8 IB Psychology IA ideas

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.