Exam Tips & Guidance (HL IB Psychology)

Let’s take this question: ‘Discuss the biopsychosocial model of health and well-being’  [22]

What is this question asking you to do?

Start with the command term: ‘discuss’ asks students to consider a range of arguments regarding the use of the biopsychosocial model to explain health issues. ‘Discuss’ means that you need to present an argument which explores the implications of using this model to investigate and explain health and well-being.

Here are some useful sentence stems/phrases that will help you to form a convincing ‘Discuss’ argument:

• This model is an improvement on what went before, because…

• However there are some limitations: the model is very complex and it can be difficult to isolate the variables which means…

• Evidence for the model comes from studies…

• This research can show a correlation, but not cause which is a limitation because…

• There is strong evidence for…

• There are other variables which may have also influenced the results of this study such as…

But what does all of that actually mean?

Students often express some confusion (panic even!) when they read exam questions. This confusion/panic tends to stem from a) exam nerves (understandable) and b) misreading the question or feeling that the question is asking them to do something that they have never done before. 

So, let’s unpack the above exam question and break it down into its constituent parts; this way you will be able to see that yes, you can answer this question and yes, you have revised the correct theories and studies that will enable you to answer the question. You should use this approach to deconstruct all possible exam questions as this strategy will help you to understand and be prepared for whatever the exam throws at you!

• Unpacking the question: ‘Discuss the biopsychosocial model of health and well-being’  [22]

• ‘Discuss’’ means that you need to present arguments regarding the explanatory value of the biopsychosocial model of health and well-being e.g. can this model provide a full explanation for health and well-being?

• The biopsychosocial model is a replacement for the earlier biomedical model. It sees health as influenced by:

  • biological factors - such as genetics, hormone levels, brain and anatomy

  • psychological  factors - such as individual dispositions and health beliefs, coping skills, emotions

  • sociocultural factors - such as socioeconomic status, social support, relationships, living conditions

• Health and well-being refers to good health and also to illness

• Health psychology includes investigating how factors such as lifestyle and social context may influence health and illness, making one of the goals of health psychology to promote an understanding of behaviour that leads to a healthier lifestyle.

In conclusion, this question is asking you to, ‘Present arguments regarding how well the holistic approach of the biopsychosocial model can be used to explain differences in health and well-being of people with varying biological, cognitive and sociocultural factors.’

How to get full marks for this question

Yes, it is possible to get full marks for this question or for any question on any of your IB Psychology papers. It is, however, not easy to do so (if it was, everyone would be doing it!) but with hard work, revision (and use of this helpful revision site!) full marks could be yours.

So, let’s take this bit by bit: what do you need to do to be in with a chance of achieving 100% on this question?

1. First, just describe the biopsychosocial model and how it replaces the biomedical model

2. Then decide which health problem you are going to use in your essay - if you are using this revision site as your guide you may choose to go the following route:

   1. Health problem - Stress: work stress and lack of  control

   2. Research - Marmot et al. (1997)

3. You also need to consider how the model is used by physicians: in theory it explains health, but in practice is it used to promote well-being or to help treat health problems?

   1. Research - Suls and Rothman (2004)

4. You need to be able to satisfy the mark scheme criteria as follows:

   1. Focus on the question (2 marks) - are you explaining how the biopsychosocial model shows how lack of control influences stress

   2. Knowledge & Understanding (6 marks) - do you know the model well, in detail, and can you give examples to illustrate your understanding of how the model, study and health problem link back to the question?

   3. Use of research (6 marks) - is your answer evidence-based? Does this evidence support your argument? Two studies are ideal but one study in detail  is better than several studies used at a superficial level that repeat the same point over and over

   4. Critical thinking (6 marks) - does your answer show that you have an inquiring and reflective mind? Have you evaluated the research methodology as well as the model? Have you challenged the central assumptions of the question along with its attendant theories and research?

   5. Clarity & organisation (2 marks) - is your meaning clear throughout and have you structured your essay coherently?  

That’s all very well but can you show me how?....

There is a full exemplar answer to this response (see the next page titled ‘Model Exam Response - Health’). This exemplar response is accompanied by a commentary linking each paragraph back to the question, explaining how it satisfies the criteria for full marks. 

But just to whet your appetite and give you a ‘taster’ of the exemplar response here are some edited highlights:

Exemplar paragraph from the model answer:

Commentary provided for the above paragraph: