassignments (homework,quizzes, tests).Termgrades are combined with midterm and final grades, as well as performance on the InternalAssessment for the final IB Diploma grade. It is important to note that in written/formalexaminations,students’workisnotgradesonlyforknowledgeandcomprehension.Essayquestionsaregradedoutof22marks:amaximumof2marksareassignedforfocusonthequestion,amaximumof6marksareassigned forknowledgeandunderstanding,amaximumof6marksareassigned foruseof research to support answer, amaximumof6marks are assigned for critical thinking, and amaximumof2marksareassignedforclarityandorganizationoftheessay.

PleaseseeAppendix2foracompleteoutlineoftheformalIBOassessment.

Theschool-wideassessmentpolicycanalsobereferencedforfurtherinformation.

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9.AcademicHonestyEmphasis isplacedonacademichonestyasany individualworkmustbe theoriginalworkof thestudent.InthebeginningofIB1(year1),classtimeisdevotedtoexplainingtheconceptofacademichonesty andwhat constitutes plagiarism in its various forms. This issue is revisited several timesthroughout theyear.Whenprovidedwithquestions forhomework,studentsareencouragedtousebooks,scientificjournalarticlesandinternetresources;however,theirhomeworkassignmentneedsto be conducted independently, without the help or collaboration of others, and should bewrittenentirely intheirownwords.Thisalsoapplies to their InternalAssessmentandExtendedEssayprojects.Should thestudentshaveanyquestionsregarding this issue theyareencouraged toconsult with their teacher, or academic honesty advisor, or their year advisor. The school-wideacademichonestypolicyincludesinformationonrelevantpoliciesandprocedures.

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Appendix1:Syllabusdetails

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Appendix2:AssessmentdetailsSL Assessment:

HL Assessment: