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50+ IB Psychology IA Ideas
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IB Psychology IA Ideas
IB Psychology IA ideas list is available online with expert guidance and examples. The list contains 20 to 50+ IA ideas, including research questions and topic descriptions and IB Psychology Internal assessment examples. Choosing the perfect IB Psychology IA topic can be made easier by approaching it methodically and evaluating existing research before conducting further research on a topic Psychology IA ideas
1.) Eyewitness reports by Loftus and Palmer (1974)
Research Question:
How does the wording of a question affect the accuracy of eyewitness reports?
Independent Variables:
Wording of the question (e.g., “smashed” vs. “hit” in the context of a car accident)
Dependent Variables:
Accuracy of the eyewitness reports (measured by participants’ descriptions of the accident and speed estimations)
2.) Word length and the structure of short-term memory by Baddeley, Thompson, and Buchanan (1975)
Research Question:
How does word length impact short-term memory and its structure?
Independent Variables:
Word length (e.g., short words vs. long words)
Dependent Variables:
Performance on short-term memory tasks (e.g., recall accuracy)
3.) Does background music impair memory? Perham and Vizard (2010)
Research Question:
Does the presence of background music have an effect on memory performance?
Independent Variables:
Background music (presence or absence)
Dependent Variables:
Memory performance (e.g., recall or recognition accuracy)
4.) Anchoring bias by Tversky and Kahneman (1973)
Research Question:
How does the initial anchor value influence subsequent judgments or decisions?
Independent Variables:
Initial anchor value (e.g., a random number provided to participants)
Dependent Variables:
Subsequent judgments or decisions (e.g., estimates or choices)
5.) Associations, sets, and the solution of word problems by Safren (1962)
Research Question:
How do different types of associations and sets affect the solution of word problems?
Independent Variables:
Types of associations and sets (e.g., semantic associations, unrelated sets)
Dependent Variables:
Problem-solving performance (e.g., accuracy and speed of solving word problems)
6.) The strength of the Halo effect in physical attractiveness research by Lucker, Beane, and Helmreich (1981)
Research Question:
To what extent does physical attractiveness influence the overall perception of an individual’s characteristics?
Independent Variables:
Physical attractiveness of individuals
Dependent Variables:
Perception of individuals’ characteristics (e.g., personality traits)
7.) Heuristics by Tversky and Kahneman (1973)
Research Question:
How do people use heuristics, or mental shortcuts, in decision-making and problem-solving?
Independent Variables:
Use of heuristics (e.g., availability heuristic, representativeness heuristic)
Dependent Variables:
Decision-making or problem-solving outcomes
8.) Word and letter recognition by Jonides and Gleitman (1972)
Research Question:
How do people recognize and process words and letters in visual stimuli?
Independent Variables:
Type of visual stimuli (e.g., words, letters)
Dependent Variables:
Recognition accuracy or response time
9.) Attitudinal effects of mere exposure by Zajonc (1968)
Research Question:
Research Question: Does repeated exposure to a stimulus influence individuals’ attitudes toward that stimulus?
Independent Variables:
Frequency of exposure to the stimulus
Dependent Variables:
Changes in individuals’ attitudes or preferences
10.) Social facilitation theory by Zajonc and Sales (1966)
Research Question:
How does the presence of others affect an individual’s performance on a task?
Independent Variables:
Presence or absence of an audience or co-performers
Dependent Variables:
Performance on the task (e.g., improved or impaired performance)
11.) Schema Theory by Anderson and Pichert (1978)
Research Question:
How do individuals’ mental schemas or cognitive frameworks influence the encoding and retrieval of information?
Independent Variables:
Activation or modification of existing schemas
Dependent Variables:
Memory encoding, retrieval, or information processing
12.) Stroop Effect by Stroop (1935)
Research Question:
How does interference between conflicting information (e.g., color and word) affect cognitive processing?
Independent Variables:
Congruency or incongruency of color and word in a task
Dependent Variables:
Response time or accuracy in naming the color of the word stimuli.
13.) Smartphone notifications and working memory by Aharony and Zion (2019)
Research Question:
How do smartphone notifications impact working memory performance?
Independent Variables:
Presence or absence of smartphone notifications
Dependent Variables:
Working memory performance (e.g., accuracy and response time in working memory tasks)
14.) Handwriting vs Typing by Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014)
Research Question:
What are the cognitive differences between handwriting and typing notes during a lecture?
Independent Variables:
Note-taking method (handwriting vs. typing)
Dependent Variables:
Learning and retention of lecture material
15.) Liked vs Disliked music by Perham and Vizard (2010)
Research Question:
How does listening to liked versus disliked music affect cognitive performance and mood?
