A-LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY AQA PAPER 1
2025/2026 LATEST EDITION (ACCURATE
ANSWERS)
Kelman - ANS-1958. Proposed three types of conformity.
Conformity - ANS-Yielding to group pressure. Behaviour and/or beliefs are influenced by a larger group
of people.
Internalisation - ANS-Public and private. Validation process. Change own beliefs.
Identification - ANS-Accept influence to establish a relationship with a group. To feel part of a group.
Internalisation and compliance.
Compliance - ANS-Public not private. No change in personal opinion. To fain approval. To fit in with a
group
Informational social influence - ANS-A type of internalisation. Accepts information from others as
evidence about reality. More confidence in their beliefs.
Normative social influence - ANS-Go along with the majority without accepting their point of view whilst
believing that they are under surveillance by the group.
Evaluation of types of conformity - ANS-Difficulties in distinguishing between compliance and
internalisation.
Research support for normative social influence - Linkenbach and Perkins (2003)
,Research support for informational influence - Wittenbrink and Henley (1996)
Normative influence may not be detected - Nolan et al (2008)
Informational influence is moderated by task type
Asch - ANS-1956. Tested conformity. Tested 123 male US undergraduates. Groups of all but one
confederate. Asked to identify the two of three lines that were the same length. The real participant
answered second to last. In different conditions ("critical trials" 12/18 trials) the confederates were
instructed to give the same incorrect answer. On the 12 critical tasks the average conformity rate was
33%. ¼ never conformed in any of the critical trials. ½ conformed in six or more of the critical trials. ¹∕₂₀
conformed in all 12 critical tasks. In control conditions (confederates not answering wrong) participants
made mistakes about 1% of the time.
Evaluation of Asch - ANS-Asch's research may be a child of its time - Perrin and Spencer (1980)
Problems with determinging the effect of group size - Bond (2005)
Independent behaviour rather than conformity.
Unconvincing confederates.
Cultural differences in conformity - Smith et al (2006)
Perrin and Spencer - ANS-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 percieved cost of not performing was greater.
Bond - ANS-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 - ANS-How large or small a group of participants is.
Unanimity - ANS-Where everyone agrees.
Task difficulty - ANS-How easy or hard a part of an experiment is.
, Variables affecting conformity - ANS-Group size, Unanimity, Task difficulty
Stanford prison experiment - ANS-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
dehumanised ("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 - ANS-Conformity to roles is not automatic.
The problem of demand characteristics - Banuazizi and Movahedi (1975)
Ethical issues
Real world relevance - Abu Ghraib
Banuazizi and Movahedi - ANS-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 - ANS-2006 . Tried to recreate the results of the Stanford prison experiment. Broadcast
on tv. Participants did not confrom automatically to social roles.
Social roles - ANS-Behaviour expected of an individual who occupies a given position or status.
Milgram - ANS-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 - ANS-Ethical issues
Internal validity (a lack of realism) - Orne and Holland (1968), Perry (2012)
Individual differences (the influenceof gender)
2025/2026 LATEST EDITION (ACCURATE
ANSWERS)
Kelman - ANS-1958. Proposed three types of conformity.
Conformity - ANS-Yielding to group pressure. Behaviour and/or beliefs are influenced by a larger group
of people.
Internalisation - ANS-Public and private. Validation process. Change own beliefs.
Identification - ANS-Accept influence to establish a relationship with a group. To feel part of a group.
Internalisation and compliance.
Compliance - ANS-Public not private. No change in personal opinion. To fain approval. To fit in with a
group
Informational social influence - ANS-A type of internalisation. Accepts information from others as
evidence about reality. More confidence in their beliefs.
Normative social influence - ANS-Go along with the majority without accepting their point of view whilst
believing that they are under surveillance by the group.
Evaluation of types of conformity - ANS-Difficulties in distinguishing between compliance and
internalisation.
Research support for normative social influence - Linkenbach and Perkins (2003)
,Research support for informational influence - Wittenbrink and Henley (1996)
Normative influence may not be detected - Nolan et al (2008)
Informational influence is moderated by task type
Asch - ANS-1956. Tested conformity. Tested 123 male US undergraduates. Groups of all but one
confederate. Asked to identify the two of three lines that were the same length. The real participant
answered second to last. In different conditions ("critical trials" 12/18 trials) the confederates were
instructed to give the same incorrect answer. On the 12 critical tasks the average conformity rate was
33%. ¼ never conformed in any of the critical trials. ½ conformed in six or more of the critical trials. ¹∕₂₀
conformed in all 12 critical tasks. In control conditions (confederates not answering wrong) participants
made mistakes about 1% of the time.
Evaluation of Asch - ANS-Asch's research may be a child of its time - Perrin and Spencer (1980)
Problems with determinging the effect of group size - Bond (2005)
Independent behaviour rather than conformity.
Unconvincing confederates.
Cultural differences in conformity - Smith et al (2006)
Perrin and Spencer - ANS-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 percieved cost of not performing was greater.
Bond - ANS-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 - ANS-How large or small a group of participants is.
Unanimity - ANS-Where everyone agrees.
Task difficulty - ANS-How easy or hard a part of an experiment is.
, Variables affecting conformity - ANS-Group size, Unanimity, Task difficulty
Stanford prison experiment - ANS-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
dehumanised ("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 - ANS-Conformity to roles is not automatic.
The problem of demand characteristics - Banuazizi and Movahedi (1975)
Ethical issues
Real world relevance - Abu Ghraib
Banuazizi and Movahedi - ANS-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 - ANS-2006 . Tried to recreate the results of the Stanford prison experiment. Broadcast
on tv. Participants did not confrom automatically to social roles.
Social roles - ANS-Behaviour expected of an individual who occupies a given position or status.
Milgram - ANS-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 - ANS-Ethical issues
Internal validity (a lack of realism) - Orne and Holland (1968), Perry (2012)
Individual differences (the influenceof gender)
