Ia student version
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This document provides guidance for students on developing various sections of the Internal Assessment (IA) for psychology. It outlines best practices for the introduction, design/participants, procedure, results, discussion, and presentation sections. Key recommendations include using a funnel structure for the introduction; providing detailed procedures; justifying the design and sampling; clearly defining variables; discussing ethics and limitations; and properly citing sources and labeling appendices. Adhering to these guidelines will help students earn higher marks on their IA.
Ia student version
- 2. Introductions • HL should use a “funnel down approach” to developing the introduction - that is, from general to specific. Finish with the study you are replicating.
- 3. Introductions • The procedure of the original study should be outlined in as much detail as possible. This is important for the discussion section.
- 4. Introductions • Even at SL, the aim should be written with regard to an IV and DV - not simply “we will replicate Loftus & Palmer’s original study.” Remember to note the target population!
- 5. Introductions • Simply writing the dates of the studies is not sufficient citation in most cases. • You can use textbooks - but use secondary citation (Chi, Pirolli & Pitkow, 2000, as cited in Crane & Hannibal, 2009).
- 6. Design & Participants • A significant number of students earn zero marks for B & C.
- 7. Design & Participants • Replications should be done under “controlled conditions.” If you do your work in hallways or at lunch tables, this is inappropriate for IA. Here you may lose marks in procedure as well as design.
- 8. Design & Participants • The design and sampling method must be “justified.” This means that you need to explain why you chose your design and sampling method.
- 9. Design & Participants • The IV and DV must be operationalized. Both need to be very clearly defined and it needs to be clear how the DV will be measured.
- 10. Design & Participants • Ethics must be discussed and all documentation must be included. Often parental consent is not included for participants under 16. Also, debriefing notes are often forgotten. This means a zero for criterion B.
- 11. Procedure • There should be a list of materials prior to the procedure. • May be bulleted, but should be in complete sentences. • Should refer to appendices.
- 12. Results • There should be only one graph which clearly reflects the aim or hypothesis. The IV and DV should be clearly represented.
- 13. Results Do not graph raw data.
- 14. Results • Descriptive stats must also address variance of data. • SL should avoid nominal data. HL may apply chi squared.
- 15. Discussion • Discussions should start by explaining the results section and comparing the results to the original study (SL) or the background literature (HL).
- 16. Discussion • The discussion should be one of the most significant parts of your paper. Many students write very short discussions and only “state the obvious.”
- 17. Discussion • The rubric says that students should discuss the “limitations of the design and procedure.” Too many students discuss the nature of the sample. This does not earn any marks.
- 18. Discussion • Modifications should be linked to the limitations that were identified.
- 19. Discussion • Strong discussions link theory to the study.
- 20. Presentation • Citation is the number one reason that students lose marks in this criterion. • It is also important that appendices be appropriately labeled.