A-Level Psychology
Social Influence
Written by: Phoebe Simons-Walker
What's in my psychology booklets?
I understand the 2am panic, wondering where to start from the overwhelming pile of work
and deadlines, and struggling to find a useful revision technique. Trying to find the best
revision websites, having to indulge a variety of different explanations and waste time
creating your original notes. That was also me, I couldn’t afford to have a tutor so I was
always up all night, examining all possible revision websites, mark schemes, past paper
questions until I managed to hack/figure out exactly what the examiner wanted, similar to
following a recipe. So, I did it all for you; I absorbed this information and created my very
own Psych booklets. Ever since I created these booklets in year 12, it made the oncoming
year much easier (I was receiving A*s throughout year 13 and received an A as my final
grade) with more time to revise as I encountered significant personal hardship, and now I
want to help others by sharing these booklets and enabling you to also ace your A-Levels
and not stay up till 2am.
In each booklet, I have structured each section as though I would be answering a 16 mark
essay for them (especially the key studies) or the maximum mark question possible for the
other topics (such as an 8 mark ‘discuss’ question). I have now updated these booklets with
useful exam tips that helped me, common practice questions to prepare you, and a
glossary at the end to help you understand if you feel stuck.
I hope this helps you with your structure and revision! Good luck :)
P.S I left it colourless so you can highlight however you like
1
,Types of conformity:
EXAM HINT: Types/ Explanations of conformity can include a maximum of 3 marks in an
exam but will most likely be a Multiple Choice Question requiring examples of each type
of conformity. Make sure you know the key words and examples for each definition!
Compliance: The weakest level of conformity: A person may publicly go along with the behaviour of
the group to gain approval or avoid disapproval. Internally their opinions may be different and
conformity may happen only when the group’s presence. Eg: in a group, you agree that Arsenal are
better than Chelsea when secretly you disagree. Another Eg: in a group, you agree that a top looks
cute when you really don’t think so!
Identification: When a person adjusts their behaviour/ opinions publicly and privately by accepting
a group’s viewpoint and wanting to belong to the group. This behaviour is temporary: behaviour
changes when you leave the group. Eg: someone may join a football team and engage in behaviours
that seem right to fit in (e.g. drinking after a match together). However, upon quitting the team, they
may stop drinking with them.
Internalisation: The deepest form of conformity also known as “conversion”, when an individual
adjusts their behaviour because they accept a viewpoint. This occurs when exposed to beliefs of
others then decide themselves on their own viewpoint. If they accept a group's view they adjust their
behaviour even when not around the group. Eg: Someone living with vegetarians at university and
accepting their belief of eating meat as wrong and they continue to be vegetarian even when they
are not in the group.
Explanations of conformity:
Informational social influence: When individuals are unsure how to behave in particular situations,
they look at others to shape their own opinions on how they should behave. This occurs in
unfamiliar settings with conformity to the crowd and avoids standing out from the majority (due to
embarrassment, rejection or lack of knowledge on the person's behalf on appropriate behaviour).
The behaviour usually involves changing public behaviour and internally accepting the behaviour of
others must be correct: known as internalisation.
2
, Example: Lucas
Gave ppts maths problems that were easy or difficult. People conformed more when the difficulty
increased especially if they reported their maths abilities as poor. They looked to others who were
confident in answers in order to be right.
Normative Social Influence: A form of compliance. Their main motivation is to be accepted, liked
and respected by the group and avoid disapproval or rejection. The individual may fear punishment
such as exclusion. Even though they publicly agree with the group's viewpoint, internally/ in private
settings, they may disagree.
EXAM TIP FOR KEY STUDIES:
- 4 MARKS: Usually brief description of the procedure and results.
- 6-8 MARKS: Can include procedure, results and evaluation (either add 1 point with
counter argument or add 2 separate evaluative points).
- 16 MARKS: add more detail to procedure and findings and include 3 strong
arguments with some counter arguments. INCLUDE KEYWORDS!
- REMEMBER: Discuss (8 marks) = Procedure, findings AND evaluation!
- MORE KEYWORDS = MORE MARKS
- Some evaluation points are replicated to show you where you can apply them and
so you don’t have to memorise an overload of cases/ points.
ASCH: Example of normative social influence
123 Male American students volunteered in a lab experiment they believed to be a test of vision.
Ppts were shown a stimulus line and were asked one by one to say out loud which 3 sets of lines (A,
B or C) matched the original line. All except one were confederates which were primed to give the
same incorrect responses 12/18 of the trials.
Results:
- 36% ppts conformed to majority groups incorrect answer.
- 75% of ppts conformed at least once in the experiments. Normative Social influence was the
reason for conforming to the majority's incorrect view.
