The IA in IB Psychology provides you with the opportunity to investigate a psychology theory or model of human behaviour. As well as researching and writing about a particular theory or model, you are required to undertake an exploration of this theory or model by collaborating with other students to conduct a simple replication of a published study.
Your first task is to decide on the theory or model to investigate. Then you need to decide on a suitable study to replicate,
The hyperlinks below are all of the original experiments, which saves you a lot of time. The original studies can be hard to read, so focus on the abstract, the introduction, the results and the discussion.
Researchers often include several experiments or trials in the one report. You need to focus on just one experiment. In deciding whether a study is suitable for your investigation of a theory or model, ensure that you will manipulate one independent variable that has two conditions, that your experiment will produce two sets of either interval or ratio data and that you will be able to depict your results in a simple bar graph.
Schema Theory Studies that investigate reconstructive memory theory and schema theory
- Bransford, J.D. & Johnson, M. K. (1972). Contextual prerequisites for understanding: Some investigations of comprehension and recall. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 11, 717-726. Source: http://www.cogsci.ucsd.edu/~coulson/203/bransford72.pdf
Reconstructive Memory
- Loftus, E.C. & Palmer, J. (1974). Reconstruction of Automobile Destruction: An Example of the Interaction between Language and Memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour, 13, 585-589. Source: webfiles.uci.edu/eloftus/LoftusPalmer74.pdf
Dual Processing Model of Thinking and Decision-making
- Kahneman, Daniel; Tversky, Amos (1974). Judgment under uncertainty. Heuristics and biases. Science, 185, 1124-1131.
- https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Judgment-under-Uncertainty%3A-Heuristics-and-Biases.-Tversky-Kahneman/dbdb10f066b857baa6e129f49b8d832c3f6267ae
Models of memory
- Craik, F. I. M. & Tulving, E. (1975). Depth of processing and the retention of words in episodic memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 104(3), 268-294. Source: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9c07/b3656297ed82274598c257828dc79d40ff59.pdf
- Baddeley et al. (1973) Word Length and the Structure of Short-Term Memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour 14, 575-589. https://labs.la.utexas.edu/gilden/files/2016/03/1-s2.0-S0022537175800454-main.pdf
- Peterson, L.R. & Peterson, M.J. (1959) Short-term retention of individual verbal items. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 58, 193-198. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.227.1807&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Mood and Arousal
- Rashidi, N. (2011). The Effect of Classical Music on the Reading
Comprehension of Iranian Students. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 74-82, January 2011http://www.academypublication.com/issues/past/tpls/vol01/01/11.pdf
Interference Theory
- Stroop, J. Ridley. (1935). Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 18, 643-662 http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Stroop/
