1
Topic 1
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Depression, health behaviour and treatment
▼
Topic 1
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Depression, health behaviour and treatment
Understanding Psychological Disorders
Genetic contributions to major depressive disorder, neurotransmitter activity, animal research, Beck’s cognitive explanation, schemas and depressive thinking, cultural influences on MDD, cross-cultural differences, operant conditioning, and social support.
Health-Related Behaviour & Psychological Factors
Rates of obesity and smoking, cultural differences in health behaviour, social learning explanations of obesity, and the connections between cortisol, stress and obesity.
Prevention & Psychological Treatment
Pharmacological treatment of major depressive disorder and nicotine dependence, biological reductionism in drug-based approaches, and cognitive behavioural therapy for depression and nicotine addiction.
2
Topic 2
Human Growth and Psychological Development
Brain development, cognition, attachment and identity
▼
Topic 2
Human Growth and Psychological Development
Brain development, cognition, attachment and identity
Understanding Developmental Processes
Brain maturation, neuroplasticity, Vygotsky’s sociocultural approach, Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, and the emergence of theory of mind.
Development of Identity & Self
Bowlby’s attachment theory, consequences of insufficient attachment, enculturation and identity formation, social identity and peer influence, and the developmental effects of poverty and childhood exposure to conflict.
3
Topic 3
Social Interaction and Relationships
Group behaviour, culture and personal relationships
▼
Topic 3
Social Interaction and Relationships
Group behaviour, culture and personal relationships
Behaviour in Social Groups
Acculturation and mental wellbeing, commitment as a compliance strategy, conformity, cultural dimensions of group behaviour, social identity theory, and social learning explanations of group behaviour.
Formation & Maintenance of Relationships
Dopamine and romantic attachment, the matching hypothesis, self-disclosure in relationships, and social exchange theory as an explanation of interpersonal relationships.
4
Topic 4
Learning, Thinking and Cognitive Processes
Bias, conditioning, schema and memory models
▼
Topic 4
Learning, Thinking and Cognitive Processes
Bias, conditioning, schema and memory models
Learning & Decision-Making
Anchoring bias, confirmation bias, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, dual-process models of thinking, schema theory, and applications of social learning theory.
Memory & Cognitive Function
Brain damage and memory, the multi-store memory model, cognitive load and working memory, comparisons between major memory models, cultural effects on memory, spatial memory, cultural schemas, and the influence of computer gaming.
5
Topic 5
Research Methods and Psychological Investigation
Methods, design, evaluation and data analysis
▼
Topic 5
Research Methods and Psychological Investigation
Methods, design, evaluation and data analysis
Psychological Research Approaches
Experimental methods, observational research, surveys and questionnaires, interviews, correlational investigations, and case-study research.
Designing & Evaluating Psychological Research
Reliability, validity, generalisability, researcher and participant bias, reflexivity, transferability, credibility, and different participant sampling techniques.
Analysing & Interpreting Psychological Data HL
Graphical presentation of data, box-and-whisker plots, frequency tables, data distributions, descriptive statistics, outliers, inferential statistics and probability, statistical testing, correlation coefficients, and thematic analysis.
6
Topic 6 HL
Culture and Human Behaviour
Culture across wellbeing, development, relationships and cognition
▼
Topic 6 HL
Culture and Human Behaviour
Culture across wellbeing, development, relationships and cognition
Culture & Psychological Wellbeing
Cultural influences on mental health conditions, culture and psychological diagnosis, and similarities and differences in major depressive disorder across cultural settings.
Culture & Human Development
Cultural influences on parenting, etic and emic approaches to developmental research, and the role of culture in shaping identity and self-development.
Culture & Interpersonal Relationships
Cultural influences on marriage, relationships, and interpersonal communication across different cultural contexts.
Culture, Learning & Cognition
Cultural influences on learning and thinking, bilingualism and cognition, and differences in learning processes across cultures.
7
Topic 7 HL
Motivation and Behaviour
Motivation in health, development, work and learning
▼
Topic 7 HL
Motivation and Behaviour
Motivation in health, development, work and learning
Motivation & Health Behaviour
Fear-arousal approaches to smoking cessation, and the motivational processes involved in quitting smoking and changing health-related behaviour.
Motivation & Human Development
The role of motivation in development, the influence of praise, and the ways motivational processes affect psychological and behavioural development.
Motivation in Social & Work Settings
Motivation in sporting contexts, locus of control and behaviour, and the factors influencing motivation and performance in the workplace.
Motivation, Learning & Academic Behaviour
The relationship between motivation and learning, independent learning approaches, and the methods used to assess and measure motivation.
8
Topic 8 HL
Technology and Psychology
Technology across health, development, relationships and memory
▼
Topic 8 HL
Technology and Psychology
Technology across health, development, relationships and memory
Technology & Mental Health
The use of technology in patient care, technology and psychological wellbeing, and the effectiveness of virtual-reality exposure therapy in treating psychological difficulties.
Technology & Human Development
Technology and self-development, the influence of artificial intelligence on human development, and the effects of technoference on attachment and developmental relationships.
Technology & Social Relationships
Media influences on relationships, social media and group behaviour, and the role of technology in acculturation and adaptation to new cultural environments.
Technology, Learning & Memory
The influence of digital technology on learning processes, and the ways technology can affect memory and cognitive performance.