Travis Dixon: IB WSL, Author and Examiner.

Extracted from: How to write excellent IB exam

answers

How do I get top marks in an SAQ?

This is an extract that will focus specifically on SAQs

In order to write excellent SAQs it is important that you know and understand psychological:

 Concepts

o And…

 Research

Terms, studies and theories are the building blocks of your success in psychology.
But they’re only the blocks, you have to put them together to demonstrate concepts!

Examples of Concepts and Research

Concepts (Examples) Research (Examples)

 Biology may affect cognition  HM’s Case study

 Animal studies on levels of
neurotransmission
 Our social environment can affect our  Milgram’s research
behaviour  Asch’s study
 Bandura’s Bobo Doll
 Many possible factors may influence  Darley and Latane (e.g. smokey
bystanderism room)
 Piliavin (bystanderism on a train)
The concepts come from the learning
outcomes – identify the key concepts in
each LO, and you’ll do great in the exam!

There is so much overlap in the concepts – The research is the evidence used to show
you can cut down your memorization by the concept.
over 50%!!!
I’ll show you how later in this guide!!!

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Travis Dixon: IB WSL, Author and Examiner. Extracted from: How to write excellent IB exam
answers

So what do I need to do in SAQs?

Explain how concepts can be demonstrated in research!

Concepts Research

You’ll actually include less than 5% of everything you learn in the IB Psychology course in
the actual exam because you’ll focus on very specific relationships between concepts and
research.
You only answer three SAQs…

 that means you are only explaining three concepts!!

The exam isn’t about you showing how much knowledge you have
–

It is about showing how well you can use the knowledge you have!

So the first step in writing excellent answers in IB Psychology is you have to understand
psychological:
 Concepts
And explain how they’re demonstrated in…
 Research

The key to writing excellent answers in IB Psychology is to use your psychological knowledge to…

 Understand the question (by identifying the specific concept)

o and…
 Answer the question (by using specific details of research to demonstrate specific
concepts)

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Travis Dixon: IB WSL, Author and Examiner. Extracted from: How to write excellent IB exam
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What is a concept? Can you give me some examples?

Let’s just look at a few (notice how these come from the learning outcomes?)
1. Ethical considerations need to be considered in research
2. Biology may affect cognition
3. Numerous factors may influence conformity

An excellent answer will identify a specific

concept between more specific factors than
is stated in the question.
 This is because the research you use will be
specific and to show the relationship between the
concept and the research, you need to be specific!

Let’s see how to change the concepts above into specific examples…
1. Ethical considerations need to be considered in research
o Right to withdraw is important when using brain imaging technology,
because of the claustrophobic nature of the machines and the discomfort
they can cause.
 Research: two participants had to leave Maguire’s (taxi v bus)
research for this reason.

2. Biology may affect cognition

o Our hippocampus function may affect memory formation
 Research: HM’s study

3. Numerous factors may influence conformity

o Cultural values may influence conformity, such as the importance of the
group over the individual in collectivist cultures
 Research: Bond and Smith’s meta-analysis of studies

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 Travis Dixon: IB WSL, Author and Examiner. Extracted from: How to write excellent IB exam
answers

Part One: Understanding the Question

There are two parts to an exam question in IB Psychology that are important to identify in
order to understand the question:
1. The command term1
2. A relationship

Command Terms in SAQs

There are only two command terms you need to know in SAQs:

 Describe
 Explain

My advice is that you should always aim to explain in an SAQ. The explanation requires you to show
relationships between concepts and research.

The table below provides explanation, and there are examples of what this looks like later on…

Level of Command Terms Summary of what each level means…

Achievement
Level One Describe This shows your knowledge.
Knowledge (of (Outline is also
research, terms one, but when But don’t just dump all your knowledge in the answer... you are only
and concepts) you see outline including level one so you can get to level two!
just think
describe) Level one is about including information so the reader knows what specific
concept you’re focusing on, and they understand your research.

Without the description, your explanation won’t make sense!!!!

Level Two Explain At this level you have to make the relationship between the concepts and
Application the research really clear.
(Understanding
of relationships) Level two requires you to explain the relationships between the concepts
and the research.

You can see that unless you’ve included relevant information in level one,
your explanation won’t make sense.

It’s the explanation that will get you a 7!!!!

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in an SAQ – you can always aim to explain
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Part Two: Explaining research

This is the difference between a 4 and a 7 – and it
requires no additional memorization!

