British Psychology Olympiad

Oxford University endorsed Psychology Challenge

20+ countries globally participating, featuring a distinguished academic team comprising 700+ Oxford and Cambridge alumni

Gathering of over 2000 exceptional high school students each year, competing and showcasing cutting-edge achievements in psychological research

Qualifying rounds - National rounds - Global finals, facilitating a progressive exploration of psychological research from basic to advanced, experiencing the unique allure of psychology

Premium Psychology Carnival, delving into the mysteries of the mind through interactive explorations, reveling in an academic celebration

The British Psychology Olympiad (BPO) is a psychology challenge event organized by Minds Underground (MU) and offcially recommended by the University of Oxford. The event aims to provide a platform for high school students worldwide to engage in psychology discussions, ignite their interest in psychology, develop research and critical thinking skills, showcase their research abilities and writing skills. It is a rare academic activity for high school students in the field of psychology. Students who excel in the national round have the opportunity to be invited to the University of Oxford in the UK to participate in professional psychology academic research projects, providing comprehensive support for applications to prestigious global institutions like Oxford and Cambridge.

In 2023, Minds Underground entered into a strategic partnership with ASDAN China to jointly organize the British Psychology Olympiad, providing a platform for Chinese students to showcase their talents. They welcome students interested in exploring knowledge and engaging in intellectual exchange to participate in the British Psychology Olympiad, broaden their horizons, deepen their understanding, and explore the depths of human psychology!

Comprehensive Advancement System

Qualified participants will be invited to participate in an offline Psychology Academic Carnival. They will compete in individual and team challenges and receive professional writing guidance. Students who perform exceptionally well will participate in the global psychology essay challenge, which selects outstanding students to go to the UK to take part in the Oxford Psychology Project summer camp, laying a solid foundation for future applications in related majors

Qualifier Round

Time: December 16th, 2023

Form: Online/Host school

Rules: The Qualifier Round is an individual written test. Students are required to complete 24 multiple-choice psychology questions within 90 minutes. Each correct answer earns 5 points, with a maximum total score of 120 points. The exam is conducted in English.

Eligibility: G9-12 students who're interested in psychology can participate.

Advancement Criteria:Students who score above the cut-off point set by the organizing committee will qualify for the National Round (Approximately a 60% advancement rate).

Awards: All participants who complete the exam will receive a participation certificate. Students who qualify for the next round will receive the Excellence Award.

Academic Support: Study resources will be provided free of charge to assist in the preparation.

National Round

Students who qualify in the National Round will be invited to participate in the National Round. Here, they will meet psychology enthusiasts from across the country and engage in a variety of tasks, including psychology written exams, knowledge quizzes, psychology experiments, and receive intensive training in psychology writing. They will explore psychology comprehensively and gain personal growth and honor.

Time: February 2nd-8th, 2024

Location: Shanghai

	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
Day 1	Arrival and Check in
Day 2	Opening Ceremony 【Explore】All About Psychotherapy	【Answer】Psychology Comprehensive Prociency Test (Individual) 【Explore】Essay Topics Introduction	【Self-Study】Topic Selection Preparation
Day 3	【Write】Topic Selection and Research Design	【Explore】Critical Thinking Workshop 【Explore】Topic Idea Brainstorming	【Self-Study】Deciding on the Topic
Day 4	【Write】Introduction to Research Methods	【Quiz】Psychology Knowledge Quiz (Individual) 【Play】Psychology in Games (Team)	【Self-Study】Information Collection and Research
Day 5	【Write】Citation and Format in Academic Writing 【Explore】Ethics in Psychology Research	【Play】Psychology Experiment Showcase (Team)	【Self-Study】Essay Writing
Day 6	【Write】Finish the Essay	Closing Ceremony + Award Ceremony
Day 7	Departure

Schedule Highlights:

【Answer】: Complete subjective and objective psychology questions to showcase psychology knowledge and apply pyschology skills.

【Write】: Under the guidance of mentors, delve into the art of paper writing, covering background exploration, topic selection, research methods, academic citations, and more to enhance academic writing skills. Complete a psychology essay and submit it within a week after the event ends.

【Explore】: Gain insight into the diverse aspects of psychology through sessions such as lectures by psychology experts and identifying common logical fallacies.

【Quiz】: Experience the excitement and challenge of psychology knowledge quizzes, where participants must apply their psychological knowledge under high-pressure conditions, testing both their mental agility and speed.

【Play】: Enhance the learning experience through games, have fun with team psychology games, and enjoy the intriguing aspects of psychology through experiment demonstrations. Psychology can be a lot of fun!

Awards:

- Top three places for each category: Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
- Excellence Awards for the top 60% participants in each events.
- All participating students will receive a participation certificate.
*The above awards are for reference, and the actual award distribution may vary

Advancement Criteria:

The organizing committee will conduct a selection process to choose the best essays from all participants. These selected essays will be submitted to the Global Round Psychology Essay Challenge. Participants who receive awards in the Global Round will be invited to join the Oxford Psychology Project.Winners of Excellence Awards in each events will also gain direct admission to the Oxford Psychology Project

Previous event highlights:

Global Round

Psychology Essay Competition
All students are required to complete a psychology essay during the National Round and submit it to the MU Global Organizing Committee by the specified deadline.

Essay Requirements: All students must choose one of the three essay topics announced by the organizing committee to complete their writing
Format Requirements: Essays must be written in English, with a word count of 1000-1500 words (excluding references), and must use the Harvard citation format.

