IB Psychology Extended Essay: Topics, Research Questions and Structure
A Psychology EE asks a focused question about behaviour or mental processes and answers it by weighing published research. Here is how to pick the topic, frame it and build the argument.
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Published October 2026·Written by Ahmed Raees, Founder·Reviewed by experienced IB Diploma tutors
Quick answer: An IB Psychology Extended Essay is a 4,000-word essay that investigates one focused question about behaviour or mental processes, answered mainly by critically evaluating published studies and theories. Since May 2027 the EE is marked out of 30, with 8 marks for Discussion and evaluation, so the essay must judge the quality of the research, not just summarise it.
This is our Psychology-specific companion to the main IB Extended Essay guide. It covers how to turn an interest in behaviour into a research question, how to use studies as evidence, and how the five criteria apply to a psychology argument. If you are taking the subject in the Diploma, our guide to scoring a 7 in IB Psychology explains the course itself.
Choosing an IB Psychology EE topic
The best Psychology topics sit where a real-world issue meets a body of research you can evaluate. Start broad (sleep, memory, social media, stress, prejudice, decision-making), then narrow to one group, one behaviour and one explanation. The new IB Psychology course, first assessed in 2027, is organised around approaches, contexts and concepts, which gives you useful lenses: biological, cognitive and sociocultural explanations can be compared within a single question.
Enough research to argue with: you need several studies, ideally with conflicting findings, so there is something to weigh.
Narrow population or setting: adolescents, shift workers, bilingual children or online communities, rather than "people".
A psychological explanation at the centre: the essay is about why the behaviour happens, not only that it does.
Ethically sound: if you plan any research with people, check your school's subject guidance and the IB's ethical expectations with your supervisor before you start.
How to write a Psychology EE research question
Weak Psychology questions are usually too broad ("What causes depression?") or have an obvious answer ("Is stress bad for health?"). Strong ones name the behaviour, the group and the competing explanations, and ask how far the evidence supports one of them.
Example Psychology EE research questions
Original examples to show the pattern; build your own from a topic you care about.
To what extent can biological explanations account for the shift in sleep timing during adolescence?
How far does research support the claim that bilingualism improves executive function in children?
To what extent does social comparison on image-based platforms explain body dissatisfaction in teenage girls?
How useful is the concept of cognitive load in explaining why multitasking reduces learning in students?
To what extent can intergroup contact reduce prejudice between rival school or sports groups?
How reliable is eyewitness memory for faces of a different ethnic group, and what explains the difference?
IB Psychology Extended Essay structure
Introduction: the research question, why it matters, key terms defined and the explanations you will compare.
Background and approach: the theories involved, and how you chose and searched for studies.
Body sections by explanation or theme: for each, present the key studies, then analyse what they show and how strong the methods are.
Discussion: bring the strands together, weigh conflicting findings, and consider culture, sample, method and ethics.
Conclusion: answer the question with an honest judgement about the strength of the evidence.
References: one consistent style throughout; most psychology writing uses APA.
Organising the body by argument rather than by study is the single change that most improves Psychology essays. Each paragraph should make a point and use a study to support or challenge it.
How the new EE criteria apply to Psychology
Criterion (marks)
What it looks like in Psychology
A: Framework for the essay (6)
A focused question, a clear rationale for which studies you selected and how, and a logical structure with accurate referencing.
B: Knowledge and understanding (6)
Accurate understanding of theories, terms and research methods, used to explain the behaviour in your question.
C: Analysis and line of argument (6)
Studies used as evidence within one coherent argument, rather than a list of summaries.
D: Discussion and evaluation (8)
Evaluating methods, samples, cultural bias and ethics, comparing explanations, and reaching a justified judgement.
E: Reflection (4)
Your reflection on how your thinking and research skills developed during the process.
The 8 marks for Discussion and evaluation are where Psychology essays are won or lost. Evaluation should be specific: not "the sample was small" but how the sample limits the conclusion you can draw for your research question.
Using studies and sources well
Go to the original research where you can, rather than relying only on textbook summaries; your school library or supervisor can help with access.
Mix classic and recent studies, and include research from more than one culture where it exists.
Note the method for every study (experiment, correlation, interview, meta-analysis) because evaluation depends on it.
Keep a source log with full references as you read, to avoid a scramble at the end and any risk to academic honesty.
Statistics come up constantly in psychology research, so a basic grasp of correlation and significance helps; the statistics in IB Maths AI are a good grounding.
Staying within 4,000 words
Psychology essays tend to overflow with study descriptions. Describe each study in a sentence or two (aim, method, key finding) and spend the words on what it means for your question. Anything beyond 4,000 words is not assessed, so a tight essay with fewer, better-used studies scores more than a crowded one.
Common Psychology EE mistakes
A literature list, not an argument. Study after study with no line of reasoning.
Generic evaluation that could be pasted into any essay.
A question that is really medical or sociological rather than psychological; keep the focus on behaviour and mental processes.
Over-reliance on one source or on popular articles instead of research.
Ignoring ethics or culture when the studies raise obvious issues.
A conclusion stronger than the evidence. Mixed findings deserve a cautious answer.
A Psychology EE timeline
DP1, first term: read widely around two or three topics and note which have a real debate in the research.
DP1, second term: settle the question at your first reflection session and build a reading list.
The summer: read and annotate the core studies; draft the background section.
Start of DP2: complete a full draft and discuss it at the second reflection session.
Final weeks: strengthen the evaluation, tidy references and prepare for the final reflection session (viva voce).
Want feedback on your Extended Essay plan?
Our 1-on-1 IB tutors help students sharpen a research question, plan the structure and understand the criteria. The essay must be your own work: we coach the skills, we do not write it. Free diagnostic consultation.
Psychology overlaps with biology, sociology and economics, and the new EE allows interdisciplinary essays. Keep the essay in Psychology if your question is about explaining behaviour with psychological theory and research. If the question genuinely needs another discipline as an equal partner, talk to your supervisor about the interdisciplinary route; our Economics EE guide shows how a market-based question differs.
Good topics combine a real-world issue with research you can evaluate, such as adolescent sleep, bilingualism and thinking skills, social media and body image, or eyewitness memory. Narrow the topic to one behaviour, one group and competing explanations.
Check your school's copy of the subject guidance and agree any research involving people with your supervisor first, including the IB's ethical expectations. Many Psychology essays are built on critically evaluating published studies rather than new data.
There is no fixed number. Use enough studies to build and test your argument, including some with conflicting findings, and spend more words evaluating them than describing them.
From May 2027 it is marked out of 30 on five criteria shared by all subjects: Framework for the essay (6), Knowledge and understanding (6), Analysis and line of argument (6), Discussion and evaluation (8) and Reflection (4). The total gives a grade from A to E.
Any consistent style is acceptable, but APA is the norm in psychology and makes it easy to cite studies by author and year. What matters most is using one style accurately throughout.
