Psychology IA ideas: how do you choose one?
Choose an idea that fits the subject criteria and can be answered with evidence, a method, and resources you can access.
The Psychology IA (first assessment May 2027) is a research proposal: you plan - but do not run - an investigation into a real-life problem affecting a population of interest. A strong proposal has a focused aim, two linked studies, a justified method, ethics tied to the population, and a data-collection tool in the appendix.
Which research questions fit Psychology IA?
The questions below are starting points to adapt to your own variables, evidence, and assessment task.
How could a survey study test whether social-media multitasking predicts self-reported attention difficulties in students aged 16–18?
- Difficulty:
- medium
- Time:
- 1 week
- Equipment:
- basic
- Analysis:
- Correlation / descriptive stats
- Feasibility:
- 4/5
- Overused:
- Often seen
- Biggest trap:
- Writing results you never collected
Approach · Population: secondary-school students. Method: questionnaire (Likert scales). Tool: ≥5 items in appendix. Ethics: parental consent if under 18.
Note · Proposal only - describe anticipated patterns, do not fabricate data.
How could sleep duration be operationalised to study its relationship with self-reported mood in a school-based sample?
- Difficulty:
- medium
- Time:
- multi-week
- Equipment:
- basic
- Analysis:
- Sleep–mood correlation
- Feasibility:
- 3/5
- Overused:
- Often seen
- Biggest trap:
- Diary compliance not addressed in method
Approach · Population: boarding vs day students or one year group. Method: sleep diary + mood scale. Ethics: sensitive data storage.
What interview study could explore how first-generation university applicants perceive academic self-efficacy?
- Difficulty:
- medium
- Time:
- multi-week
- Equipment:
- basic
- Analysis:
- Thematic analysis
- Feasibility:
- 3/5
- Overused:
- Less common
- Biggest trap:
- No interview schedule in appendix
Approach · Population: DP students planning HE. Method: semi-structured interviews. Ethics: anonymity, voluntary participation.
How could a controlled observation protocol compare on-task behaviour with and without phone visibility on desks?
- Difficulty:
- hard
- Time:
- 1 week
- Equipment:
- basic
- Analysis:
- Structured observation counts
- Feasibility:
- 3/5
- Overused:
- Less common
- Biggest trap:
- Covert vs overt observation ethics not justified
Approach · Population: one class cohort. Method: structured observation checklist. Ethics: covert vs overt decision justified.
How could a questionnaire test whether growth-mindset framing changes help-seeking intentions before exams?
- Difficulty:
- medium
- Time:
- 1 week
- Equipment:
- basic
- Analysis:
- Group comparison on intentions
- Feasibility:
- 4/5
- Overused:
- Less common
- Biggest trap:
- Vignette not pre-tested for realism
Approach · Population: final-year students. Method: survey with experimental vignette. Tool: manipulation check items.
What study could examine whether bilingual students report different code-switching stress in classroom vs home settings?
- Difficulty:
- medium
- Time:
- multi-week
- Equipment:
- basic
- Analysis:
- Survey + optional interview themes
- Feasibility:
- 3/5
- Overused:
- Less common
- Biggest trap:
- Bilingualism not operationalised
Approach · Population: bilingual DP students. Method: survey + optional short interview. Ethics: cultural sensitivity.
How could an experiment be proposed to test whether background music tempo affects self-reported concentration during revision?
- Difficulty:
- easy
- Time:
- 1 week
- Equipment:
- basic
- Analysis:
- Within-subjects design outline
- Feasibility:
- 4/5
- Overused:
- Often seen
- Biggest trap:
- Results section slipped into a proposal
Approach · Population: student volunteers. Method: within-subjects design described. Ethics: right to withdraw mid-session.
What focus-group design could explore barriers to seeking counselling in a school community?
- Difficulty:
- hard
- Time:
- multi-week
- Equipment:
- basic
- Analysis:
- Thematic analysis from focus groups
- Feasibility:
- 2/5
- Overused:
- Less common
- Biggest trap:
- No distress protocol for sensitive topic
Approach · Population: students who have / have not used support services. Method: focus group protocol. Ethics: facilitator training, distress protocol.
Find questions that fit your resources
Filter the Psychology ideas by time and equipment. This is a practical shortlist, not a judgement about the quality of a research question.
8 of 8 starting points match these time/equipment filters
- 01How could a survey study test whether social-media multitasking predicts self-reported attention difficulties in students aged 16–18?
- 02How could sleep duration be operationalised to study its relationship with self-reported mood in a school-based sample?
- 03What interview study could explore how first-generation university applicants perceive academic self-efficacy?
- 04How could a controlled observation protocol compare on-task behaviour with and without phone visibility on desks?
- 05How could a questionnaire test whether growth-mindset framing changes help-seeking intentions before exams?
- 06What study could examine whether bilingual students report different code-switching stress in classroom vs home settings?
- 07How could an experiment be proposed to test whether background music tempo affects self-reported concentration during revision?
- 08What focus-group design could explore barriers to seeking counselling in a school community?
Items with unspecified equipment or time remain visible. Check safety, ethics, available evidence and the current assessment guide before choosing.
Research question feasibility test →Sources & verification
Primary-source references used to verify key assessment facts on this page. Last source check: September 22, 2026.
These Psychology ideas are original iBacalao starting points, not official IB research questions. Check the current Psychology subject guide, your assessment session and your school's safety/ethics rules before committing to a question.
- IB: Diploma Programme assessment and examsOfficial overview of criterion-related assessment and internal assessment in the Diploma Programme.
- IB: current curriculum updatesOfficial hub for current and upcoming subject/assessment changes and subject briefs.
Picked a question? Check your draft before you submit.
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