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Psych Exemplar Document
Psych Exemplar Document
Special thanks for yusra and dice for their contributions, entropy for being a veteran,
chelsie for being godly yusra BIG DOUBT I AM NOT-, and cat and eden for helping and
keeping psych channel lively <3
Recent additions (10/03): thanking Rae for being a wonderful psych helper and awesome
human being <3 (oh naurr)
Content
Content 1
Foreword 3
Paper 1: Core 4
Biological Approach 4
Cognitive Approach 5
Sociocultural Approach 6
Paper 2: Options 7
Abnormal Psychology 7
Health Psychology 7
Human Relationships 7
Developmental Psychology 8
Paper 3 9
Update Log 10
For more resources, check out Psychology Helper Website
Foreword
These compilations of exemplars are provided to showcase appropriately high
marked exemplars. You can also check other marked exemplars ranging from
low to high marks through the IBO Psychology’s Assessed Student Work.
By creating this exemplar, hopefully better SAQ or ERQ responses can be made
by observing through examples. Some of these essays may not be perfectly
factually accurate as they may be a real response done during an exam (where
you can't double check facts) so please do not try and memorize these as your
exam responses. Furthermore, since we have varying teachers all across the
globe, some may judge them harsher while others are more lenient, so full mark
exemplars may not necessarily mean that it’s perfect for other examiners. Thus,
we decided to compile essays for SAQ, ERQ, and Paper 3.
If you’d like to share and contribute your own exemplar(s) so it can be added in
this document, feel free to DM either rolla#2995 or monroe#0201 on Discord.
Make sure that the essay belongs to you!
These structures are similar structure patterns you can follow which can be
seen throughout these exemplars. It is not compulsory to follow them, however
it can help you maintain an organized structure in your essay. If followed
correctly, you can easily get around 5-6!
put a lot of emphasis on the content of your arguments rather than blindly
sticking through the structure. For an example of this, you can watch the
Argument-Based Approach video created by Alexey Popov or compare how the
essays with very high marks (20-22) differ from lower essay marks (15-17).
SAQ
● Point: addressing the command terms, formulate thesis, define relevant
psychological key terms, [explain, describe, or outline] the theory
● Evidence: Study (year)
● Explain: Aim, Procedure, Findings, Conclusion of study
● Link: conclude, refer back to thesis, answer the question again, link study.
ERQ
● Paragraph 1
○ Introduction: address command term, introduce the topic, define
key terms, introduce the 2 studies
● Paragraph 2 + 3
○ PEEL: argument point - study 1 - explanation of study - link
○ Critical Thinking: evaluate study + link to theory
● Paragraph 4 + 5
○ PEEL: argument point - study 2 - explanation of study - link
○ Critical Thinking: evaluate study + link to theory
● (Optional) Paragraph 6, you can either:
○ Add another study (not recommended, better go with 2
study+in-depth eval than 3 shallow study+eval unless-)
■ PEEL: argument point - study 2 - explanation of study - link
■ Critical Thinking: evaluate study + link to theory
○ Discussion: talk about theory itself (specially if there is more things
you’d like to address about the theory/evaluation)
● Paragraph 6/7
○ Conclusion: summarise essay, refer back to thesis, answer the
question again
For more resources, check out Psychology Helper Website
- SORTING BY TOPIC -
Paper 1: Core
Biological Approach
SAQ
*scores were in 47/49 because the contributor did not know the specific
breakdowns of their grades
ERQ
HL Extension
Cognitive Approach
SAQ
*scores were in 47/49 because the contributor did not know the specific
breakdowns of their grades
ERQ
HL Extension
Sociocultural Approach
SAQ
*scores were in 47/49 because the contributor did not know the specific
breakdowns of their grades
ERQ
HL Extension
Paper 2: Options
Abnormal Psychology
Treatment of Disorders
Health Psychology
Determinants of Health
Health Problems
Promoting Health
Human Relationships
Personal Relationships
Group Dynamics
Social Responsibility
Developmental Psychology
Developing an Identity
Developing as a Learner
Paper 3
Update Log
2020/10/13: created the document, formatting, inserted SAQ and ERQs
2020/10/28: added several more SAQ and ERQs, an update log, and changed
document formatting
2020/10/29: more document template changes, added table of contents, and
chelsie simping over document formatting
2020/10/30: added Paper 3
2020/10/31: added our first two P2 on Health Problems and Etiology by
TotoroCat#6539
2020/11/20: added value of animal research, genetics, and evolutionary
argument by rolla#2995
2020/12/02: updated soff’s 22 exemplar marks because rolla#2995 probably
messed up links
2020/12/23: added Wadaw#9022’s (Hormones (Oxytocin), Contrast Two Models of
Memory, Research Methods in Enculturation) and Trash Can#1021’s (Contrast
Two Models of Memory, Why Relationships Change or End) exemplars
2021/01/17: added DIce#1751’s globalization and behaviour’s exemplar
2021/01/24: added dsalcoda#9352’s exemplars on Ethical consideration of
culture on behaviour and Rational and intuitive thinking
2021/02/06: added DIce#1751’s Genetic Similarity ERQ
2021/03/29: added OhWhale#2035’s Paper 1 (Agonist, Emotion on Cognitive
Processes, Research Methods Acculturation, [HL] Positive effects of Digital
Technology) and нєямσѕα ✿#5333’s Excitatory SAQ, and Pegaferno#0914’s
Stereotype SAQ
2021/04/13: added Yusra’s Model of Memory, Social Cognitive Theory, and
Neuroplasticity SAQ
2021/04/16: removed нєямσѕα ✿#5333’s Excitatory SAQ after the psych gang
concluded that the SAQ was overmarked
2021/06/17: removed John49#7275’s ERQ as it received full marks yet has no
evaluation in the content (sus) and updated the Foreword to clarify the purpose
of this document.
2021/12/16: removed yusra#6578 from the DM-able list. Thank you for your past
contributions :roolove:
2022/10/03: added JC Denton’s treatment of disorder ERQ; Zach’s (Schema SAQ &
FBM ERQ), and Rae’s (Social Identity Theory SAQ and Model of Memory SAQ)
exemplars
2022/12/13: added Rae’s Human Relationships ERQ
2023/03/21: added Rae’s Cognitive and Sociocultural SAQ, as well as Human
Relationships and Abnormal Psychology ERQ
2023/03/28: added WowSoBoring’s biological and cognitive SAQ (agonist and
rational/intuitive thinking) + cognitive ERQ (schema theory)
2023/05/10: added WowSoBoring’s Abnormal Psychology ERQ (biological
etiology MDD)
2023/05/20: added ablue ❀#8857’s ERQs on Stereotype formation and effect;
Reconstructive memory; Clinical biases in diagnosis; and Thinking and Decision
Making
For more resources, check out Psychology Helper Website