IB Psychology Syllabus: Contexts of Applied Psychology
This is an independently developed study and planning tool created by IB Psychology Academy. It has been developed independently from and is not endorsed by the International Baccalaureate Organization. For definitive syllabus requirements, always refer to the official IB Psychology guide.
🔗 Official IB Psychology subject brief
LAYER 1 – CONTEXTS OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY: ACADEMY STUDY BREAKDOWN
The new IB Psychology course includes four contexts of applied psychology:
- Health and Well-being
- Human Development
- Human Relationships
- Learning and Cognition
Both SL and HL students study all four contexts.
The four contexts are not optional choices where students select only one or two areas.
They provide the applied settings through which psychological content, concepts and research can be explored.
The Academy has organised these contexts into smaller study areas and checkpoints to make them easier to learn, practise and track.
The context headings are used here to organise your study. They should not be treated as separate examination categories.
OFFICIAL IB CONTEXTS
| Context | SL | HL |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Well-being | ✓ | ✓ |
| Human Development | ✓ | ✓ |
| Human Relationships | ✓ | ✓ |
| Learning and Cognition | ✓ | ✓ |
ACADEMY STUDY AREAS
The Academy organises the four contexts into the following study areas.
HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
- Mental health disorders
- Health problems
- Prevention and treatment
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
- Cognitive development
- Social development
- Moral development
- Language development
- Brain maturation and neuroplasticity
- Critical periods
- Attachment
- Theory of mind
- Peer influence
- Cultural learning and enculturation
HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS
- Group behaviour
- Interpersonal relationships
LEARNING AND COGNITION
- Thinking and learning
- Cognitive processes
These study areas are an Academy organisation of the course.
They are not an official IB sequence or checklist.
LAYER 2 – ACADEMY RECOMMENDED SEQUENCE
Purpose:
A suggested order for learning the four contexts.
The Academy recommends studying the contexts in a way that allows students to connect psychological content, concepts, research methodology and real-world application.
| Academy Study Area | Suggested Sequence | Class Practical | Minimum Sample Size | Why we suggest it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health and Well-being | 1st | Interview (structured, semi-structured, or focus group) | One participant OR 3-8 participants in focus group | Introduces applied psychology through health, mental health and behaviour |
| Human Development | 2nd | Observation (naturalistic or controlled, overt or covert) | One participant | Builds understanding of psychological change across development |
| Human Relationships | 3rd | Survey/questionnaire | 10 participants | Develops understanding of social interaction, groups and relationships |
| Learning and Cognition | 4th | Experiment (true or quasi-) | Five participants | Develops understanding of thinking, learning and cognitive processes |
This sequence is a planning recommendation only.
It is not an IB-required sequence.
STUDENT ACTION:
“This is a suggested Academy sequence. You may adapt it to your own learning style, teacher’s sequence and classroom work.”
Remember that the IB course is integrated.
You may study approaches, contexts and research methodology in parallel.
LAYER 3 – ACADEMY STUDY CHECKPOINTS
CONTEXTS – TRACKABLE ACADEMY CHECKPOINTS
These checkpoints are an Academy-created study system.
They are not official IB syllabus requirements.
Use them to check whether you can actually define, describe, explain, apply, discuss or evaluate the relevant psychology.
MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS
HEALTH PROBLEMS
PREVENTION AND TREATMENT
MODELS OF DEVELOPMENT
DEVELOPMENT OF SELF
GROUP BEHAVIOUR
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
THINKING AND LEARNING
COGNITIVE PROCESSES
LAYER 4 – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY CONNECTION
Research methodology is not a separate block that should only be studied after finishing the contexts.
It runs throughout the new IB Psychology course.
Each context connects psychological content with research methodology.
As you study each context, practise asking:
- What research method was used?
- Who was included in the sample?
- How was the behaviour measured?
- What were the main findings?
- What possible sources of bias exist?
- How valid and reliable are the findings?
- How far can the findings be generalised?
- What ethical considerations are relevant?
- How does the evidence support or challenge the psychological concept?
Pay particular attention to:
- Bias
- Causality
- Measurement
- Reliability
- Validity
- Generalisability
- Researcher and participant influences
- Ethical considerations
CLASS PRACTICALS
All students engage in a class practical for each of the four contexts.
| Context | Class Practical | Minimum Sample Size |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Well-being | Interview (structured, semi-structured, or focus group) | One participant OR 3-8 participants in focus group |
| Human Development | Observation (naturalistic or controlled, overt or covert) | One participant |
| Human Relationships | Survey/questionnaire | 10 participants |
| Learning and Cognition | Experiment (true or quasi-) | Five participants |
The practical approach can take different forms within the requirements of the course.
For example, interviews may be structured, semi-structured or focus groups.
Observations may use different observation designs.
Experiments may be true experiments or quasi-experiments.
The practical work must follow the relevant ethical requirements.
ACADEMY PRACTICAL STUDY RECORD
For each class practical, keep a short record of:
Aim → Procedure → Sampling → Findings → Research Methodology → Ethics → Minimum Sample Size
The practical record should help you remember what was done and why the research design was appropriate.
The class practicals also help connect the contexts with research methodology and the assessment requirements.
ACADEMY STUDY RULE
Whenever you learn a major context area, connect it to at least one relevant piece of research.
The goal is not simply to remember a study.
The goal is to understand what the study found, how it was conducted, what it tells you about the concept, and what its limitations are.
LAYER 5 – ACADEMY MASTERY GATE
Purpose:
The Mastery Gate is an Academy learning tool.
It is not an IB grading standard.
The question is simple:
“Can you actually use the knowledge, rather than just recognise the term?”
🔹 DEFINE
Can I:
- Recall the definition accurately?
- Explain the term in my own words?
- Give a simple example where appropriate?
🔹 DESCRIBE
Can I:
- Accurately describe the concept, process or study?
- Include the important characteristics?
- Avoid adding inaccurate or irrelevant information?
🔹 EXPLAIN
Can I:
- State what the concept means?
- Explain how or why the process works?
- Show the relationship between cause, process and outcome where relevant?
- Give an appropriate example or research finding?
🔹 APPLY
Can I:
- Use the concept to explain a behaviour or situation?
- Apply a theory or model to an unfamiliar example?
- Support the application with relevant evidence where appropriate?
🔹 DISCUSS
Can I:
- Explain the relevant concept or issue?
- Consider different perspectives or arguments?
- Use relevant research or examples?
- Reach a balanced conclusion where appropriate?
🔹 EVALUATE
Can I:
- Make a reasoned judgement?
- Use relevant evidence?
- Consider strengths and limitations where appropriate?
- Explain why those strengths or limitations matter?
- Support my judgement rather than simply listing advantages and disadvantages?
PASS?
YES → 🟢 MASTERED
The checkpoint moves to Mastered.
Academy Spaced Review:
1 Day → 3 Days → 7 Days → 30 Days
Mastered checkpoints return for review according to the Academy’s spaced-review system.
NO → 🔴 REVISING
The checkpoint remains in Revising and is added to your Academy Weak Spots.
Review it and attempt the Mastery Gate again.
LAYER 6 – PROGRESS DASHBOARD
CONTEXTS – PROGRESS OVERVIEW
The 56 checkpoints combine the four official context areas with Academy-created supporting study areas and practice checkpoints.
🚨 WEAK SPOTS
Checkpoints that you have not yet passed through the Academy Mastery Gate.
- Automatically added after an unsuccessful mastery attempt.
- Removed when the checkpoint is successfully mastered.
⬆ ACADEMY SPACED REVIEW
1 → 3 → 7 → 30 days
Review dates are calculated from the date a checkpoint is marked Mastered.
📊 PROGRESS
[____%]
Progress is calculated from:
Mastered checkpoints ÷ Total Academy checkpoints
This percentage is an Academy progress indicator, not an IB grade or predicted score.
LAYER 7 – HL EXTENSIONS AND DATA ANALYSIS
HOW HL FITS INTO THE FOUR CONTEXTS
The three HL inquiry extensions are:
- Culture
- Motivation
- Technology
These extensions are explored through the four contexts:
- Health and Well-being
- Human Development
- Human Relationships
- Learning and Cognition
They should not be treated as three completely separate topics that are studied only after finishing the core course.
They are designed to connect with the wider course.
KEY CONCEPTS
The six key concepts unify the curriculum:
- Bias
- Causality
- Change
- Measurement
- Perspective
- Responsibility
As you study each context, practise applying these concepts to the psychological content you are learning.
DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
Data analysis and interpretation is an additional HL-assessed component.
It should be developed alongside the course rather than treated as a topic to study only at the end.
Practise:
- Reading graphs and tables
- Identifying patterns
- Comparing findings
- Interpreting quantitative information
- Interpreting qualitative information
- Considering research methodology
- Drawing evidence-based conclusions
ACADEMY EXAMPLES OF HL CONNECTIONS
The following are Academy examples of possible connections.
They are not fixed IB mappings.
| HL Area | Possible Context Connections |
|---|---|
| Culture | Cultural influences on health, development, relationships, learning and cognition |
| Motivation | Motivation in health behaviour, development, relationships, learning and decision-making |
| Technology | Technology and its influence on health, development, relationships, learning and cognition |
| Data Analysis and Interpretation | Interpreting psychological data, comparing findings, identifying patterns and drawing evidence-based conclusions |
PAPER 3 – HL
HL students take an additional Paper 3.
Paper 3 is a source-based paper that requires students to work with quantitative and qualitative findings.
Students may need to:
- Interpret data and graphs.
- Analyse research findings.
- Consider research methodology.
- Identify relevant research considerations.
- Synthesize information from different sources.
- Draw evidence-based conclusions.
Paper 3 is 1 hour 45 minutes, worth 30 marks, and contributes 30% of the final assessment.
The paper focuses on one of the three HL inquiry extensions:
- Culture
- Motivation
- Technology
The focus is connected to one of the four contexts.
Paper 3 is therefore not a separate Sociocultural, Biological or Cognitive Approach topic.
It is an HL assessment component connected to the wider course, HL extensions and data analysis and interpretation.
LAYER 8 – KEY STUDIES REFERENCE
Purpose:
These are Academy-selected example studies that can help illustrate the four contexts.
They are not presented as a required IB study list.
Students should focus on understanding the research, its findings, its methodological features and how it can be used as evidence.
| Study | Year | Focus | Useful for… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caspi et al. | 2003 | 5-HTT gene and depression | Health and Well-being |
| Beck | 1979 | Cognitive therapy for depression | Health and Well-being |
| Piaget | 1936 | Cognitive development stages | Human Development |
| Bowlby | 1969 | Attachment theory | Human Development |
| Tajfel et al. | 1971 | Social identity theory | Human Relationships |
| Asch | 1951 | Conformity | Human Relationships |
| Bandura | 1961 | Social learning theory | Learning and Cognition |
| Atkinson & Shiffrin | 1968 | Multi-store memory model | Learning and Cognition |
IMPORTANT
Do not assume that memorising studies alone is enough.
For each study you use, try to know:
Aim → Method → Findings → Conclusion → Strengths → Limitations → Relevance to the concept
The Academy may add or change example studies as useful research becomes available.
This list is not intended to represent an official IB-prescribed study list.
⚡ ACADEMY RECOMMENDATION – FOR PLANNING PURPOSES
Aim for strong mastery of the four contexts while continuing to build Research Methodology and application alongside them.
A better approach is to study them in parallel:
Concept → Approach → Context → Research → Application → Review
Do not wait until the end of the course to connect the approaches with the contexts.
The four contexts provide opportunities to apply psychological content and concepts to real-world areas of psychology.
The 80% mastery target is an Academy planning guideline only. It is not an IB requirement and does not predict an IB grade.
The new IB Psychology course is integrated, so you may study the Biological, Cognitive and Sociocultural Approaches alongside the four contexts and research methodology according to your teacher’s sequence and your own learning needs.
IB Psychology Academy · Contexts of Applied Psychology · Adapted from IB DP Psychology Guide (2025)