IB Psychology SL : Psychology of human relationships

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for IB Psychology SL

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Psychology Of Human Relationships

A 23-year-old female is contemplating taking a job after college graduation on the other side of the country. She is torn because this is an amazing opportunity, but she would be leaving her family and boyfriend of two years behind. Which stage of psychosocial development would Erikson say this young woman is experiencing? 

Possible Answers:

Initiative vs. guilt 

Integrity vs. despair 

Intimacy vs. isolation 

Identity vs. role confusion 

Trust vs. mistrust 

Correct answer:

Intimacy vs. isolation 

Explanation:

Erik Erikson was a theorist who believed that each stage of life had its own task to overcome. Erickson’s psychosocial stages included the following: infancy, toddlerhood, preschool, elementary school, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood. He assigned each stage with an approximate age range. In the young adulthood stage (from the early twenties to the early forties), Erikson believed people needed to resolve issues associated with intimacy versus isolation. He hypothesized that individuals at this stage struggle with forming close relationships in the hope to achieve intimate love. He theorized that if this is not accomplished, then the individual might feel socially isolated. The other provided options are stages in Erikson's stages of psychosocial development; however, they each have their own tasks (i.e. integrity versus despair or identity versus role confusion) and are incorrect. The young woman in the question falls firmly within this range.

Example Question #4 : Options

A 23-year-old female is contemplating taking a job after college graduation on the other side of the country. She is torn because this is an amazing opportunity, but she would be leaving her family and boyfriend of two years behind. Which stage of psychosocial development would Erikson say this young woman is experiencing? 

Possible Answers:

Identity vs. role confusion 

Initiative vs. guilt 

Trust vs. mistrust 

Intimacy vs. isolation 

Integrity vs. despair 

Correct answer:

Intimacy vs. isolation 

Explanation:

Erik Erikson was a theorist who believed that each stage of life had its own task to overcome. Erickson’s psychosocial stages included the following: infancy, toddlerhood, preschool, elementary school, adolescence, young adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood. He assigned each stage with an approximate age range. In the young adulthood stage (from the early twenties to the early forties), Erikson believed people needed to resolve issues associated with intimacy versus isolation. He hypothesized that individuals at this stage struggle with forming close relationships in the hope to achieve intimate love. He theorized that if this is not accomplished, then the individual might feel socially isolated. The other provided options are stages in Erikson's stages of psychosocial development; however, they each have their own tasks (i.e. integrity versus despair or identity versus role confusion) and are incorrect. The young woman in the question falls firmly within this range.

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