IB Psychology SL Extended Essay Example

The topic, purpose, and research question are communicated clearly and precisely from the opening pages.

The research question is focused, feasible, and appropriately framed as an association rather than a causal claim.

The method is thoughtful and uses a substantial range of relevant psychological evidence, with clear justification for organizing the essay around diagnostic and symptom-based studies.

The selection process for sources is not fully transparent enough for the top band, as databases, inclusion criteria, and exclusion rationale are not explicitly set out.

A few sources are mentioned without being substantively integrated into the argument.

The methodology would be stronger if it explained in more detail why particular studies were prioritized over others.

Psychological terminology is used accurately and consistently across the essay.

Key concepts such as diagnosis, confounding, reverse causality, dose-response, and attrition bias are applied meaningfully to the argument.

Relevant theories and models are connected to the evidence rather than being included only as definition.

Some phrasing occasionally edges toward causal language even when the evidence only supports association.

A few claims are broader than the evidence cited at that point in the discussion.

The discussion would be even stronger with more precise linking of each source to the specific claim being made.