Choose a Psychology proposal idea through population and method fit
For Psychology first assessed in May 2027, the IA is a research proposal.
Start with the current proposal task
For Psychology first assessed in May 2027, the IA is a research proposal. It should not be planned as the older experimental report. Begin with a population of interest and a psychological problem relevant to that population. Your task is to justify an appropriate investigation design, using your current guide and teacher's instructions. Choosing a familiar classroom experiment is not enough if it does not fit the proposal's problem and context.
Make a population–problem shortlist
Write several candidates with population, psychological issue and reason for investigating it. Keep the issue specific and avoid diagnosing people from casual observation. Possible planning directions include attention during learning, experiences of group participation or interpretations of feedback. These are starting points to develop with your teacher, not automatically approved IA topics. Identify relevant psychological literature that can establish why the question matters and how it could be investigated.
Match the method to the question
Consider the methods used in your class practicals and which could answer the candidate question. A question about the meanings people attach to an experience differs from one about a relationship between measured variables. Explain the information each method would produce and its limitations. Do not begin collecting participant data simply because the idea sounds feasible; the assessed task, ethical expectations and school permissions should guide what you do next.
Try a feedback example
Imagine a proposal about how first-year students interpret written teacher feedback. Interviews could investigate their experiences and meanings, while a questionnaire could describe patterns across a larger sample. The choice depends on the precise question. If the question asks whether feedback causes confidence to change, neither design automatically establishes that causal relationship. Refine the question or justify a different design rather than overstating what a convenient method can show.
Choose with a short rationale
Compare candidates using relevance, literature, method fit, practical design and ethical considerations. For the preferred option, write why the population matters and what the proposed method could reveal. Identify a limitation that directly affects interpretation. Bring this rationale to your teacher before building the instrument or procedure. The strongest idea is one you can justify clearly, with a design that answers the question and a conclusion whose scope respects the method.
Test the reasoning in a new situation
Change one feature of the example: the population, setting, measurement or researcher's role. Explain which part of your interpretation would change and which could remain. This checks whether you understand the reasoning rather than recognize a familiar study. Keep your revised explanation concise and compare it with your course materials. When uncertainty remains, bring the attempted explanation to your teacher with a specific question. In practice tasks, label invented findings as hypothetical; an imagined result should never appear in coursework as if participants actually produced it. Check method terminology against your class materials, especially when distinguishing observation, association and causation. Precise language helps the reader see what your design or evidence permits and where the interpretation must remain limited.
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Official references
This is an original practical guide from IBvia. The examples are illustrative; your subject guide, assessment year and school instructions determine the requirements.
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