Psychology

The UWCSEA Psychology course provides students with the opportunity to critically evaluate the science behind wellbeing, so that they are able to optimise their own performance in a broad range of situations. In doing so, they will develop the analytical skills needed to judge the value of evidence from psychological research, as well as the practical knowledge and skills to run their own research and analyse the findings. This is particularly important given the proliferation of unregulated books, podcasts, and other media claiming to offer useful ‘life hacks’ , all of which increase the risk of individuals applying ill-considered, mis-contextualised strategies that are poorly supported by evidence. This course will equip students with the critical thinking and communication skills needed to thrive in IB Psychology and subjects across the curriculum, and in the world beyond school. 

• Explore Psychological research to foster lifelong happiness, healthiness and higher levels of performance in their own lives.

• Provide opportunities for students to experience techniques that promote wellbeing and reflect on the usefulness of each technique for themselves.

• Empower students to plan and conduct useful research, applying a range of methods and relevant ethical standards.

• Enable students to judge the value of different types of data presented in Psychological research.

• Encourage students to recognise the importance of culture in the application of Psychological research.

• Inspire students to be effective ambassadors for happiness, healthiness and higher levels of performance in their communities.

Students will learn how to think critically about why specific actions might increase happiness, healthiness, performance and impact. Perhaps even more importantly, why they do not always seem to work as well as we would hope. Not only will these lines of enquiry allow students to apply the actions most likely to work for them in their own lives, they will also develop the critical thinking skills needed to thrive across the IB curriculum and beyond. 

Grade 9            

1. Happiness: Thinking yourself happier
   Students will explore theories, models and interventions stemming from the ‘science of happiness’. Student wellbeing is a priority in any high performance school and the importance of skills learnt in this context extends throughout adult life. There are multiple factors claimed to improve happiness as well as evidence exposing a variety of myths about what makes us happy.

2. Happiness: Making yourself happier
   Students will explore the application of psychology, focusing on interviews and field experiments. They will design and conduct research to test hypotheses related to well-being and happiness. Key areas of study include evidence that honest self-expression enhances happiness, using individual character strengths to increase fulfillment, the impact of expressing gratitude on happiness, and the role of kindness in fostering well-being. By reviewing and testing these principles, students will gain hands-on experience in psychological research, deepening their understanding of how specific actions and traits contribute to human happiness and personal growth.

3. Healthiness: Keep yourself healthy
   The intention in this unit is to allow students a chance to explore theories, models and interventions linked to the connection between the mind and the body as well as physical wellbeing. Students are often subject to competing pressures, increased cognitive load and excessive expectations (from themselves and others) leading to an increased vulnerability to stress and burnout. Understanding the importance of identity is essential in this context as the experience of exclusion or inequitable treatment can be a source of severe stress. 

4. Healthiness: Get yourself better

Students will explore psychological research, focusing on selecting appropriate methods and the importance of triangulation. They will design and implement studies to test hypotheses on stress management and cognitive functioning. Key areas include how cognitive restructuring reduces stress symptoms, the benefits of nature exposure in stress reduction, the role of healthy sleep cycles in maintaining mental and physical well-being, and the impact of malnutrition on cognitive performance. Through hands-on research, students will deepen their understanding of these topics while developing skills to choose effective methodologies and integrate multiple perspectives for comprehensive analysis.

Grade 10  

1. Performance: Maximising me - the science of study, motivation and performing under pressure
   Students will explore theories, models and interventions intended to maximise performance under pressure. Students are often anxious to deliver their best performance under high pressure conditions such as exams, theatrical performances, athletic competition etc. There are several cognitive interventions claiming to optimise performance, including goal setting, growth mindset, multimodal learning, spaced practise and interleaving.

2. Performance: Learning to lead
   Students will explore leadership and teamwork through research, focusing on effective communication, empowerment, and fostering belonging. They will examine how leaders promote innovation, autonomy and wellness while addressing intersectionality and diversity. Key topics include team dynamics, stages of team formation, roles for effectiveness, and the impact of cohesion on performance. Students will analyze the balance between task and social cohesion and the benefits of diversity. Through hands-on research, they will deepen their understanding of leadership, collaboration, and the factors that contribute to successful teams, building practical skills for creating inclusive and high-performing group environments.

3. Impact: Education as a Force
   Students will explore theories, models and interventions claiming to increase the impact an individual can have within teams, within communities or in the world more widely. UWCSEA hopes that our students will be effective leaders for positive change within school, locally and globally. For education to be this kind of force, students need to explore ways to lead teams and facilitate change.

Critical thinking, collaboration and communication are essential aspects of the UWCSEA Learner Profile, closely mirroring the IB Learner profile's emphasis on reflection, inquiry and thinking. Performance Psychology equips students with these skills, along with the knowledge, understanding and experience needed to think critically about the science behind happiness, healthiness and self-actualisation. This will be especially valuable preparation for Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay.

Assessments vary in their form and purpose, ranging from coursework involving collaborative team tasks, to quizzes, presentations, report writing, and interdisciplinary projects. However, both the 9th and 10th Grade courses prioritize and foreround opportunities for students to pursue student-created and teacher-approved inquiry questions for which knowledge and skills might be demonstrated through a wide variety of mediums.