Selection Time: April 2024

Click to view previous year's questions：

Click to view Sample Award-Winning Essays：

Expectation of Covid-19 cases in the year 25 - 27

Covid-19, a highly infectious respiratory disease, has been brought to attention worldwide over the last several years. By January 2023, there has been 670 million cases across the globe, with 6.82 million deaths throughout [1]. In this paper, the authors will devise a mathematical model with the purpose of predicting Covid-19 cases in the year 2025-27. The main objective of this paper is to create a model suitable for data from 2020 up until now factoring all possible affectants.

How AI and ML can be applied in national internet security and its sub-unities, with viable precautions

In many parts of the world, governments emphasize national cybersecurity (internet security). Related internet security systems have been widely studied in many branches of artificial intelligence (AI), from computer vision to robotics. Among all those categories, machine learning (ML) could be regarded as the most multiuse and non-specific method. Summarized to Anthony (2022), over $28 billion was funded in machine learning applications, and over $14 billion was invested in the machine learning platform, which occupies the most in the field of AI.

Earthquake Prediction System based on machine learning technology

In recent years, the improvement of computer performance makes machine learning more and more widely used in geophysical research. The application of pan, especially in geophysical exploration, is progressing very rapidly. However, machine learning in the field of earthquake prediction is still in the early exploratory stage. This paper mainly discusses and designs an earthquake prediction system with Machine Learning. The system includes long - term and short - term forecasting. At the same time, machine learning can improve the accuracy of prediction.

A Brief Overview of Alzheimer's Disease (AD)

Alzheimer's, the most common cost of dementia, is a neurodegenerative disease that causes issues in the brain with memory, cognition, and behavior. [10] According to Alzheimer's Disease International, it was the "top cause of disabilities in later life" in 2019. [3] In China, 3.9% of people suffer from the disease in 2020, and this figure has continued to increase for decades.[4] The prevalence and importance of AD are super obvious, and provided that it is still being understood, experts are urgently calling for more research in this field. In this essay, we will expound on the major findings so far regarding the symptoms, anatomical location, causes, diagnostic methods, and treatments.

A brief overview of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurogenerative disease caused by both genetic and spontaneous factors. As the pathological changes progress, symptoms ranging from mild cognitive impairment to severe dementia could occur. Currently, there is no cure for AD, but several treatments have been developed to mitigate the symptoms and slow down the disease progression. Meanwhile, various testing methods have been developed to detect this disease. This essay aims to provide an overview of AD in terms of the anatomical location of pathological changes in the brain, the potential symptoms, detection methods, and available treatments. We will also present our evaluation of the detection and treatment methods.

Review of Parkinson’s disease: Causes, diagnoses, and treatments

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder which is mainly associated with symptoms like tremor, rigidity, slowing movement and other complications including mental disabilities and cognitive problems.[1] The symptoms progress slowly. Initially, patients suffer from tremor on one side of the arms. As the disorder progresses, patients may find difficulties when talking or moving. However, no cure is currently available for Parkinson's disease. Treatments and medications are aimed to control the symptoms or slow down the progression.

Discussion about the techniques involved in the analysis of the drug targeting lung cancer

Lung cancer is the second most common cancerous disease among the world population, which is caused by unregulated cell division in the lungs. (wcrf.org, 2022) In 2022, around 236740 new cases of lung cancer were diagnosed in the United States. To be more specific, damaged cells divide uncontrollably and lead to the formation of tumors. Lung cancer usually start from the bronchi and bronchioles or alveoli. (Larsen & Minna, 2011)

The Report of The Advanced Analytical Technologies For The New Drug

Lung cancer is a malignant tumor originating from the bronchial mucosa or glands of the lung. Smoking is one of the most common causes of lung cancer, and 80% - 90% of smokers will suffer from such malignant tumors [1]. It remains a major worldwide health problem, accounting for more than a sixth of cancer deaths [2]. The high morbidity and mortality rates make it one of the most dangerous tumors diagnosed. Therefore, the treatment for lung cancer is highly researched.

Which model best generalize how people start using social media, applying evidence from age groups?

Social media, a newly developed technology that allows users to create and share comments, pictures, or videos, or to participate in the social network, has become a significant part of people's lives (Dollarhide, 2021). According to statistics from Digital 2022: China: as of 2022, out of 1.02 billion mobile phone users in mainland China, 983 million were social media users, occupying 68% of the total population (Kemp, 2022).

Is it possible to become addicted to social media and why?

Addiction refers to a chronic brain disorder with biological, psychological, social and environmental factors influencing its development and maintenance (American psychological association). The criteria for addiction are various. However, withdrawal and tolerance suggested clinical addiction overall. Withdrawal is the syndrome caused by the cessation of a substance. The common syndrome includes nausea, insomnia and anxiety. Tolerance refers to the significant reducing effect of the substance after continuous substance use. Patients need to increase the dose to achieve the same desired effect (American psychological association). Social media is a virtual community where people can post their daily lives, thoughts, and comments (Dollarhide, 2021).

Is fiat money dead? An economic report investigating the rise and rise of digital money in 2022

Globalization and digitalization has become the main theme of the current global development, people demand for improvements to make things more rapid, more convenient, more user friendly, and more equal. As fiat money was designed thousands of years ago, it's hard for this system to satisfied the current need of development. Technological developments are pushing the financial system to evolve itself and new types of currencies seem to have the possibilities of replacing the money system that haven't change for thousands of years.