Explain how the research demonstrates the concept…

You’ll see that these concepts are quite broad. Your specific concept will be based on the
specific research you have studied in class.
In the exam questions the relationships are general – you need to be specific in order to
clearly explain how a specific concept can be demonstrated in a specific piece of research.

Exam SAQ: “Explain how one factor may influence conformity.”

 Concept = factors influence conformity
o Specific concept = culture may influence conformity
 Even more specific = cultural values in collectivist and individualistic
cultures may influence conformity
 Research: Bond and Smith’s Meta-analysis and Hoefstede’s
cultural dimensions

Exam SAQ: “Explain one theory of how emotion may affect one cognitive
process”
 Concept = emotion may affect one cognitive process
o Specific concept = emotion may affect flash bulb memory formation
 Even more specific = I don’t need to for this question…
 Research: Brown and Kulik’s FBM theory - I don’t need a
study, as the theory is in the question. But if I had time, I could
use a study briefly to support it (but I wouldn’t have time, as
explaining the theory would take 350 words!)

You’ll only use about 3% of the content you’ve learnt in class in the
actual exam!

Planning Your SAQ

Step One: If the command term doesn’t say explain, cross it out and write explain!
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Step One - A: If the question doesn’t specifically mention research (study or theory), add
“Use research to support your answer” to the end of the question)”.
 Travis Dixon: IB WSL, Author and Examiner. Extracted from: How to write excellent IB exam
answers

Example:

Question: Outline how one biological factor may affect one cognitive process.
Step One: Outline Explain how one biological factor may affect one cognitive process.
Step One – A: Explain how one biological factor may affect one cognitive process. Use
research to support your answer.
Step Two: Identify the general concept: biological factors may affect one cognitive
process (biology affects cognition)
Step Three: Identify the specific concept: Hippocampal function affects memory
Step Four: Evidence = HM’s Case Study
Because the removal of his hippocampus changed his memory, this shows biology
(hippocampal function) affecting memory.

 I need to select a study that clearly shows biology affecting cognition (e.g. HM’s case
study)
 This is where you turn your 4 into a 7!! See the highlighted parts in the examples!
Step Five: You’re ready to start writing (the steps above are the planning!)
You have to make the connection between the specific details of the research and the
specific concept you are demonstrating explicit. This makes for a “focused and well-
developed answer that clearly shows knowledge and understanding of psychological
research.”

Example Planning
Write the question: Outline Explain one principle of the cognitive level of analysis
Concept/Principle2 – biology can affect cognitive processes

Explain – show the relationship between biology and cognition. Use the research to demonstrate my
answer.

Biology can affect cognitive processes

What are the concepts?
(broad and specific) More specifically, hippocampal function can influence memory
formation

HM’s Case Study

2
The principles are the conceptual understandings – don’t memorise them – understand them!
Removal of hippocampus affected his short term to long term 6
memory

Examples: could hold information in memory, but if distracted it was

forgotten
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Where’s the evidence?

How does the evidence The fact that his ability to transfer what was in his working
show the concept? memory (up to 30 seconds) to his long-term memory (longer than
30 seconds) changed from before the surgery to after, and the
only difference was the removal of his hippocampus, this suggests
that the hippocampus plays a function in that transferal process.
A note on the steps…

I can’t stress enough how important this final step in making the relationship
between the research and the concept explicitly clear! That is where you
show your understanding and critical thinking to the examiner!

It’s the difference between a 4 level answer and a 7. If you can make this
explanation clear, it’s also 70% of your essay, too!!!

In summary, to write an excellent SAQ you need to…

1. identify the specific concept in the question
2. select the relevant research related to the specific concept
3. show how the research demonstrates the specific concept
Your Turn:
SAQ Question: …
Write the question you’re actually answering here:

What are the

concepts? 7

Start broad and

then narrow to a
 Travis Dixon: IB WSL, Author and Examiner. Extracted from: How to write excellent IB exam
answers

What’s research will

you use to demonstrate
the concept??

How does the research show

the concept?

But how do I write this in an SAQ?

When writing anything, remember your purpose and audience…

In your IB psychology exam you are writing to show the examiner you understand
how psychological concepts can be demonstrated in research.
Your examiner wants to know that you can use research to demonstrate a concept.

So, your introductory paragraph in an SAQ should:

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Travis Dixon: IB WSL, Author and Examiner. Extracted from: How to write excellent IB exam
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 make the relationship you are explaining clear

 identify the specific research you will use to demonstrate the
relationship
o Basically, like any good intro it gives your reader some context
(activate their schema so they can easily process the rest of your answer!)

