These materials are the intellectual property of Lotus Mohammad and are for
personal use only. Any reproduction, distribution, or sharing without explicit
written permission is strictly prohibited.
Detailed 16 marker plans for Social Influence (Paper 1)
Outline and evaluate research into explanations of conformity. (16)
AO1
P- One explanation of conformity is informational social influence (ISI).
E- ISI occurs when an individual conforms because they want to be correct,
particularly in situations where they are uncertain or the task is difficult. For
example, a person may choose the same answer on a test as their friend, even if
they initially thought another answer was right, because they assume the majority
is more likely to be correct.
E- This type of conformity is associated with internalisation, as people genuinely
accept the majority view as correct and change their private beliefs. Factors such
as task difficulty, ambiguity, and the perceived expertise of others strengthen
ISI, as individuals rely more on social information when they are unsure. Research
also shows that ISI is more likely in novel situations where there is no clear
solution, highlighting its role in guiding behaviour when personal knowledge is
limited.
L- Therefore, ISI explains conformity as motivated by the desire to be right,
showing how social influence can affect private beliefs as well as public
behaviour.
AO1
P- Another explanation of conformity is normative social influence (NSI).
E- NSI occurs when an individual conforms to gain social approval or avoid
rejection, even if they privately disagree with the group. For instance, someone
may follow a fashion trend at school to fit in with their peers, even if they do
not personally like it, because they value acceptance by the group.
E- NSI is often linked to identification, as individuals conform publicly to the
norms of a group they value, but may not conform in private. This type of influence
is stronger in situations involving large groups, friends, or high-status
individuals, as the desire to be liked increases. NSI demonstrates that conformity
is not always about accuracy, but about maintaining social relationships and
belonging. Studies also suggest that the fear of ridicule or exclusion can
significantly drive NSI, showing the social and emotional pressures underlying
conformity.
L- Therefore, NSI explains conformity as driven by the desire to be liked,
highlighting the importance of social approval in shaping behaviour.
AO3
P- One strength of NSI in particular is supporting evidence.
E- For instance, there is evidence from Garandeau and Cillessen 2006 proving a link
between NSI and bullying.
E- This suggests that many, especially at young, impressionable ages, do conform in
order to fit in, as they found that a boy can be manipulated by a bully into
victimising another child because the bully provides a common goal for the boy’s
group of friends, the goal is to victimise the other child, so the boy would most
, likely also victimise the child to avoid disapproval from his friends.
L- Thus, this is a strength of the explanation as it provides validity for the fact
that social influence and conformity does occur in order for others to feel
accepted, improving its usefulness in psychology.
AO3
P- Moreover, another strength is that there is also evidence to support the role of
ISI.
E- For example, Lucas et al 2006 found that conformity to an obviously incorrect
maths answer was greater when the question was more difficult and the participant
rated their own maths ability unfavourably.
E- This shows that individuals are more likely to turn to others when they lack the
information to make their own informed decisions, and so factors like difficulty of
question or task - investigated further by Asch - do increase the likelihood of
conforming due to ISI.
L- Therefore, the explanation of ISI has increased validity as there are studies
with conclusions supporting the explanation, which in turn proves its high
usefulness in heightening the understanding of social influence.
AO3
P- However, a weakness of this explanation is the presence of a different theory.
E- For instance, Rotter’s locus of control scale provides an alternative
explanation for social influence. It states that those with an external locus of
control are more likely to conform as they believe that consequences will have less
to do with them and their decisions, and that they are due to fate.
E- Therefore, the reason for conformity may not necessarily be the situation or
context one is in as ISI and NSI claim, but rather aspects on one’s personality.
This is a weakness as it shows that ISI and NSI may not be complete explanations.
L- Therefore, the validity is decreased as the theory of locus of control has
evidence that proves that conformity occurs for reasons other than a desire to be
correct or accepted.
AO3
P- Lastly, a strength is that there is supporting evidence for ISI
E- For instance, Fein et al. asked participants to vote for a US presidential
candidate after they saw others voting for somebody else. Most of the participants
changed their mind.
E- This demonstrates the impact of informational social influence as a mechanism
for conformity, as most people wanted to be seen as and wanted to feel like they
were making the correct decision
L- Thus, the explanation further gains validity, deeming it as an appropriate
explanation for why conformity occurs.
Outline and evaluate Asch’s research. (16)
AO1
P- Asch’s 1951 line study investigated the effect of majority influence on
conformity, he found multiple factors which affect the level of conformity.
E- For instance, an individual is more likely to conform when in a larger group,
seen as there was low conformity with group size of confederates were less than 3 -
any more than 3 and the conformity rose by 30%
E- This is because it will increase their confidence in the correctness of the
group, and decrease their confidence in their own answer. Conformity does not seem
to increase in groups larger than four so this is considered the optimal group
size.
