Options is a core part of IB Psychology. Revise the key concepts and common mistakes below, then lock them in with the free games.
Key concepts
Statistical infreq.Behaviour rare in population
Deviation social normsBehaviour breaks cultural rules
Failure to functionUnable to manage daily life
Ideal mental healthJahoda 1958 — what's missing
DSM-5APA 2013 classification system
ICD-11WHO 2019 classification system
Positive symptomExcess: hallucinations, delusions
Negative symptomDeficit: avolition, alogia, flat affect
Dopamine hypothesisExcess dopamine activity in mesolimbic
Diathesis-stressGenetic risk × environmental trigger
AntipsychoticDrug blocking dopamine D2 receptors
Expressed emotionFamily hostility, criticism, over-involvement
MDDMajor depressive disorder
Serotonin hypothesisLow 5-HT linked to depression
Common mistakes to avoid
Questions where students often pick the tempting wrong answer — make sure you know the right one:
Are mental disorders simply a lack of willpower?✗ Yes, they are just a personal choice or weakness. ✓ No — they have biological, cognitive and environmental causes.
Can psychological disorders be treated effectively?✗ No, disorders can never improve. ✓ Yes — therapies like CBT and other treatments are effective.
What does the behaviourist approach study?✗ The unconscious mind and dreams. ✓ Observable behaviour and how it is learned.
Do all psychological approaches explain behaviour the same way?✗ Yes, all approaches agree on causes. ✓ No — they differ (e.g. behaviourist, cognitive, biological, psychodynamic).
Practise Options — free games
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