Your initial paragraph/s should:

 provide enough relevant information show the examiner knows you
understand the concept and/or research (describe)
o again, only select relevant information that will allow your reader
to understand your explanation.
Your later body paragraph/s should:
 make it explicit how the concept is demonstrated in research (explain!)

Introduce

The SAQ Describe

Structure The ratio of description to
explanation will depend on if the
command term is Level One
(Outline/Describe) or Level Two
(Explain).

Explain

Turn your plan into an SAQ …Very Brieftosummary

(remember leave lines between paragraphs to
make your structure easy for the examiner to follow. Plan your answer so you
know your structure will be logical)
Suggested plan:
1. identify concepts (start broad – go specific)
2. outline key details of the research
3. plan how the research demonstrates the concept

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Travis Dixon: IB WSL, Author and Examiner. Extracted from: How to write excellent IB exam
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Frequently Asked Questions

 Do I need to include details like how many participants in my description?

Only include relevant information for your explanation. If it’s irrelevant to your explanation, then don’t
include it. Nearly all of the time, the number of participants in a study is irrelevant to show the
conceptual understanding in the question so adding it won’t make marks. You have about 300 words to
write your answer – don’t waste time and words on irrelevant details.

 How much do I describe?

Look at the concept in the question. If the question is asking you to describe a theory, you describe as
much as you can about that theory. If not, then only describe as much as needed to make your
explanation make sense (don’t dump on the page – select relevant details in your planning process!) I
don’t want to read boring summaries of irrelevant details. I don’t care how much you know – I care how
much you understand!

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 Do I always need to use studies?

No. You don’t. Again, look at the question. What concept can you use that is relvant to the answer? If the
question is, for instance, “Describe Social Learning Theory”, then you should identify the key concept
within the theory (e.g. we learn from observation).

 Do I need to remember names and dates?

This is far, far, far down on the list of things to revise and memorise. Make sure you can describe studies
(in 150 words or less) and explain their relationship to concepts. Then, and only then, begin remembering
names (don’t worry about dates!)

 Can I use material from the options (e.g. abnormal) in the SAQs?

Yes. Absolutely, and you should. The examiner doesn’t care where your understanding of the concept
and the research comes from – they only care about your understanding of the concept and how that can
be demonstrated in research (if it’s relevant – use it!)

 Can I use info from one LOA in another SAQ?

If it’s relevant, absolutely, yes! And you should. Cut down on the overlap! Identify the concept and use
the research appropriately. There are no “rules” on which studies can and/or cannot be used anywhere in
the exam. If they demonstrate the concept, use it and be sure to explain how it demonstrates the
concept!

 Can I use diagrams?

Yes, of course. Why not? If a diagram helps you demonstrate the relationship between the concept and
the research, absolutely use a diagram. But it should only be used to support your written descriptions
and explanations.

 What about bullet points?

Same point as above. How you actually communicate your understanding of the relationship between the
concepts and the research doesn’t matter – what matters is that you can.

As an examiner, I love diagrams and bullet points – let me see the description early and easily so I can get
to your good stuff – the explanation!

What does it look like?

The first answer is what I see all the time. See if you can take what you’ve learnt so far in this guide and
apply it to giving feedback on how this answer could go from a mid-band to a high-band answer (the
addition of only three sentences is needed).

Explain how one biological factor may affect one cognitive process…3

Answer #1

One biological factor that may affect one cognitive process is shown in HM’s study where he had his
hippocampus removed because he had epileptic seizures. He experienced seizures as a result of a bike
accident that he had as a kid and the hippocampus was thought to play a role in the seizures, so in order
to save his life they operated. The removal of his hippocampus helped to reduce the seizures but
afterwards the researchers noticed that he had memory problems. He couldn’t make new memories.

3
I will point out here that I am using HM because he’s commonly taught..
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They found that they could ask him to hold a number in his head but when distracted or after a while he
couldn’t remember what the number was. His working memory was fine, it seemed, but his ability to
transfer his short-term working memory to long-term memory was affected. Also, they did tasks like a
star-tracing task and they showed that his procedural memory was fine as well, it was only his episodic
memory.

This study clearly shows that biological factors may affect one cognitive process.

The ending of this answer makes me want to cry…although there’s a bit of irrelevant information to begin with,
they start describing relevant details and it looks like they’re going to do a great job answering the question –
but then they forget to explain exactly how the study demonstrates the concept.

