DP27 D1 Psychology End of Year Exam Comprehensive Study Guide

D1 Psychology End of Year Exam Structure: Paper 1 & Paper 3

• General Overview     - The End of Year (EOY) exam consists of two main components: Paper 1 and Paper 3.     - These notes reflect the DP27 (D1) curriculum and specific adaptations for this testing period.

Paper 1: Core Psychology (All Students)

• Overview and Focus     - Target Audience: Everyone (Standard Level and Higher Level).     - Duration: The standard Paper 1 exam is $1\,hour\,30\,minutes$. For the EOY exam, students are granted $30\,minutes$ of extra time, totaling $2\,hours$.     - Central Focus: Understanding and applying psychological principles.     - Core Content Areas:         - Biological Approach         - Cognitive Approach         - Sociocultural Approach

• Section A: Short Answer Questions (SAQs)     - Format: Two SAQs.     - Weighting: $4\,marks$ each.     - Requirements:         - Explain concepts clearly.         - Utilize simple, accurate knowledge.         - Explicitly follow command terms ("Describe" or "Explain").

• Section B: Applied Questions     - Format: Two Applied Questions.     - Weighting: $6\,marks$ each.     - Focus: Real-life scenarios.     - Requirements:         - Apply psychological knowledge directly to the provided scenario.         - Refer to specific details within the scenario.

• Section C: Extended Response (Essay)     - Format: One Essay.     - Weighting: $15\,marks$.     - Requirements:         - Build a clear, structured argument.         - Incorporate relevant psychological theory and research.         - Include critical evaluation.

Paper 1 Assessment Criteria and Marking

• Section A Marking Criteria ($4\,marks$)     - To achieve full marks, the student must demonstrate detailed knowledge relevant to the question.     - Any example provided must be both relevant and thoroughly explained.

• Section B Marking Criteria ($6\,marks$)     - $0\,marks$: The answer does not reach the standard described below.     - $1–2\,marks$: Knowledge and understanding of the question is limited; application of knowledge is relevant but limited.     - $3–4\,marks$: Knowledge and understanding has some detail and is mostly accurate; application of knowledge is relevant and partially developed.     - $5–6\,marks$: Knowledge and understanding is accurate and detailed; application of relevant knowledge is well-developed.

• Section C Marking Criteria ($15\,marks$)     - $0\,marks$: Work does not reach the required standard.     - $1–3\,marks$: Little understanding of the question; very limited knowledge with potential inaccuracies; mostly descriptive with little analysis; missing/irrelevant links; basic/unclear conclusion; incorrect terminology.     - $4–6\,marks$: Some understanding; basic knowledge; mostly descriptive with some analysis; partially relevant links; simple conclusion; imprecise or vague terminology.     - $7–9\,marks$: Understanding is present but not fully developed; knowledge is partly explained; analysis is not fully developed; links are partly relevant; conclusion is present but inconsistent; terminology lacks accuracy.     - $10–12\,marks$: Clear address of the question; knowledge is mostly explained and relevant; includes critical analysis (not fully developed); clear links between ideas; consistent conclusion; mostly accurate terminology.     - $13–15\,marks$: Fully addresses the question; clear, accurate, and detailed knowledge; well-developed critical analysis throughout; strong, clear links; clear and well-reasoned conclusion; accurate and precise terminology throughout.

Paper 1 Command Terms

• Describe: Describe what something is clearly and accurately. Include key details and key terminology.
• Explain: Describe the concept AND give reasons or causes.
• Compare and Contrast: Give an account of similarities and differences between two (or more) items or situations, referring to both (all) of them throughout.
• Discuss: 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.
• Evaluate: Make an appraisal by weighing up the strengths and limitations.
• Examine: Consider an argument or concept in a way that uncovers the assumptions and interrelationships of the issue.
• To what extent?: Consider the merits or otherwise of an argument or concept. Opinions and conclusions should be presented clearly and supported with appropriate evidence and sound argument.

