Picking the subject for your Extended Essay really shapes how your research and writing go—either it’s smooth, or it ends up being a bit of a mess. I think Psychology is a great fit for those who like to ponder why people act the way they do. And since a lot of my students have the same questions each year, I want to give you an honest rundown of what the Psychology Extended Essay subject is all about and if it’s a good fit for you.
What Is the IB Psychology Extended Essay Subject?
The IB Psychology, as an Extended Essay subject, is a mix of research-based writing, critical thinking, and understanding of how human behaviour works. Just look at the updated subject brief for the first assessment in 2027. The entire Psychology course is built around concepts, content, and real-world contexts. And because of that, the EE in this subject focuses on applying psychological theories to a well-chosen question about behaviour.
The whole Psychology course is designed to help students think critically, analyse evidence, and understand the biological, cognitive, and sociocultural approaches to behaviour. These same expectations carry into the extended essay. Just in a more independent and focused way.
Because the extended essay (for all subjects) is meant to be a fully independent research project, you work through a step-by-step process:
- Choosing a topic,
- forming a research question,
- analysing existing studies,
- and presenting your argument in a structured, academically appropriate format.
Again, the EE brief emphasises that students must develop a clear argument, evaluate evidence, and use proper academic conventions.
In simple terms, a Psychology extended essay is an academic investigation of a specific behavioural question, supported only by published psychological studies. Note that you’re not conducting your own experiments in this subject. Instead, you’re interpreting existing research. It makes the process much more accessible and ethically appropriate.
What I find interesting about this EE subject is that it lets you take ideas from the classroom and apply them to a narrow question that you’re genuinely interested in. These ideas can be memory, bias, learning, relationships, technology, or culture.
BTW, since the updated 2027 curriculum emphasises applying concepts across contexts (for example, human development, health, relationships, or learning), you have plenty of space to choose something good.
How to Choose Psychology Extended Essay Topics?
First, remember one important rule: you can only use secondary research. No experiments, no interviews, no surveys. Everything must come from published psychological studies. This actually makes your life easier, because you’re working with research that already exists.
A simple way to choose a strong topic is:
- Pick a field you like.
- Narrow it down to a specific angle.
- Turn it into a research question.
Short process, but it works every time. Also, I’ve created a quick table to show what the IB considers good vs. too broad to handle.
| ✔️ FOCUSED | ❌ BROAD |
|---|---|
| How bilingualism influences cognitive development | One- or two-language households |
| Whether sleep helps with learning | Sleep and learning |
| How effective is music therapy in improving communication in autistic individuals | Music and autism |
| Motivation techniques in long-distance running | Motivation in sport |
Always check if enough high-quality research exists before committing. Some topics sound interesting but fall apart because there aren’t enough studies to use. On the other hand, areas like memory, cognitive bias, emotion, decision-making, and social behaviour usually have solid research behind them.
Then, be careful with very sensitive or clinical topics. Things like eating disorders or forensic psychology can work, but only if your question is extremely focused.
Finally, choose a topic that lets you compare ideas, analyse studies, and form a clear conclusion. If the question gives you space to argue and evaluate, then you’re probably on the right track. Simpler is usually stronger.
⚠️ Your Extended Essay must be completely separate from any other IB work. The IB is very strict about this, so your Psychology EE cannot be a bigger version of your IA. They must differ in intent, methodology, content, and outcome.
Assessment Criteria for IB Psychology EE
Every essay (no matter the subject) is graded on the same set of expectations. What changes is how you meet them in Psychology. You must show awareness of psychological theories, studies, and methodological considerations while staying entirely within secondary research.
Below is a breakdown for the first assessment in 2027.
Framework for the Essay
This criterion checks whether your research question, chosen methods, and structure make sense.
Knowledge and Understanding
Here, the examiner looks for your understanding of the psychological concepts, theories, and studies you selected. You need to show that you understand the terminology and research methods relevant to your question.
Analysis and Line of Argument
According to the EE brief, you must analyse your research.
Examiners want to see a clear, consistent argument supported by high-quality evidence. In Psychology, this means evaluating study designs, methodologies, cultural considerations, and limitations.
Discussion and Evaluation
The examiner evaluates how well you discuss your findings, compare theoretical perspectives, and assess the strength of your evidence. A strong evaluation is critical in Psychology, so pay close attention to this part.
Reflection
Finally, you reflect on what you learned while working on your EE. The IB wants to see honest thinking about your choices, challenges, and growth as a researcher. And that’s expressed in your reflective statement, recorded in the RPPF.
⚠️ Your essay should move logically: introduce theory, connect it to research, evaluate each study, and link everything back to the research question. This consistent structure keeps IB examiners engaged and helps you stay organized.
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Is the Extended Essay on Psychology Hard?
The Extended Essay on this subject is only as hard as the topic and approach you choose. In my experience, it’s not the most difficult EE option, but it does require consistency, clear thinking, and a willingness to read real psychological studies. Some students expect it to feel like a creative project, but it’s much more of an academic investigation.
The hardest part here is narrowing the research question. Psychology is a huge field, and it’s easy to fall into questions that are too broad or too clinical. However, once you refine the topic, the EE becomes a lot smoother.
Another challenge is staying analytical, because even the best student can fall into the trap of summarizing studies without evaluating them. IB examiners look for arguments, comparisons, and critical thinking. So, simply retelling what a study says won’t earn high marks.
However, the good news is that Psychology has a wealth of existing research. Because the EE is based entirely on secondary sources, you never have to run your own experiments. You use published data, which saves a lot of time.
On top of that, the structure is predictable. As I’ve mentioned above, no matter what topic you work on, there’s a similar structure. First, you lay out your theory, then you do your research, then you evaluate this research, and finally, you write a conclusion. If you stick with that, the EE will feel much more approachable.
So, is it hard? It can be. But with a focused question and solid sources, the IB Psychology extended essay subject is absolutely doable, especially if you’re genuinely interested in human behaviour.
Who Should Choose Psychology as an Extended Essay Subject?
This subject is especially suitable for students who don’t mind reading academic studies. If you’re someone who appreciates structured arguments and clear cause-and-effect explanations, the Psychology EE is a strong choice.
Here, I’ve gathered the ideal student profile for this subject. Of course, based on my years of experience in IB:
- You like understanding behaviour through theories and research.
- You’re comfortable analysing studies instead of collecting your own data.
- You really enjoy writing structured essays with clear arguments.
- You are considering future careers in psychology, neuroscience, medicine, education, or business.
- You prefer social science subjects over highly technical ones.
In my opinion, Psychology also works well for students who want a topic that feels relevant to everyday life. Unlike some subjects where the EE becomes very technical very quickly, Psychology stays connected to real experiences. These are stress, memory, motivation, relationships, learning, and more.
It’s also a great fit if you’re aiming for a balanced level of difficulty. The subject isn’t too simple, but it also doesn’t demand advanced math or complex data analysis (unless you choose an HL topic involving interpretation).
Overall, if you enjoy combining logic with human behaviour, choosing Psychology for your EE might be the best choice you make in the Diploma Programme.
Wrapping Up
For those who enjoy thinking about people and what drives their behavior, the Psychology EE subject is a natural fit. It allows you to work on a topic that feels real and relatable and is actually interesting to write about. You won’t need complex math or lab work. All you need is solid research, a focused question, and a bit of curiosity.
And if the process ever feels confusing or you’re not sure whether your idea is strong enough, you don’t have to figure everything out alone. Our experts at BuyTOKEssay Service can help you with your EE, IA, or TOK anytime. A little support often makes the whole project much easier and a lot less stressful.
