Tips, Tricks, Advice and Warnings WRITING ESSAYS FOR IB SL PSYCHOLOGY PAPERS 1 & 2

WRITING A GOOD ESSAY JUST NEEDS A GOOD FORMAT.

In a psychology essay, there are a few things that you absolutely HAVE TO HAVE. These are: YOU NEED TO HAVE THE RIGHT PIECES.  Background knowledge – define the LOA  Use CEGM – (cultural, ethic, gender, research method)  Cite the Studies  Write to the learning outcome  Discuss disadvantages or limitations

Your first sentence, to show you have knowledge and understanding, should be a good definition of the Level of Analysis (LOA). Same as for a SAQ. Also, helps with test anxiety; to know that all your cognitive essays will start the same way. When defining the CLOA, always say something about this LOA is concerned with mental processes and how those processes guide behavior. You can include the principle that supports the learning outcome. Make every sentence count! BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

Use CEGM when evaluating research – this way, you cover essential topics that IB graders are looking for. You do not have to use all the CEGM but the more the better – (cultural, ethics, gender, research methods) CEGM SHOULD PROVIDE A VALUABLE FRAMEWORK TO YOUR ESSAY

Keep in mind the studies you are going to use to support your statement/argument about the learning outcome. You should only include a brief statement about what the experiment was trying to find out or “prove”, without using that word! Then the only thing you should include when citing the research is what pertains to the learning outcome. Remember you can use the same research for different learning outcomes. You should write about the research in date order. And use about 3 or 4 researches. Cite in APA format (name, date). The more the better! However, if you use too many studies, your essay can get muddled and hard to read. STUDIES

 Use when you are finishing the research paragraph  Next research may or may not have corrected the limitation  If the next research got the same Results, it gave reliability to the Concept and prior research.  Keep the learning outcome in mind when evaluating.(if the LO is about ethics, critic the ethics of the research) LIMITATIONS AND DISADVANTAGES:

 Personal opinions  Swearing or humor  Informal language (first or second person)  Cultural insensitivity  Unsupported claims or current news IN THE SAME WAY, THESE THINGS DO NOT BELONG IN YOUR ESSAYS:

State: Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without explanation or calculation. Discuss, Explain, Outline: Offer a considered and balanced review that includes a range of arguments, factors or hypotheses. Opinions or conclusions should be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence. COMMAND TERMS ARE SORTA IMPORTANT.

Remember, IB graders go through hundreds of essays – don’t be generic! Be specific but be brief. Only include information that answers the learning outcome. No “fluff and stuff” Graders don’t care as much about what your introduction or your conclusion look like as you think they do – they want to see you demonstrate what you know.

 Critical thinking is about asking questions. Never accept what you’ve been told – explore, learn, be curious!  When it comes to psychology, curiosity will get you far – the whole subject came into existence because of it.  Never be afraid to ask questions or be skeptical of claims. Remember, even the most famous researchers and theorists are just people – they’re not always right. USE CRITICAL THINKING

 Objective: ABNORMAL PSYCH PAPER 2

 You can have sympathy, but not empathy for sufferers of a mental illness. You can understand symptoms, but not how the illness actually feels – don’t act like you do.  Don’t generalize. Not every sufferer experiences certain symptoms, and not every treatment works for every person.  Be considerate of other cultures. This is almost doubly true for abnormal psych, because of the huge differences in the presentation of symptoms and effectiveness of treatments.  When discussing treatments for different illnesses, remember that real people have to use them. This is a great opportunity for poking holes and/or ethics – would you want to use a certain treatment? Would treatment be effective, considering some of the behaviors common to those with mental illness? A FEW THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN WRITING ABOUT ABNORMAL PSYCH

 Some (most) psychological researchers are very strange and their research reflects that. Some of the most innocuous seeming studies are actually very unethical or downright racist/prejudiced/sexist.  Researchers are products of their time period, as are theories. Remember to put things into context.  Dates on your studies earn you crazy brownie points with graders. If you can’t remember a specific year, at least learn a decade.  Go above and beyond. Putting in that extra effort is often the difference between a 6 and a 7. ALSO:

But obviously love isn’t an ingredient that you can actually use in a cake – or an essay. WE’VE ALL HEARD THAT PHRASE “MADE WITH LOVE”

Let’s face it: papers that sound engaging are more fun to read than papers that don’t. People that genuinely enjoy a topic tend to have a lot more fun writing an essay than people that don’t – and that enthusiasm bleeds into their writing. I know it sounds like completely ridiculous advice, but get comfortable when you write. Don’t stress yourself out on the day of the test – just relax, sit down, and have a little fun while you write your papers. BUT A LITTLE ENTHUSIASM CAN GO A LONG WAY

(And sorry for making you hungry.) THANKS FOR LISTENING!