Paper 1 Question Bank

• Cognitive SAQs ($4\,marks$)     - Describe/Explain anchoring bias with reference to one example of its role in decision-making.     - Describe/Explain classical conditioning with reference to one example of its role in behavior.     - Describe/Explain cognitive load theory with reference to one example of how it helps us to understand human cognition.     - Describe/Explain one cognitive model with reference to one example of how it explains a cognitive process or behavior.     - Describe/Explain confirmation bias with reference to one example of its role in decision-making.     - Describe/Explain the Dual Process Theory with reference to one example of how it explains decision-making.     - Describe/Explain operant conditioning with reference to one example of its role in behavior.     - Describe/Explain schema theory with reference to one example of how it helps us to understand one cognitive process.

• Biological SAQs ($4\,marks$)     - Describe/Explain biological reductionism, with reference to one example.     - Describe/Explain the use of one brain imaging technique in the study of behavior with reference to one example.     - Describe/Explain the role of one chemical messenger in human behavior.     - Describe/Explain localization of function with reference to one example of behavior or cognition.     - Describe/Explain neurotransmission with reference to one example of its role in human behavior.

• Sociocultural SAQs ($4\,marks$)     - Describe/explain social identity theory with reference to one example of how it explains and/or may be applied to change one behavior.     - Describe/Explain social learning theory with reference to one example of how it explains and/or may be applied to change one behavior.

• Section B Examples (Applied Questions)     - B1 Scenario: A teacher observes that students struggle with verbal instructions when there is background noise (other students talking) but perform better when instructions are written on the board. Task: Explain how the Working Memory Model could explain this situation.     - B2 Scenario: A student watches a news report about a protest in another country. When later describing it, the student adds non-existent details (e.g., assuming violence). Task: Explain how schema theory explains this behavior.

• Section C Example (Essay)     - Discuss change with regard to the influence of one or more environmental factors on one cognitive process.

Paper 3: Research Methods (HL Only)

• Overview and Logistics     - Standard Duration: $1\,hour\,45\,minutes$ ($45\,minutes$ for three SAQs and $1\,hour$ for one Essay).     - EOY Adaptation: Students will have $1\,hour$. They will answer Questions 1–3 only. The Essay question (Question 4) is excluded.     - Restriction: Students will NOT be asked about "transferability" in Question 3 as it has not yet been covered in class.     - Focus: Analyzing and evaluating research rather than memorizing specific studies.

• Exam Materials and Skills     - The Stimulus Booklet: Contains a research scenario including graphs, tables, and a study description.     - Required Skills:         - Interpret data.         - Analyse results.         - Evaluate methods.         - Suggest improvements.     - Core Concepts to Understand:         - Reliability         - Validity         - Bias         - Ethics

Paper 3 Practice Stimuli: Screen Time and Stress Study

• Source 1: Graph/Data     - Researcher investigated daily screen time ($hours$) vs. self-reported stress levels ($score\,out\,of\,10$) in $50$ secondary school students.     - Data Points:         - $1–2\,hours$ screen time: Average stress level of $3/10$.         - $3–5\,hours$ screen time: Average stress level of $5/10$.         - $6+\,hours$ screen time: Average stress level of $7/10$.     - Question 1 ($3\,marks$): Explain one issue that limits the interpretation of the data in Source 1.

• Source 2: Study Summary     - Methodology: Questionnaire study.     - Sample: $50$ students, aged $15–17$, from one international school.     - Data Collected: Hours of daily screen use (phones, laptops, tablets) and stress rating ($1–10$).     - Researcher's Conclusion: "Increased screen time leads to higher stress levels in students."     - Question 2 ($6\,marks$): Refer to Source 2. Analyse the findings and state a conclusion about the relationship between screen time and stress.

• Source 3: Follow-up Interviews     - Methodology: Semi-structured interviews with a sub-sample of $5$ students.     - Reported Findings:         - Students use screens to relax after school.         - Exams cause stress, not screens.         - Students use screens more when they are already stressed.     - Themes Identified by Researcher:         - Stress causes.         - Screen use habits.         - Coping strategies.     - Question 3 ($6\,marks$): Refer to Source 3. Discuss how the researcher could improve the credibility of the findings.

• Question 4 (For Review Only - NOT FOR THE EXAM)     - Prompt: To what extent can we conclude that screen time causes higher stress in students? ($15\,marks$). Requires use of at least two sources and personal knowledge.