Extended Essays made easier

It’s that time of year again, when students who have only been studying psychology for a few months are asked to think of an area of research in which they are interested.  And out come the titles, and questions: ‘What makes a psychopath?’  ‘Does the media cause eating disorders?’ ‘Why do more girls than boys get depressed?’ Aaargh! Teachers sigh … Read More

Explain the influence of one gene on human behaviour

This is a very focused, but nonetheless possible, question. It is important to know in general how genes and gene x environment interactions affect human behaviour. But it is also vital to know how one gene in particular works. Possible responses include material from Caspi et al. 2002 which discusses how a polymorphism (variation) in the gene encoding MAOA is … Read More

Ethics in psychological research

A very common question that is asked is to ‘Discuss ethical considerations with research into….’ A very common, but incorrect, way to answer this is to think of the most unethical study you can, and blast away at it! Instead, re-read the question, which is asking about ethical considerations, in other words ‘What do researchers need to consider when planning … Read More

Planning for questions on research methods

Exam questions about research methods are very common Discuss one or more research methods used to investigate the relationship between the brain and behaviour. Evaluate one or more research methods used to study the interaction between technologies and cognitive processes. Contrast two research methods used to investigate cultural origins of behaviour and cognition. To what extent can any one research … Read More