Psychology

1. What makes Psychology distinct?

A Psychology EE must:

• investigate behaviour or mental processes, not general social phenomena

• apply recognised psychological theories, concepts or models

• use empirical evidence from studies, findings or meta-analyses

• evaluate research methodologies and validity

• consider ethical issues where relevant

• develop an argument that reflects scientific thinking

Your essay should clearly belong to Psychology, not Global Politics, Sociology or Biology.

2. What counts as a suitable Psychology topic?

A strong topic:

• focuses on a specific psychological concept or phenomenon

• can be researched through established psychological literature

• avoids broad or vague issues

• allows for depth of theory and critical evaluation

• uses reliable psychological studies

Examples of suitable topic types

• factors influencing memory, decision making or attention

• explanations of behaviour (for example prosocial behaviour, aggression, conformity)

• cognitive processes in bilingual or multilingual learners

• evaluation of a psychological model (for example working memory, emotion, motivation)

• mental health representations in media when examined through psychological theory

• cross cultural comparisons supported by research

Examples of unsuitable topics

• personal experiences of mental health

• general wellbeing or lifestyle topics

• topics requiring clinical diagnosis or therapeutic practice

• political, social or educational issues without psychological theory

• essays that are purely descriptive or opinion based

Your focus must remain academic and theory driven.

3. Using evidence in a Psychology EE

Psychology is an evidence based discipline. 

Strong essays draw from:

• peer reviewed research

• classic and contemporary studies

• experimental, observational or correlational research

• systematic reviews or meta analyses

• theories supported by empirical findings

Avoid:

• personal anecdotes

• unverified online content

• pop psychology, blogs or commercial self help sources

• case studies without research grounding

You must interpret evidence, not simply report it.

4. Research methods appropriate for Psychology

Your EE does not require you to run your own experiment (you are not allowed), but your analysis must show awareness of methodology.

Depending on your topic, you may draw on:

• experimental studies

• quasi experimental or natural experiments

• correlational research

• observational studies

• interviews or self report measures (only if used critically and ethically)

• cognitive models and simulations

• cross cultural or comparative research

You must comment on the strengths and limitations of these methods as part of your evaluation.

5. Expectations for analysis

Analysis in Psychology should:

• explain psychological mechanisms, not just describe them

• use theory to interpret research findings

• show links between variables and concepts

• synthesise findings across studies

• remain tightly focused on answering the research question

You are expected to go beyond summarising studies by explaining why findings matter.

6. Expectations for evaluation

Evaluation may include:

• methodological strengths and weaknesses of key studies

• issues of validity, reliability and sampling

• cultural and ethical considerations

• alternative theoretical explanations

• gaps in research

• overall strength of evidence

Evaluation must be continuous, not saved for the conclusion.

7. Common pitfalls in Psychology EEs

Avoid:

• topics that drift into sociology or politics

• no clear psychological theory

• essays that summarise studies without analysis

• misusing terminology

• treating correlation as causation

• relying on a single study

• choosing a topic tied to personal experience

• using non academic sources

These issues are highlighted frequently in examiner comments.

8. Model research questions

Here are examples of strong, focused Psychology EE questions:

1. How effectively does cognitive load theory explain language learning difficulties in bilingual adolescents?

2. To what extent does social media use influence working memory performance in teenagers?

3. How well does the dual process model account for decision making in high stress situations?

4. To what extent do cultural factors influence the expression of depression in East Asian adolescents?

5. How accurately does attachment theory explain differences in emotional regulation among young adults?

Each question is specific, theory based and answerable using research.