IB Psychology SL Extended Essay Example

You communicate a clear and relevant topic from the outset, so the reader immediately understands what you are investigating.

Your research question is focused enough to support an evaluative discussion rather than a descriptive summary.

You use a range of appropriate secondary sources and show awareness of why different kinds of evidence matter.

Your method for selecting and organizing sources is not explained clearly enough, so the basis for the evidence set remains implicit.

The question is still a little broad, which makes it easier for the discussion to drift across related but not identical issues.

Some sources are only partly aligned with the exact focus, which weakens the tightness of the investigation.

You demonstrate sound knowledge of the psychological and biological ideas connected to your topic.

You use a good range of subject-specific terminology, including terms related to stress, hippocampal structure, and research design.

You generally apply scholarly sources in a way that shows understanding of the broader topic.

Some biological terms are used imprecisely, especially when structural findings are treated as direct proof of specific cellular processes.

At points, the explanation becomes too general or too speculative when linking evidence to hippocampal change.

A few sources are applied beyond what their designs can support, which weakens the accuracy of the knowledge on display.