Practice 4.1 Culture with authentic IB Psychology (First Exam 2027) exam questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank mirrors Paper 1, 2, 3 structure, covering key topics like cognitive processes, biological bases of behavior, and research methods. Get instant solutions, detailed explanations, and build exam confidence with questions in the style of IB examiners.
Paper
Level
Question 1
HLPaper 3
Source 1:
Researchers surveyed 800 university students (200 from each of four cultural groups: Sweden, Japan, Brazil, and Kenya). Students rated the question “How much do you trust a close friend?” on a 10-point scale. Responses of 8–10 were categorized as indicating “high trust.”
Source 2:
Researchers were interested in investigating how adults from different cultural backgrounds experience and describe interpersonal trust. They conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 participants (8 from collectivist backgrounds and 7 from individualist backgrounds). The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and the transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis by two independent researchers. The researchers first identified categories (themes) separately, then compared their coding, and finally re-coded the transcripts together.
Source 3:
An undergraduate student was interested in exploring differences in reported trust levels between students from individualist and collectivist cultural backgrounds. They recruited 50 participants from their own university (aged 18–22). Participants were asked two questions:
“Rate your general trust in others on a scale from 1 to 10.”
“State your cultural background.”
Based on self-reported backgrounds, 28 participants were categorized as individualist and 22 as collectivist. The researcher summarized the data as follows:
Source 4:
In a survey of 120 adult participants, aged between 30 and 50, (40 each from the USA, Japan, and Mexico), researchers administered two standardized scales: Collectivism Scale (1–7), wherein higher scores indicate stronger collectivist orientation, and the General Trust Scale (1–10) where higher scores indicate greater general trust in others.
r(118) = 0.47, p < 0.01
Source 5: Researchers tested 120 participants (60 collectivist background, 60 individualist background) in a trust game with real money. Each participant received £10 and could choose how much to share with a partner.
Condition 1: Partner described as an “in-group” member.
Condition 2: Partner described as randomly assigned.
The researchers found that collectivist participants shared significantly more with in-group members (mean = £4.80). On the other hand, individualist participants shared more with randomly assigned partners (mean = £5.10). Overall sharing did not differ significantly across groups, but it is suggested that cultural framing influenced the trigger of trust.
1.[3]
Explain one issue that limits the interpretation of the data in Source 1.
2.[6]
Analyse the findings from Source 2 and state a conclusion linked to the claim that cultural values influence levels of trust in interpersonal relationships.
3.[6]
Discuss how the researcher could avoid bias in the study described in Source 3.
4.[6]
To what extent are the findings of Source 3 transferable to other populations or contexts?
5.[6]
Discuss how the researcher could improve the credibility of the findings in Source 3.
6.[15]
Using at least three of the sources above (sources 1-5), and your own knowledge, answer the following question: To what extent can we conclude that cultural values play a role in shaping interpersonal trust?
Question 2
HLPaper 3
Source 1:
A research team interested in looking at dieting behaviour in young people conducted a survey of nearly 450 university students, all aged between 18 and 24. The students came from the USA, Japan, and France. The survey was simple, participants simply had to indicate how frequently they engaged in dieting behaviour on a Likert scale; lower scores indicated less dieting behaviour. In the table below, “mean dieting frequency” refers to the number of new diets begun in the last 5 years; “% Reporting Restrictive Dieting in Past Year” refers to the number of individuals self-reporting a calorie consumption below the recommended daily intake, at least several days a month:
Source 2:
The research team from Source 1 decided that they would like to do some qualitative research to gain further insight into the findings. They chose 15 volunteers, 5 from each of the countries referenced in Source 1. The researchers then conducted focus groups with each of the three groups. During the focus groups, researchers gave all volunteers an opportunity to share their thoughts. The individuals were asked questions like, “Why do you diet?”, “How long have you been dieting?”, among others. Each focus group had two researchers who took note of what participants said. The researcher teams then came up with short conclusions that summarise the main reasons for dieting in each country group:
Source 3:
A correlational study of 200 adolescents (ages 15–18) measured cultural orientation (1–7, higher = more collectivist attitudes) and attitudes toward restrictive dieting (1–10, higher = stronger approval of dieting).
r(198) = 0.54, p < 0.01
Source 4:
An experiment tested whether cultural framing influenced food choice. 120 female university students were randomly assigned to one of two conditions:
Individualist frame: “Choosing healthy foods helps you achieve your personal health goals.”