L- This shows that the majority must be at least 3 to exert an influence, but an
personal use only. Any reproduction, distribution, or sharing without explicit
written permission is strictly prohibited.
Detailed 16 marker plans for Social Influence (Paper 1)
Outline and evaluate research into explanations of conformity. (16)
AO1
P- One explanation of conformity is informational social influence (ISI).
E- ISI occurs when an individual conforms because they want to be correct,
particularly in situations where they are uncertain or the task is difficult. For
example, a person may choose the same answer on a test as their friend, even if
they initially thought another answer was right, because they assume the majority
is more likely to be correct.
E- This type of conformity is associated with internalisation, as people genuinely
accept the majority view as correct and change their private beliefs. Factors such
as task difficulty, ambiguity, and the perceived expertise of others strengthen
ISI, as individuals rely more on social information when they are unsure. Research
also shows that ISI is more likely in novel situations where there is no clear
solution, highlighting its role in guiding behaviour when personal knowledge is
limited.
L- Therefore, ISI explains conformity as motivated by the desire to be right,
showing how social influence can affect private beliefs as well as public
behaviour.
AO1
P- Another explanation of conformity is normative social influence (NSI).
E- NSI occurs when an individual conforms to gain social approval or avoid
rejection, even if they privately disagree with the group. For instance, someone
may follow a fashion trend at school to fit in with their peers, even if they do
not personally like it, because they value acceptance by the group.
E- NSI is often linked to identification, as individuals conform publicly to the
norms of a group they value, but may not conform in private. This type of influence
is stronger in situations involving large groups, friends, or high-status
individuals, as the desire to be liked increases. NSI demonstrates that conformity
is not always about accuracy, but about maintaining social relationships and
belonging. Studies also suggest that the fear of ridicule or exclusion can
significantly drive NSI, showing the social and emotional pressures underlying
conformity.
L- Therefore, NSI explains conformity as driven by the desire to be liked,
highlighting the importance of social approval in shaping behaviour.
AO3
P- One strength of NSI in particular is supporting evidence.
E- For instance, there is evidence from Garandeau and Cillessen 2006 proving a link
between NSI and bullying.
E- This suggests that many, especially at young, impressionable ages, do conform in
order to fit in, as they found that a boy can be manipulated by a bully into
victimising another child because the bully provides a common goal for the boy’s
group of friends, the goal is to victimise the other child, so the boy would most
, likely also victimise the child to avoid disapproval from his friends.
L- Thus, this is a strength of the explanation as it provides validity for the fact
that social influence and conformity does occur in order for others to feel
accepted, improving its usefulness in psychology.
AO3
P- Moreover, another strength is that there is also evidence to support the role of
ISI.
E- For example, Lucas et al 2006 found that conformity to an obviously incorrect
maths answer was greater when the question was more difficult and the participant
rated their own maths ability unfavourably.
E- This shows that individuals are more likely to turn to others when they lack the
information to make their own informed decisions, and so factors like difficulty of
question or task - investigated further by Asch - do increase the likelihood of
conforming due to ISI.
L- Therefore, the explanation of ISI has increased validity as there are studies
with conclusions supporting the explanation, which in turn proves its high
usefulness in heightening the understanding of social influence.
AO3
P- However, a weakness of this explanation is the presence of a different theory.
E- For instance, Rotter’s locus of control scale provides an alternative
explanation for social influence. It states that those with an external locus of
control are more likely to conform as they believe that consequences will have less
to do with them and their decisions, and that they are due to fate.
E- Therefore, the reason for conformity may not necessarily be the situation or
context one is in as ISI and NSI claim, but rather aspects on one’s personality.
This is a weakness as it shows that ISI and NSI may not be complete explanations.
L- Therefore, the validity is decreased as the theory of locus of control has
evidence that proves that conformity occurs for reasons other than a desire to be
correct or accepted.
AO3
P- Lastly, a strength is that there is supporting evidence for ISI
E- For instance, Fein et al. asked participants to vote for a US presidential
candidate after they saw others voting for somebody else. Most of the participants
changed their mind.
E- This demonstrates the impact of informational social influence as a mechanism
for conformity, as most people wanted to be seen as and wanted to feel like they
were making the correct decision
L- Thus, the explanation further gains validity, deeming it as an appropriate
explanation for why conformity occurs.
Outline and evaluate Asch’s research. (16)
AO1
P- Asch’s 1951 line study investigated the effect of majority influence on
conformity, he found multiple factors which affect the level of conformity.
E- For instance, an individual is more likely to conform when in a larger group,
seen as there was low conformity with group size of confederates were less than 3 -
any more than 3 and the conformity rose by 30%
E- This is because it will increase their confidence in the correctness of the
group, and decrease their confidence in their own answer. Conformity does not seem
to increase in groups larger than four so this is considered the optimal group
size.
L- This shows that the majority must be at least 3 to exert an influence, but an
