AQA 2025-26 PSYCHOLOGY A LEVEL
PAPER 1 WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
What factors influence minority influence?(6 marks - Application to Jenny) - correct answer
✔✔In order for the minority - JENNY- to persuade the majority - PSYCH DEPARTMENT - they
need to show consistency, commitment and flexibility.
Consistency is the minority keeping the same beliefs, both other time and between all the
individuals that form the minority. - IN THE CASE OF JENNY SHE COULD SHOW THIS BY
CONTINUALLY REPEATING THE SAME MESSAGE ON BENEFITS OF VERBAL FEEDBACK - "IT
PREVENTS STUDENTS FROM BEING DISTRACTED OVER GRADES" - IN EACH OF THE
DEPARTMENT MEETINGS
Commitment is the minority demonstrating their dedication to their position.
JENNY COULD SHOW THIS BY EXPLAINING THE PERSONAL SACRIFICE SHE HAS MADE BY
INVESTING TIME IN RESEARCHING AND WORKING HARD ENSURING STUDENTS HAVE QUALITY
FEEDBACK.
Flexibility is that the minority must accept compromise and debate and understand others
views. JENNY COULD SHOW THIS BY LISTENING TO OTHER'S IN THE DEPARTMENT AND COMING
TO A COMPROMISE - LIKE A TRIAL OF HER METHODS - THIS WILL HELP HER APPEAR LESS RIGID
Outline the agentic shift(2 marks)? - correct answer ✔✔The agentic state occurs when an
individual has little autonomy and carries out the acts of their "Agent" The shift from exercising
free will to agency and obeying others is known as the agentic shift.
Discuss what psychological research has found about conformity (16 marks)
PT 1 - DEFINE CONFORMITY & EXPLANATIONS OF CONFORMITY - correct answer ✔✔A01 -
, Conformity is a change in a person's behaviour or opinions as a result of pressure.
There are three types of conformity - internalisation(deepest from - accept as we see as
correct),identification(moderate - act with the group as we want to be apart of it ) and
compliance (superficial and temporary privately disagree)
Two explanations of conformity -
Informational social influence - we agree with the opinion because we believe it to be correct -
we accept it because we want to be correct
Normative social influence - we agree with the opinion of the majority as we want to be
accepted, gain social approval and be liked.
Discuss what psychological research has found about conformity (16 marks)
PT2 - outline Asch's research and how it supports or doesn't to NSI & ISI - correct answer
✔✔Asch tested conformity by having confederates agree with clearly wrong answers in some
trials and found that out of 18 and 12 critical trials. 75% of PPT's conformed at least once. The
PPT gave the wrong answer 36.8%.
The study provided support for NSI. In post-experimental interview participants said that they
changed their answer to avoid disapproval from the rest of the group which clearly shows that
NSI had occurred, as the participants conformed to fit in. When ppt's wrote down answers
conformity rates fell to 12.5% provided further evidence for NSI because the reduction in public
pressure reduced the rate of conformity.
Discuss what psychological research has found about conformity (16 marks)
PT 3 - Discuss recent reseach (e.g. perrin and spencer) - correct answer ✔✔Perrin and Spencer
conducted an Asch-style experiment and found a conformity level of 0.25%. Therefore, it could
be argued that the results of Asch are the results of a different era and do not represent
conformity and the idea of NSI in 2017. Their sample was of English engineering students. So
they could argue that the level of conformity differed due to PPT'S expertise in problem-solving
tasks.
Discuss what psychological research has found about conformity (16 marks) -
PT4 What research has supported ISI - correct answer ✔✔Jenness (1932) has ppts ask to
initially make independent judgements about the number of jelly beans contained in a jar and
PAPER 1 WITH COMPLETE
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
What factors influence minority influence?(6 marks - Application to Jenny) - correct answer
✔✔In order for the minority - JENNY- to persuade the majority - PSYCH DEPARTMENT - they
need to show consistency, commitment and flexibility.
Consistency is the minority keeping the same beliefs, both other time and between all the
individuals that form the minority. - IN THE CASE OF JENNY SHE COULD SHOW THIS BY
CONTINUALLY REPEATING THE SAME MESSAGE ON BENEFITS OF VERBAL FEEDBACK - "IT
PREVENTS STUDENTS FROM BEING DISTRACTED OVER GRADES" - IN EACH OF THE
DEPARTMENT MEETINGS
Commitment is the minority demonstrating their dedication to their position.
JENNY COULD SHOW THIS BY EXPLAINING THE PERSONAL SACRIFICE SHE HAS MADE BY
INVESTING TIME IN RESEARCHING AND WORKING HARD ENSURING STUDENTS HAVE QUALITY
FEEDBACK.
Flexibility is that the minority must accept compromise and debate and understand others
views. JENNY COULD SHOW THIS BY LISTENING TO OTHER'S IN THE DEPARTMENT AND COMING
TO A COMPROMISE - LIKE A TRIAL OF HER METHODS - THIS WILL HELP HER APPEAR LESS RIGID
Outline the agentic shift(2 marks)? - correct answer ✔✔The agentic state occurs when an
individual has little autonomy and carries out the acts of their "Agent" The shift from exercising
free will to agency and obeying others is known as the agentic shift.
Discuss what psychological research has found about conformity (16 marks)
PT 1 - DEFINE CONFORMITY & EXPLANATIONS OF CONFORMITY - correct answer ✔✔A01 -
, Conformity is a change in a person's behaviour or opinions as a result of pressure.
There are three types of conformity - internalisation(deepest from - accept as we see as
correct),identification(moderate - act with the group as we want to be apart of it ) and
compliance (superficial and temporary privately disagree)
Two explanations of conformity -
Informational social influence - we agree with the opinion because we believe it to be correct -
we accept it because we want to be correct
Normative social influence - we agree with the opinion of the majority as we want to be
accepted, gain social approval and be liked.
Discuss what psychological research has found about conformity (16 marks)
PT2 - outline Asch's research and how it supports or doesn't to NSI & ISI - correct answer
✔✔Asch tested conformity by having confederates agree with clearly wrong answers in some
trials and found that out of 18 and 12 critical trials. 75% of PPT's conformed at least once. The
PPT gave the wrong answer 36.8%.
The study provided support for NSI. In post-experimental interview participants said that they
changed their answer to avoid disapproval from the rest of the group which clearly shows that
NSI had occurred, as the participants conformed to fit in. When ppt's wrote down answers
conformity rates fell to 12.5% provided further evidence for NSI because the reduction in public
pressure reduced the rate of conformity.
Discuss what psychological research has found about conformity (16 marks)
PT 3 - Discuss recent reseach (e.g. perrin and spencer) - correct answer ✔✔Perrin and Spencer
conducted an Asch-style experiment and found a conformity level of 0.25%. Therefore, it could
be argued that the results of Asch are the results of a different era and do not represent
conformity and the idea of NSI in 2017. Their sample was of English engineering students. So
they could argue that the level of conformity differed due to PPT'S expertise in problem-solving
tasks.
Discuss what psychological research has found about conformity (16 marks) -
PT4 What research has supported ISI - correct answer ✔✔Jenness (1932) has ppts ask to
initially make independent judgements about the number of jelly beans contained in a jar and
