This document contains:
- The structure of the EE with some helpful guidelines.
- Interpretation of assessment critera (taken from the EE guide)
- An introduction checklist with two examples
(based on Crane’s EE sources: cranepsych.edublogs.org)
The EE has the following structure:






Introduction with a clearly worded research question and justification of the topic
A review of literature
Discussion and evaluation of the research
A conclusion which addresses the research question.
An abstract
Full bibliographical citation
Which sources should you use?




You should have a minimum of eight sources.
You may use sources in languages other than English – but at least 50 percent of your
sources must be in a language that I can read (Czech, German, Spanish, French,
Italian).
Avoid using simple Internet sources. Only use Internet sites where you can clearly
identify the author.
Do use our school’s databases, Scientific American Mind, and books. Yes, they still
exist.
The following is our plan for writing the Extended Essay








You must have your topic and research question approved by me – even if I am not
your advisor.
You must read about your topic. A lot. You should schedule a time to meet with your
advisor to discuss what you already have learned about your topic with regard to your
question. One source is not enough for this discussion.
Introductory paragraph with a clearly stated research question and thesis.
A review of literature. Due end of February.
Clear outline as to how you will finish your paper.
Rough draft.
Final copy – with abstract.
Viva voce. Your viva voce is a presentation which you will do for next year’s first
year students. In this presentation you will discuss your findings and what you have
learned about the research project.
Interpreting the Extended Essay assessment criteria
Criterion A: research question
The research question may be written in the form of a question, proposition or statement. It
should be focused on a topic that is clearly relevant to psychology, deals with behaviour and
is able to be addressed consistently throughout the extended essay.
Criterion B: introduction
This section should place the research question in the context of existing knowledge and
understanding of the topic. The student’s personal experience or views should not appear in
this section. Previous psychological studies that can be related to the research question should
be considered. The studies that are introduced here may be generally supportive but they are
unlikely to answer the research question in an entirely satisfactory manner. It is part of the
student’s task to identify strengths, weaknesses and omissions of past work, and to show how
his or her essay could help to resolve some of the problems that have been identified.
Criterion C: investigation
There is a wide range of resources available for questions that are likely to be raised in
extended essays related to psychology. These include textbooks, academic journals, films,
television, radio, newspapers and Internet-based sources. Film, television, radio, newspapers
and Internet-based sources should be treated with considerable caution since the material they
contain may be neither accurate nor valid. The essay should present findings and theories
from these sources in an evaluative context and students should not necessarily accept their
findings at face value. A healthy but informed scepticism should be maintained towards
material from film, television, radio, newspapers and Internet-based sources, until
authoritative judgment allows their findings or theories to become accepted. Although the
argument presented in the essay may be supported by limited data gathered by the student, the
presentation or analysis of such material should be used for illustrative purposes only and
should form only a very minor part of the evidence used.
Criterion D: knowledge and understanding of the topic studied
Evidence and findings from empirical studies and their related theories should be an integral
part of extended essays for psychology. Such material may refer to human or non-human
animals and their associated behaviours. Where appropriate, students should draw on cultural,
ethical, gender and methodological considerations; they should show how these aspects may
affect the interpretation of the question that is the focus of the essay.
Criterion E: reasoned argument
The research question should be the central focus of the argument as it is developed
throughout the essay. As the argument is constructed it often creates conflict between varying
theories and findings from studies. The student should explain and analyse these different
views and marshal those essential points that support the argument that is being advanced. It
is the task of the student to persuade the reader of the reasons for and validity of his or her
view. This is best accomplished by using a logical approach where successive salient points
are built up, one upon the other.
Criterion F: application of analytical and evaluative skills appropriate to
the subject
Demanding cognitive effort is needed to apply analytical and evaluative factors created by the
student. The analysis and evaluation need to be covered in depth since these will lead to the
crux of the argument. There is also an opportunity for the student to use reflexivity—a
consideration of his or her own experiences and views that have contributed to the methods
used in the investigation and the interpretation of points that have arisen.
Criterion G: use of language appropriate to the subject
Psychology is a subject that uses its terminology in a specific manner, and students are
expected to use this in their essays. Students who have not studied psychology as a specific
part of an academic course are strongly urged to become thoroughly acquainted with the
language used by psychologists and how it is applied within the discipline.
Criterion H: conclusion
The conclusion is a synthesis of the argument that has preceded it. It is the end point of a
logical process that has been established by employing a succession of psychological studies
and theories to justify the case that has been presented.
Criterion I: formal presentation
This criterion relates to the extent to which essays conform to academic standards about the
way in which research papers should be presented. The presentation of essays that omit a
bibliography or that do not give references for quotations is deemed unacceptable (level 1).
Essays that omit one of the required elements—title page, table of contents, page numbers—
are deemed no better than satisfactory (maximum level 2), while essays that omit two of them
are deemed poor at best (maximum level 1).
Criterion J: abstract
The abstract is judged on the clarity with which it presents an overview of the research and
the essay, not on the quality of the research question itself, nor on the quality of argument or
the conclusions.
Criterion K: holistic judgment
