International Baccalaureate

Course structure

The course covers the following topics:

Year 1

• Introduction to IB Psychology
• Approaches to Research
• Biological Approach to Understanding Behaviour
• Cognitive Approach to Understanding Behaviour
• Sociocultural Approach to Understanding Behaviour
• Abnormal Psychology Part 1 & 2
• Review and End of Year Examination
• Introduction to the Internal Assessment

Year 2

• Internal Assessment
• Abnormal Psychology Part 3
• Psychology of Human Relationships Part 1
• Review and Trial Exam
• Psychology of Human Relationships Part 2 & 3
• Review and Exam Preparation

This course covers the following applied psychology options:

• Abnormal psychology
• Psychology of human relationships

What is different in taking Psychology HL online?

Students will have the opportunity to:

• access source material in a variety of media
• learn, practise and review much more at their own pace than in a traditional classroom
• study alongside students from around the world
• gain experience of using the latest online learning tools
• regularly communicate with teachers and fellow students

Some things won’t be different though. Standards and expectations will be just as high as in a face to face classroom.

Activities and assessment

A typical week in IB Psychology would involve a reading assignment and an activity that requires students to engage with the course content, for example, a discussion forum or a worksheet. Where appropriate, students will take part in collaborative activities. These may involve working together on an assignment or peer-reviewing assignments. Lastly, students will be assigned IB style assessment tasks once they have mastered the course content of each of the units of study. The Internal Assessment that is assigned involves conducting a psychological experiment and writing a report.

There are two types of assessment in IB Psychology. Formative tasks encourage student engagement and involvement in the course activities such as discussion forums, worksheets and practice writing assignments. These activities are designed to consolidate student understanding of course content. Summative assignments are designed to measure the student’s level of attainment.

Advice from our teachers

In order to succeed in Psychology HL, we recommend students set aside seven to 10 hours a week.

Benefits to students

Taking Psychology HL online will enable students to:

• access a rich source of information about factors that influence human behaviour
• develop their understanding of people in general and themselves in particular
• acquire effective work habits to regulate their own learning
• become experienced in a wide range of technical and social tools