Independent Variables:
Type of music (liked vs. disliked)
Dependent Variables:
Cognitive performance (e.g., memory recall, problem-solving) and mood (e.g., self-reported mood changes)
16.) Effects of exercise on memory by Labuan and Etneir (2011)
Research Question:
How does regular exercise impact memory performance in individuals?
Independent Variables:
Exercise regimen (presence or absence of regular exercise)
Dependent Variables:
Memory performance (e.g., recall accuracy, cognitive function related to memory)
17.) Google effects on memory by Sparrow, Liu, and Wegner (2011)
Research Question:
How does the availability of external information through Google affect individuals’ memory and information retrieval processes?
Independent Variables:
Access to Google (presence or absence)
Dependent Variables:
Memory performance and information retrieval strategies
18.) The effects of TV on working memory by Lillard and Peterson (2011)
Research Question:
How does exposure to television content influence working memory in young children?
Independent Variables:
Exposure to television content (e.g., educational vs. non-educational)
Dependent Variables:
Working memory performance in children
19.) Facial expressions and mood by Kleinke et al. (1998)
Research Question:
How do facial expressions influence individuals’ mood perceptions and emotional responses?
Independent Variables:
Facial expressions (e.g., happy, sad, neutral)
Dependent Variables:
Participants’ reported mood and emotional responses
20.) Anchoring bias and guessing Gandhi’s age by Kahneman and Tversky (1974)
Research Question:
How does an initial anchor value influence individuals’ estimates of Gandhi’s age?
Independent Variables:
Initial anchor value (e.g., a high or low random number provided)
Dependent Variables:
Participants’ estimates of Gandhi’s age
21.) The effects of difficult-to-read fonts on memory by Diemand-Yauman et al. (2011)
Research Question:
How does the readability of text (font difficulty) impact memory retention?
Independent Variables:
Font difficulty (easy-to-read vs. difficult-to-read)
Dependent Variables:
Memory retention for text passages
22.) Weapon focus and memory reliability by Loftus, Loftus, and Messo (1987)
Research Question:
How does the presence of a weapon in a crime scene affect the accuracy of eyewitness memory?
Independent Variables:
Presence or absence of a weapon
Dependent Variables:
Accuracy of eyewitness memory for other details of the crime
23.) The effects of color on cognition by Rehta and Zhu (2009)
Research Question:
How do different colors influence cognitive processes, such as attention and decision-making?
Independent Variables:
Color of stimuli (e.g., red, blue, green)
Dependent Variables:
Cognitive performance (e.g., reaction time, decision accuracy)
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24.) The effects of color on reducing stress by Saito and Tada (2007)
Research Question:
Can exposure to specific colors reduce stress levels in individuals?
Independent Variables:
Color of the environment (e.g., calming colors vs. neutral colors)
Dependent Variables:
Self-reported stress levels
25.) The effects of perceived effort on the rating of quality by Kruger et al. (2010)
Research Question:
How does the perception of effort put into a task influence the rating of its quality?
Independent Variables:
Perceived effort (high effort vs. low effort)
Dependent Variables:
Quality ratings of the task
26.) The influence of self-reference on memory by Rogers, Kuiper, and Kirker (1977)
Research Question:
Does self-referential processing enhance memory recall compared to other-referential processing?
Independent Variables:
Type of reference (self-referential vs. other-referential)
Dependent Variables:
Memory recall performance
27.) The effects of reciting words out loud on recall by Landry and Bartling (2011)
Research Question:
How does the act of reciting words out loud during learning impact subsequent recall?
Independent Variables:
Recitation method (silent vs. out loud)
Dependent Variables:
Recall performance of the learned words
28.) Forming impressions of someone’s personality by Asch (1946)
Research Question:
How do individuals form impressions of others’ personalities based on limited information?
Independent Variables:
Limited information about a person
Dependent Variables:
Impressions and judgments of the person’s personality traits
29.) The effects of visual noise on memory by Quinn and McConnell (1996)
Research Question:
How does the presence of visual noise in the environment affect memory performance?
Independent Variables:
Visual noise (presence or absence)
Dependent Variables:
Memory performance (e.g., recall or recognition accuracy)
30.) The effects of word length on memory by Baddeley, Thompson, and Buchanan (1975)
Research Question:
How does the length of words impact memory performance?
Independent Variables:
Word length (short words vs. long words)
Dependent Variables:
Memory performance (e.g., recall accuracy)
31.) Does holding a warm cup of coffee increase mood? By Williams and Barge (2008)
Research Question:
Does the physical sensation of holding a warm cup of coffee have an effect on individuals’ mood?
Independent Variables:
Holding a warm cup of coffee (presence or absence)
Dependent Variables:
Mood ratings or self-reported mood changes.
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