AS LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY AQA PAPER 1 FINAL
PAPER 2026 COMPLETE ANSWERS VERIFIED
◉ Banuazizi and Movahedi. Answer: 1975. Argued that the
behaviour of Zimbardo's guards and prisoners was not due to their
response to a 'compelling prison environment', but rather to the
characteristics in the experimental situation itself.
◉ BBC prison study. Answer: 2006 . Tried to recreate the results of
the Stanford prison experiment. Broadcast on tv. Participants did not
confrom automatically to social roles.
◉ Social roles. Answer: Behaviour expected of an individual who
occupies a given position or status.
◉ Milgram. Answer: 1963. 40 participants (male) assigned as the
role of "teacher". Had to give 'electric shocks' to 'another participant'
the "learner" who in reality was a confederate/actor. The
experiment would continue until the participant refused to continue
or 450 volts was reached. If the "teacher" tried to stop the
experimenter would say "the experiment requires that you
continue" etc (x4 5th stop). All of the participants went to at least
300 volts. 65% continued until the full 450 volts.
◉ Evaluation of Milgram. Answer: Ethical issues
,Internal validity (a lack of realism) - Orne and Holland (1968), Perry
(2012)
Individual differences (the influenceof gender)
External validity (the obedience alibi) - Mandel (1998)
Historical validity - Burger (2009)
◉ Orne and Holland. Answer: 1968. Claimed that participants in
psychological studies have learned to distrust experimenters
because they know that the true purpose of the study may be
disguised.
◉ Perry. Answer: 2012. Discovered that many of Milgram's
participants had been sceptical at the time about whether the shocks
were real.
◉ Obedience. Answer: A type of social influence whereby somebody
acts in response to a direct order from a figure of perceived
authority.
◉ Situational variables. Answer: Proximity. Location. Uniform
◉ Proximity. Answer: How close two people are in relation to
distance
,◉ Location. Answer: Where the experiment takes place
◉ Uniform. Answer: What a person is wearing (usually someone
involved in the running of an experiment, not a participant)
◉ Agentic state. Answer: A person sees himself/herself as an agent
for carrying out another persons wishes. People allow others to
direct their actions, and then pass off responsibility for the
consequences to the person giving orders.
◉ Legitimate authority. Answer: A person who is perceived to be in a
position of social control within a situation
◉ Authoritarian personality. Answer: A distinct personality pattern
characterised by strict adherence to conventional values and a belief
in absolute obedience or submission to authority.
◉ Elms and Milgram. Answer: 1966. To see if authoritarian
personality traits were more likely to be displayed by obedient
participants than disobedient participants from Milgram's original
experiment. 20 obedient and 20 disobedient. Completed F-scale.
Obedient participants score higher on F-scale.
, ◉ Evaluation of the authoritarian personality. Answer: Research
evidence for the authoritarianism/obedience link - Elms and
Milgram (1966)
Difference between authoritarian and obedient participants.
Education may determine authoritarianism and obedience -
Middendorp and Meloen (1990)
Left wing views are assocaited with lower levels of obedience -
Begue et al (2014)
◉ Autonomous state. Answer: People direct their own actions, and
they take responsibility for the results of those actions.
◉ Conventionalism. Answer: An adherence to conventional norms
and values
◉ Authoritarian aggression. Answer: Aggressive feelings towards
people who violate conventional norms
◉ Authoritarian submission. Answer: Uncritical submission to
legitimate authorities
◉ Resistance to social influence. Answer: Social support, locus of
control
PAPER 2026 COMPLETE ANSWERS VERIFIED
◉ Banuazizi and Movahedi. Answer: 1975. Argued that the
behaviour of Zimbardo's guards and prisoners was not due to their
response to a 'compelling prison environment', but rather to the
characteristics in the experimental situation itself.
◉ BBC prison study. Answer: 2006 . Tried to recreate the results of
the Stanford prison experiment. Broadcast on tv. Participants did not
confrom automatically to social roles.
◉ Social roles. Answer: Behaviour expected of an individual who
occupies a given position or status.
◉ Milgram. Answer: 1963. 40 participants (male) assigned as the
role of "teacher". Had to give 'electric shocks' to 'another participant'
the "learner" who in reality was a confederate/actor. The
experiment would continue until the participant refused to continue
or 450 volts was reached. If the "teacher" tried to stop the
experimenter would say "the experiment requires that you
continue" etc (x4 5th stop). All of the participants went to at least
300 volts. 65% continued until the full 450 volts.
◉ Evaluation of Milgram. Answer: Ethical issues
,Internal validity (a lack of realism) - Orne and Holland (1968), Perry
(2012)
Individual differences (the influenceof gender)
External validity (the obedience alibi) - Mandel (1998)
Historical validity - Burger (2009)
◉ Orne and Holland. Answer: 1968. Claimed that participants in
psychological studies have learned to distrust experimenters
because they know that the true purpose of the study may be
disguised.
◉ Perry. Answer: 2012. Discovered that many of Milgram's
participants had been sceptical at the time about whether the shocks
were real.
◉ Obedience. Answer: A type of social influence whereby somebody
acts in response to a direct order from a figure of perceived
authority.
◉ Situational variables. Answer: Proximity. Location. Uniform
◉ Proximity. Answer: How close two people are in relation to
distance
,◉ Location. Answer: Where the experiment takes place
◉ Uniform. Answer: What a person is wearing (usually someone
involved in the running of an experiment, not a participant)
◉ Agentic state. Answer: A person sees himself/herself as an agent
for carrying out another persons wishes. People allow others to
direct their actions, and then pass off responsibility for the
consequences to the person giving orders.
◉ Legitimate authority. Answer: A person who is perceived to be in a
position of social control within a situation
◉ Authoritarian personality. Answer: A distinct personality pattern
characterised by strict adherence to conventional values and a belief
in absolute obedience or submission to authority.
◉ Elms and Milgram. Answer: 1966. To see if authoritarian
personality traits were more likely to be displayed by obedient
participants than disobedient participants from Milgram's original
experiment. 20 obedient and 20 disobedient. Completed F-scale.
Obedient participants score higher on F-scale.
, ◉ Evaluation of the authoritarian personality. Answer: Research
evidence for the authoritarianism/obedience link - Elms and
Milgram (1966)
Difference between authoritarian and obedient participants.
Education may determine authoritarianism and obedience -
Middendorp and Meloen (1990)
Left wing views are assocaited with lower levels of obedience -
Begue et al (2014)
◉ Autonomous state. Answer: People direct their own actions, and
they take responsibility for the results of those actions.
◉ Conventionalism. Answer: An adherence to conventional norms
and values
◉ Authoritarian aggression. Answer: Aggressive feelings towards
people who violate conventional norms
◉ Authoritarian submission. Answer: Uncritical submission to
legitimate authorities
◉ Resistance to social influence. Answer: Social support, locus of
control