3
Social Influence
Written by: Phoebe Simons-Walker
What's in my psychology booklets?
I understand the 2am panic, wondering where to start from the overwhelming pile of work
and deadlines, and struggling to find a useful revision technique. Trying to find the best
revision websites, having to indulge a variety of different explanations and waste time
creating your original notes. That was also me, I couldn’t afford to have a tutor so I was
always up all night, examining all possible revision websites, mark schemes, past paper
questions until I managed to hack/figure out exactly what the examiner wanted, similar to
following a recipe. So, I did it all for you; I absorbed this information and created my very
own Psych booklets. Ever since I created these booklets in year 12, it made the oncoming
year much easier (I was receiving A*s throughout year 13 and received an A as my final
grade) with more time to revise as I encountered significant personal hardship, and now I
want to help others by sharing these booklets and enabling you to also ace your A-Levels
and not stay up till 2am.
In each booklet, I have structured each section as though I would be answering a 16 mark
essay for them (especially the key studies) or the maximum mark question possible for the
other topics (such as an 8 mark ‘discuss’ question). I have now updated these booklets with
useful exam tips that helped me, common practice questions to prepare you, and a
glossary at the end to help you understand if you feel stuck.
I hope this helps you with your structure and revision! Good luck :)
P.S I left it colourless so you can highlight however you like
1
,Types of conformity:
EXAM HINT: Types/ Explanations of conformity can include a maximum of 3 marks in an
exam but will most likely be a Multiple Choice Question requiring examples of each type
of conformity. Make sure you know the key words and examples for each definition!
Compliance: The weakest level of conformity: A person may publicly go along with the behaviour of
the group to gain approval or avoid disapproval. Internally their opinions may be different and
conformity may happen only when the group’s presence. Eg: in a group, you agree that Arsenal are
better than Chelsea when secretly you disagree. Another Eg: in a group, you agree that a top looks
cute when you really don’t think so!
Identification: When a person adjusts their behaviour/ opinions publicly and privately by accepting
a group’s viewpoint and wanting to belong to the group. This behaviour is temporary: behaviour
changes when you leave the group. Eg: someone may join a football team and engage in behaviours
that seem right to fit in (e.g. drinking after a match together). However, upon quitting the team, they
may stop drinking with them.
Internalisation: The deepest form of conformity also known as “conversion”, when an individual
adjusts their behaviour because they accept a viewpoint. This occurs when exposed to beliefs of
others then decide themselves on their own viewpoint. If they accept a group's view they adjust their
behaviour even when not around the group. Eg: Someone living with vegetarians at university and
accepting their belief of eating meat as wrong and they continue to be vegetarian even when they
are not in the group.
Explanations of conformity:
Informational social influence: When individuals are unsure how to behave in particular situations,
they look at others to shape their own opinions on how they should behave. This occurs in
unfamiliar settings with conformity to the crowd and avoids standing out from the majority (due to
embarrassment, rejection or lack of knowledge on the person's behalf on appropriate behaviour).
The behaviour usually involves changing public behaviour and internally accepting the behaviour of
others must be correct: known as internalisation.
2
, Example: Lucas
Gave ppts maths problems that were easy or difficult. People conformed more when the difficulty
increased especially if they reported their maths abilities as poor. They looked to others who were
confident in answers in order to be right.
Normative Social Influence: A form of compliance. Their main motivation is to be accepted, liked
and respected by the group and avoid disapproval or rejection. The individual may fear punishment
such as exclusion. Even though they publicly agree with the group's viewpoint, internally/ in private
settings, they may disagree.
EXAM TIP FOR KEY STUDIES:
- 4 MARKS: Usually brief description of the procedure and results.
- 6-8 MARKS: Can include procedure, results and evaluation (either add 1 point with
counter argument or add 2 separate evaluative points).
- 16 MARKS: add more detail to procedure and findings and include 3 strong
arguments with some counter arguments. INCLUDE KEYWORDS!
- REMEMBER: Discuss (8 marks) = Procedure, findings AND evaluation!
- MORE KEYWORDS = MORE MARKS
- Some evaluation points are replicated to show you where you can apply them and
so you don’t have to memorise an overload of cases/ points.
ASCH: Example of normative social influence
123 Male American students volunteered in a lab experiment they believed to be a test of vision.
Ppts were shown a stimulus line and were asked one by one to say out loud which 3 sets of lines (A,
B or C) matched the original line. All except one were confederates which were primed to give the
same incorrect responses 12/18 of the trials.
Results:
- 36% ppts conformed to majority groups incorrect answer.
- 75% of ppts conformed at least once in the experiments. Normative Social influence was the
reason for conforming to the majority's incorrect view.
3
