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Paper 1 is the first examination you'll face in your IB Psychology assessments. In this post, we’ll provide a thorough breakdown of IB Psychology Paper 1, ensuring you are familiarised with the structure of the exam and know what type of questions to expect.
IB Psychology Paper 1
At SL Paper 1 accounts for 35% of the student's final subject grade while for HL it accounts for 25% of the student's final grade.
Both SL and HL students have 1.5 hours to complete Paper 1.
Paper 1 is made up of three sections (Sections A, B, and C).
Section A is made up of two compulsory short-answer questions from two of the three content areas (biological, cognitive, sociocultural)
Section B is made up of two compulsory questions asking students to apply their knowledge of content to an unseen situation, each from one of four contexts
Section C is made up of two concept-based extended response questions, each from a different context. Students choose to answer one of the two questions.
Section A may look like this:
Answer all questions in this section. Marks will be awarded for focused answers demonstrating accurate knowledge and understanding of research.
Biological approach to understanding human behaviour
1. Describe how one chemical messenger plays a role in one human behaviour. [4 marks]
Cognitive approach to understanding human behaviour
2. Explain anchoring bias with reference to one example of human behaviour. [4 marks]
Section B may look like this:
Answer both questions in this section.
3. With reference to this study, explain the role of models in the study of cognitive processes. [6 marks]
4. Explain how social learning theory could be used to achieve this goal. [6 marks]
Section C may look like this:
Answer only one question from this section.
5. In the context of human development, evaluate one or more strategies used by developmental psychologists to measure theory of mind. [15 marks]
6. One claim in health and well-being psychology is that one perspective is not enough to explain mental health. Discuss this claim with reference to one biological explanation of one or more disorders. [15 marks]
How to succeed in IB Psychology Paper 1?
To succeed in IB Psychology Paper 1, it is important to understand both the structure of the exam and the expectations of each section. Since Paper 1 accounts for a significant portion of the final grade, students should practice answering questions under timed conditions to become comfortable completing the exam within the 1.5-hour limit. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the IB Psychology command terms so that you clearly understand what each question is asking you to do.
For Section A short-answer questions, focus on providing clear definitions and accurate explanations supported by a specific example of human behaviour from the content areas explored throughout the course. In Section B, carefully read the unseen scenario and make sure your response explicitly applies psychological theory to the situation provided. High-scoring responses should be tailored appropriately for the unseen scenario. For Section C extended response questions, select the prompt you feel most confident about and structure your answer using clear arguments and balanced evaluation. Using psychological terminology accurately. linking ideas directly to the question, and using the content/contexts appropriately are key strategies for achieving higher marks.
We hope you found this post helpful in learning more about IB Psychology Paper 1. For more useful materials associated with the IB, check out the wide variety of IA, EE and TOK exemplars available at Clastify and other guides available on our blog.
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