AQA PSYCHOLOGY A LEVEL 2021 PAPER 2
MS FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS ||
ALREADY GRADED A+ RECENT VERSION
Perrin and Spencer - ANSWER 1980. Attempted to repeat Asch's study in the
UK using science and engineering students. They only obtained one conforming
response out of 396 trials. In a subsequent study (youths on probation and
probation officers as participants and confederates respectively) hey found that
conformity was more likely to occur if the perceive cost of not performing was
greater.
Bond - ANSWER 2005. Suggests a limitation of research in conformity is that
studies have only a limited range of majority sizes. No studies other than Asch
have used a greater majority than 9 so in reality very little is known about the
effect of larger majority sizes on conformity.
Group size - ANSWER How large or small a group of participants is.
Unanimity - ANSWER Where everyone agrees.
,Task difficulty - ANSWER How easy or hard a part of an experiment is.
Variables affecting conformity - ANSWER Group size, Unanimity, Task
difficulty
Stanford prison experiment - ANSWER 1973. Aimed to investigate how readily
people would conform to social roles of guard and prisoner in a role-playing
exercise that simulated prison life. 21 male university student volunteers were
allocated social roles (either prisoner or guard). The prisoners were
dehumanized("arrested", delousing procedure, prison number).
Zimbardo took the role of prison superintendent. The prisoners and guards quickly
identified with their roles with the guards becoming tyrannical and abusive towards
the prisoners who became passive. Experiment was stopped after 6 days (planned 2
weeks).
Evaluation of Stanford prison experiment - ANSWER Conformity to roles is
not automatic.
The problem of demand characteristics - Banuazi and Movahedi (1975)
Ethical issues
Real world relevance - Abu Ghraib
Banuazizi and Movahedi - ANSWER 1975. Argued that the behavioral 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 confront automatically to
social roles.
Social roles - ANSWER Behavior’s 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 influence of 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 sceptic
, sceptic 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 person’s 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
characterized by strict adherence to conventional values and a belief in absolute
obedience or submission to authority.
MS FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS ||
ALREADY GRADED A+ RECENT VERSION
Perrin and Spencer - ANSWER 1980. Attempted to repeat Asch's study in the
UK using science and engineering students. They only obtained one conforming
response out of 396 trials. In a subsequent study (youths on probation and
probation officers as participants and confederates respectively) hey found that
conformity was more likely to occur if the perceive cost of not performing was
greater.
Bond - ANSWER 2005. Suggests a limitation of research in conformity is that
studies have only a limited range of majority sizes. No studies other than Asch
have used a greater majority than 9 so in reality very little is known about the
effect of larger majority sizes on conformity.
Group size - ANSWER How large or small a group of participants is.
Unanimity - ANSWER Where everyone agrees.
,Task difficulty - ANSWER How easy or hard a part of an experiment is.
Variables affecting conformity - ANSWER Group size, Unanimity, Task
difficulty
Stanford prison experiment - ANSWER 1973. Aimed to investigate how readily
people would conform to social roles of guard and prisoner in a role-playing
exercise that simulated prison life. 21 male university student volunteers were
allocated social roles (either prisoner or guard). The prisoners were
dehumanized("arrested", delousing procedure, prison number).
Zimbardo took the role of prison superintendent. The prisoners and guards quickly
identified with their roles with the guards becoming tyrannical and abusive towards
the prisoners who became passive. Experiment was stopped after 6 days (planned 2
weeks).
Evaluation of Stanford prison experiment - ANSWER Conformity to roles is
not automatic.
The problem of demand characteristics - Banuazi and Movahedi (1975)
Ethical issues
Real world relevance - Abu Ghraib
Banuazizi and Movahedi - ANSWER 1975. Argued that the behavioral 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 confront automatically to
social roles.
Social roles - ANSWER Behavior’s 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 influence of 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 sceptic
, sceptic 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 person’s 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
characterized by strict adherence to conventional values and a belief in absolute
obedience or submission to authority.
