IB Psychology SL Extended Essay Example

You communicate the topic clearly and the reader can quickly see that the investigation is about the relationship between childhood abuse and psychopathy.

Your research question is stated explicitly and stays visible throughout the essay.

You include a usable secondary-research approach with multiple empirical studies from different contexts.

The opening frame is broader than the evidence can fully support, especially where childhood abuse, trauma, ACEs, and neglect are treated as interchangeable.

The research question is still too wide and is worded in a way that suggests causation beyond what correlational studies can show.

The method would be stronger if you explained how and why the studies were selected, rather than only summarising them.

You show good working understanding of psychopathy-related concepts such as primary and secondary psychopathy, callous-unemotional traits, and heritability.

You use psychological terminology with enough accuracy to make the discussion understandable.

You generally apply the studies to the topic rather than merely naming them.

Some terminology is used too loosely, especially where different measures and constructs are blended together.

A few claims about self-report data, adolescents, and cultural differences are too general or not fully supported by the study evidence.

The explanation of validity and bias would be stronger if you distinguished the specific source of error more carefully in each case.