IB Psychology
IB Psychology Standard Level
IB Psychology Standard Level
GRADE: 11-12 CREDITS: 5 Graduation Requirement? No
PREREQUISITES: Recommendation and approval of Social Science teachers
Psychology is the rigorous and systematic study of mental processes and behaviour. It is a complex subject which draws on concepts, methods and understandings from a number of different disciplines. At the core of the IB Psychology (SL) course is an introduction to three different approaches to understanding behaviour:
- biological approach to understanding behaviour
- cognitive approach to understanding behaviour
- sociocultural approach to understanding behaviour.
The knowledge, concepts, theories and research that have developed the understanding in these fields will be studied and critically evaluated to answer some of the questions being asked by psychologists today. The option chosen for an area in depth study in this course is Psychology of Human Relationships. Students will investigate the contribution and the interaction of the three approaches through this area of applied psychology.
As part of the requirements for the course, students will replicate an experimental study to fulfill the Internal Assessment requirement of the IB course. Furthermore, the primary way students will be assessed in the course is through writing assessments in order to prepare students for IB Psychology External Exam.The goal of the IB Psychology (SL) course is to develop the students’ critical inquiry, writing skills, and understanding of the various approaches to research. Lastly, IB Psychology studies human beings and as such students will explore and understand the ethical implications of doing so and follow ethical guidelines while doing so.