Collectivist frame: “Choosing healthy foods helps you stay lean; it’s important for you friends and family that you are in-shape and healthy.
Participants were then asked to select lunch items, choosing between a low-calorie option and a higher-calorie option.
1.[3]
Explain one issue that limits the interpretation of the data in Source 1.
2.[6]
Analyse the findings from Source 2 and state a conclusion linked to the claim that cultural values influence attitudes toward eating and dieting.
3.[6]
Discuss how the researcher could avoid bias in the study described in Source 3.
4.[6]
To what extent are the findings of Source 3 transferable to other populations or contexts?
5.[6]
Discuss how the researcher could improve the credibility of the findings in Source 3. [6]
6.[15]
To what extent can we conclude that cultural values influence attitudes toward eating and dieting?
Question 3
HLPaper 3
Source 1:
Researchers at an institute for child development were interested in investigating the relationship between parenting style and academic outcomes. In particular, the researchers were curious whether this would differ across cultural contexts. The sample consisted of 600 adolescents, between the ages of 15 and 17, who attended the local high school. The researchers had already pre-determined whether the children came from collectivist (N = 130) or individualist backgrounds (N = 170) before conducting the survey. The adolescents self-reported the parenting style of their guardians, classifying it as authoritarian, authoritative, or permissive. The academic performance of each participant was sourced from the school, the performance was measured using Grade Point Average (GPA) on a 100 point scale.
Source 2:
A qualitative study explored the values and goals parents hold for their children’s development. The sample consisted of the same adolescents as in Source 1, but in this study, their parents were interviewed. The sample consisted of 20 parents, 10 from a collectivist background and 10 from an individualist background. The parents took part in semi-structured interviews about their aspirations for their children. Researchers recorded and transcribed the interviews, and analysed the transcripts thematically.
Source 3: An undergraduate conducted a small-scale survey project on childhood discipline. The sample consisted of 60 university classmates, aged between 18-22. The self-reported survey was simple, and included the following items, among others: a) “How often were you disciplined physically?” (scale 1–5) and b) “How strict were your parents?” (scale 1–10). The student grouped responses into categories of “strict” and “lenient” parenting. Within these groups, the researcher then examined the participants’ self-reported GPAs (grade point averages). The student researcher concluded, based on their analysis, that strict parenting led to academic success.
Source 4:
A correlational study examined whether collectivist values were associated with a stronger sense of filial responsibility in adolescents. The sample consisted of 250 adolescent participants, between ages 14-18, who originated from a variety of diverse cultural backgrounds.
As part of the study, participants completed two researcher-created, standardised tests: a) Collectivism scale, measured on a scale of 1-7, b) Filial Responsibility scale, measured on a scale of 1-10. Higher scores on the collectivism scale suggested strong collectivist background, higher scores on the filial responsibility scale suggested a greater duty to one’s family.
r= 0.672, p < 0.01
Source 5: Researchers at an institute for research on education conducted an experiment to investigate whether cultural framing of achievement influenced persistence in children. The researchers’ sample consisted of 120 children, aged 13-15, who had volunteered to participate in the study with their parents’ permission. The sample was randomly assigned to one of two conditions:
Group-framed task: Puzzle framed as “helping your class succeed.”
Individual-framed task: Puzzle framed as “doing your best.”
The researchers then measured the time, in minutes, by children in either condition persisting on a difficult puzzle.
1.[3]
Explain one issue that limits the interpretation of the data in Source 1.
2.[6]
Analyse the findings from Source 2 and state a conclusion linked to the claim that claim that cultural values shape child development.
3.[6]
Discuss how the researcher could avoid bias in the study described in Source 3.
4.[6]
To what extent are the findings of Source 3 transferable to other populations or contexts?
5.[6]
Discuss how the researcher could improve the credibility of the findings in Source 3.
6.[15]
Using at least three of the sources in the resource booklet (sources 1-5), and your own knowledge, answer the following question: To what extent can we conclude that cultural values shape child development?