Qualities that are rewarded under this criterion include intellectual initiative, insight, and
breadth and depth of understanding. Ways of demonstrating such qualities include:
•
choice of a relevant research question that extends the student’s thinking but is also
feasible within the time available
•
location and judicious use of resources
•
analysis and evaluation of psychological material to produce salient points for the
argument
•
use of a reflexive approach that involves the views and imagination of the student to
make a unique contribution to understanding the topic.
Introduction checklist
Does your introduction include the following?
Yes
No
An indication why the topic chosen is
interesting, important or worthy of study
Some background information and an attempt
to place the topic in an appropriate context
An indication of whether the topic has been
narrowed to a focus of more manageable
proportions
A clearly and precisely stated research
question
A clear concluding statement of the thesis and
the response to the research question that will
subsequently be developed in the body of the
essay
Sample introduction 1: the research question is in boldface print.
The concept of “road rage” is relatively new.1 It was only in the 1990s that the media began
to focus on road rage incidents, leading some commentators to argue that road rage is a media
invention and not a real phenomenon. Other researchers dispute this, however, arguing that
the term “road rage” is simply a new label for criminal, aggressive or anti‐social behaviour
on the road that is a widely recognised problem and the cause of many accidents.
Road rage at its most serious can lead to physical attacks, but it is more often manifested in
aggressive driving or verbal abuse. Surveys suggest that most drivers have experienced some
form of road rage, as victim or as perpetrator. For example, the British Crime Survey based on
a random sample in 1998 found that over half of all drivers questioned said they had been the
victim of some form of road rage ranging from verbal abuse or gestures to being forced off
the road or threatened with violence (Marshall and Thomas, 2000). According to one
researcher, aggressive driving and road rage worldwide cause hundreds of thousands of deaths
every year and damage worth billions of dollars (McDonald, 2002, p.1). Moreover, the
problem is set to increase as more people use vehicles to travel and roads become more
congested.
Many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and China, have
acknowledged the problem of road rage and some have taken measures to help prevent
dangerous driving and road rage incidents. Ten years ago the head of the US National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that road rage had become the number one
traffic problem (James, 1997a).
This essay will examine psychological explanations of road rage and how they can help
in designing measures to reduce the problem and so cut the number of accidents. It
concludes that policies that aim to change or affect driver psychology can be useful, but
policies to reduce external causes of stress are also needed.
Sample introduction 2:the research question is in boldface print.
The mind and body relationship is an issue that has been acknowledged since ancient times.
The mind-brain problem poses the question of whether the mind is no more than a nuisance to
our brain processes or whether the mind can, to some extent, influences our behaviour.
‘Dualism’ is the approach in psychology, which stresses the mind and body as being two
existing and interconnected entities. According to one of the first dualists, Descartes, the mind
influences the body and not vice versa1, whereas the ‘interactionists’ claimed that both the
mind and body have influence on one another. Hence, by the means of applying the
interactionist point of view, the psychophysiological correlates of stress and illness can be
studied. How psychological factors such as stress can lead to psychophysiological effects has
been and will continue to be a fundamental topic of research in psychology. It is interesting to
investigate the issue of stress and its causes and effects on humans, since stress is copious in
our modern society. Therefore this essay intends to deal with following research question:
What do we know about the relationship between stress and physiological illness and
can we use that knowledge to cope with stress?
Stress, according to physicists, stress would simply be defined as ‘the pressure or force that is
exerted to a body.2’ However, according to psychologists, stress is a more complex factor,
which is looked upon in terms of ‘the demands it possesses on an organism and how the
organism attempts to adapt or cope with the specific demands’3. A definition of stress that has
been widely accepted was established by Lazarus and Folkman (1984). According to these
researchers, stress is ‘a pattern of negative physiological states and psychological responses
occurring in situations where individuals perceive threats to their well-being, which they may
be unable to meet.’ 4 Whether stressors are harmful or not depends solely on individuals
appraise the stressors and how the mind interprets them (Lazarus, 1975).
It would seem appropriate here to define what is meant by physiological illness. Illness itself
is a broad concept, but in general it refers to problems and challenges to the health and wellbeing of humans5. A physiological illness is any illness in which physical symptoms are
assumed to be the direct result of psychological or physical factors6. Eminent studies
conducted by Friedman and Rosenheim (1974), Sweeney (1995) and Cohen et al. (1996)
focusing on the relationships between stress and its influence on the weakening of the
immune system and on cardiovascular disorders, have led psychologists to establish the
concept that there is a clear relationship between stress and physiological illness. Furthermore,
studies that measure the efficacy of the methods to cope with stress, as such performed by
Holmes and Rahe (1978) and Jacob et al. (1977) have also presented support for the view that,
specific coping methods such as: social support, biofeedback, meditation and anti-stress drugs,
can reduce the effects of stress and thus prevent physiological disorders. To determine what
we know about the relationship between stress and physiological illness and whether we can
use that knowledge to cope with stress, it is firstly important to outline the causes of stress,
which include life changes, frustrations, hassles and uplifts of everyday life. Subsequently, the
reactions to stress, which encompass both physiological and psychological features, should be
explained, since evidence has shown that they lead to physiological illness. Furthermore, in
order to counterbalance stress, there are specific coping methods have been suggested and
these methods are devised by the means of using the knowledge that is obtained about the
stressors and their effects.