Let’s see how with just more explanation (no more memorization required – only three sentences added) the
same answer can go from a 4/9 to a 7/9. I have highlighted where the slight changes are made get to level
two!

Answer #2:

Explain how one biological factor may affect one cognitive process…

One biological factor that may affect one cognitive process is shown in HM’s study where he had his
hippocampus removed because he had epileptic seizures. This study suggests that the function of the
hippocampus could influence role in memory formation, and more specifically transferring short term to
long term memory. He experienced seizures as a result of a bike accident that he had as a kid and the
hippocampus was thought to play a role in the seizures, so in order to save his life they operated. The
removal of his hippocampus helped to reduce the seizures but afterwards the researchers noticed that he
had memory problems. He couldn’t make new memories. They found that they could ask him to hold a
number in his head but when distracted or after a while he couldn’t remember what the number was. His
working memory was fine, it seemed, but his ability to transfer his short-term working memory to long-
term memory was affected. Since these problems only occurred after the operation where his
hippocampus was removed, it suggests that hippocampus plays a role in the ability to transfer short-term
memory into long-term memory. Also, they did tasks like a star-tracing task and they showed that his
procedural memory was fine as well, it was only his episodic memory. These results show that the
hippocampus may not affect other cognitive processes like procedural memory, but specifically the
process of short-term to long-term storage. From HM’s study, we can see that removal of the
hippocampus or other damage that affects its function may influence memory formation.

Psychology Short Answer Question (SAQ) Rubric

The rubric below needs to be interpreted and applied to the context of a Level Two
“Explanation” question, requiring a 250 – 400 word response. The question is designed to
allow students to demonstrate one key conceptual understanding relevant to psychology,
with the use of at least one specific example of empirical evidence to support their answer.

Developed from the SOLO Taxonomy

 A building block – an individual idea, skill and/or unit of knowledge (a statement,
description, definition)
 A relationship chain – a connection of building blocks that demonstrates
understanding of a significant relationship (an explanation)

Knowing Understanding Communicating

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The extent to which individual building The extent to which building blocks The extent to which the structure
blocks are accurately recalled and are connected to establish strong of the answer is logical and allows
relevant to the demands of the question. relationship chains that are directly the reader to clearly understand
applied to the question. the argument conveyed.
A Impressive knowledge is demonstrated Impressive understanding of a key The structure of the answer
through the assortment of highly concept in Psychology is enables the reader to clearly
accurate, relevant and specific building demonstrated through the understand relationship chains and
blocks. This allows sufficient explanation and direct application of their significance in regards to the
contextualization for a detailed significant and clearly constructed question.
explanation. relationship chains.
B Detailed knowledge is demonstrated Sound understanding of a key concept The structure of the answer
through the assortment of mostly in Psychology is demonstrated enables the reader to understand
accurate, relevant and specific building through the explanation and relationship chains and their
blocks. There may be one or two errors application of significant relationship significance in regards to the
or areas for improvement in these areas. chains that are mostly clearly question, with one area where a
The building blocks provide sufficient constructed. There may be some reordering of ideas would have
context for a strong explanation. weaknesses in some links. improved the answer.
C Acceptable knowledge is demonstrated A general understanding of a key The structure of the answer
through the assortment of generally concept in Psychology is enables the reader requires the
accurate, relevant and specific building demonstrated through an attempt to reader in at least two areas to
blocks. There may be few areas explain and construct relationship reorder ideas in order to
The building blocks provide sufficient chains. The links might be weak understand the answer.
context for a basic explanation. and/or the application to the question
is not explicit.
D Superficial knowledge is demonstrated A superficial understanding of a key The structure of the answer
through an assortment of building blocks concept in Psychology is requires the reader to heavily
that may suffer from inaccuracies, demonstrated through poorly rearrange and/or study the
irrelevancies, or a lack of specificity. Or, explained and constructed presentation of ideas in order for
the building blocks do no provide relationship chains. The links are the answer to be clearly
sufficient contextualization for a basic weak and there is no attempt to make understood.
explanation. the application to the question
explicit.
F Superficial knowledge is demonstrated No understanding of a key concept in The structure requires heavy
through an assortment of building blocks Psychology is demonstrated through concentration and deliberate
that are highly inaccurate, irrelevant, or no attempt to explain or construct reordering and re-reading in order
too vague. The building blocks do no any relationship chains. for the answer to be understood.
provide sufficient contextualization for
any basic explanation.

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