Prejudice and discrimination against minority groups has been studied extensively by social psychologists. Allport (1954) argued that prejudice can be reduced if the majority has positive contact experiences with members of a minority group. The research, however, to support this theory has been inconclusive. Some theorists argue that the contact hypothesis is too simplistic.The following study by...

Stereotypes can have many different effects on human behaviour. Some of these effects can have very negative consequences for those that are stereotyped. In the United States, we have seen a number of cases where police have shot and killed an unarmed black male. Why does this happen so frequently? How can this social problem be addressed? Payne et al (2001) carried out research on how stereotyping...

Biological research has shown that hormones play a key role in our feelings of hunger and satiety. Health psychologists argue that when the feedback loops that lead to hunger and satiety are somehow disrupted, this may lead to obesity or other disordered eating patterns. Biologists discuss these disruptions as a fault of some biological mechanism.Crum et al (2011), however, argue that cognition may...

Communication is an important skill for us to help our students develop - and writing is not the only medium for doing this!This activity asks students to mimic an online show called "Why are we all so stupid" to create a set of public service announcements (PSAs) about cognitive biases.Below you will find a description of the activity and a rubric that I use for assessment. Please note,...

Essential understandingsOur behaviour is influenced by others, even when we believe that we are acting independently.We have both an individual and a social identity which influences our behaviour.Behaviours are learned through our interaction and observation of others.Stereotypes affect behaviour.The sociocultural approachPsychologists recognize that human behaviour can only be fully understood if...

The following set of practice papers are not official IB papers. As of the creation of this page, there is only one specimen paper available. All of the papers are created here by me, based on examiner experience.The questions for the papers are always the same. An explanation of the questions is given below.For each exam, there is a set of sample responses. Remember that in the new curriculum the...

In order to prepare for exams, it is important to prepare a "tailor-made" study guide. A study guide should reflect your own learning and not just what someone tells you is the "best" research to use on an exam.For the topic "brain and behaviour", you will find an attached study guide. I recommend that you attempt to fill it in before looking at the responses below. There...

This section focuses on the external assessment - that is, the exams that are sat either in November or May by your students. This section contains sample marking and marking practice. In addition, it includes tips for exam preparation. External Assessment Paper 1 is the same structure for both SL and HL. Students are required to answer three short-answer questions (SAQs), one from each of the three...

This lesson focuses on the role of neurotransmission in human behaviour - specifically, on memory.In keeping with the rest of the content of this mini unit on the biology of memory, acetylcholine will be the primary example given. However, there are other examples of neurotransmission affecting behaviour throughout the course; for example, dopamine and addiction; serotonin and depression; or serotonin...

There have been several clarifications given by the IB over the past few months. Many have said that they are difficult to follow. In order to assist, I am organizing these clarifications below, based on the relevant aspects of the curriculum. These clarifications are from the assessment clarification (June 27, 2018), the FAQ document (June 2018) and clarifications sent to all workshop leaders (Sept...