AQA A-Level Psychology 7182 – Full Official
Name Practice Exam 2026/2027 Practice
Questions & Study Guide | Complete Exam-
Style Questions with Correct Detailed Answers
& Rationales (Reliable Answers) | Latest
Updated Version | Instant Download PDF
Question 1
A researcher asks participants to estimate how many people in
a large group share a particular opinion. The researcher finds
that participants often give answers that are close to what they
believe the majority of the group thinks, even when they
privately disagree.
Which explanation of conformity best accounts for this
behaviour?
A. Informational social influence
B. Normative social influence
C. Internalisation
D. Identification
Answer: B. Normative social influence
,Normative social influence occurs when an individual conforms
because they want to gain social approval or avoid rejection.
The individual may privately disagree with the group but
publicly conform because of the perceived social pressure. This
distinguishes normative influence from informational social
influence, where conformity occurs because the individual
accepts the group as providing useful or correct information.
Internalisation describes a deeper form of conformity in which
the person's private beliefs genuinely change, while
identification involves adopting behaviour associated with a
group because of a desire to be associated with that group.
Question 2
In an investigation based on Asch's conformity research, which
change would most directly test the effect of unanimity?
A. Increasing the number of participants in the study
B. Making the line-judgement task more difficult
C. Introducing a confederate who gives a different answer
from the majority
D. Increasing the number of trials completed by each
participant
Answer: C. Introducing a confederate who gives a different
answer from the majority
,Unanimity refers to whether all members of the majority agree
with one another. Asch's research demonstrated that
conformity was reduced when a dissenter broke the unanimity
of the majority, even when the dissenter's answer was not
necessarily correct. Increasing group size would examine group
size rather than unanimity, while task difficulty concerns the
extent to which the participant can confidently identify the
correct answer.
Question 3
A person obeys an instruction from someone wearing a
recognised police uniform because they believe that the person
has legitimate authority.
Which concept best explains the person's behaviour?
A. Social support
B. Authoritarian personality
C. Legitimacy of authority
D. Internalisation
Answer: C. Legitimacy of authority
Legitimacy of authority refers to the perception that another
person has the right to exercise authority over others. Uniforms,
occupational roles and institutional settings can signal
legitimate authority and make obedience more likely. This is a
, situational explanation because it focuses on features of the
social environment rather than a stable personality
characteristic. Authoritarian personality is a dispositional
explanation, whereas internalisation concerns conformity rather
than obedience specifically.
Question 4
Which statement best describes the agentic state?
A. A state in which an individual deliberately rejects social
pressure
B. A state in which an individual perceives themselves as
acting on behalf of an authority figure
C. A state in which an individual believes their behaviour is
determined entirely by personality
D. A state in which an individual privately changes their beliefs
to match a group
Answer: B. A state in which an individual perceives
themselves as acting on behalf of an authority figure
In the agentic state, a person sees themselves as an agent
carrying out another person's wishes rather than viewing
themselves as personally responsible for the consequences of
their actions. Milgram's explanation of obedience proposed that
people can shift from an autonomous state, in which they
Name Practice Exam 2026/2027 Practice
Questions & Study Guide | Complete Exam-
Style Questions with Correct Detailed Answers
& Rationales (Reliable Answers) | Latest
Updated Version | Instant Download PDF
Question 1
A researcher asks participants to estimate how many people in
a large group share a particular opinion. The researcher finds
that participants often give answers that are close to what they
believe the majority of the group thinks, even when they
privately disagree.
Which explanation of conformity best accounts for this
behaviour?
A. Informational social influence
B. Normative social influence
C. Internalisation
D. Identification
Answer: B. Normative social influence
,Normative social influence occurs when an individual conforms
because they want to gain social approval or avoid rejection.
The individual may privately disagree with the group but
publicly conform because of the perceived social pressure. This
distinguishes normative influence from informational social
influence, where conformity occurs because the individual
accepts the group as providing useful or correct information.
Internalisation describes a deeper form of conformity in which
the person's private beliefs genuinely change, while
identification involves adopting behaviour associated with a
group because of a desire to be associated with that group.
Question 2
In an investigation based on Asch's conformity research, which
change would most directly test the effect of unanimity?
A. Increasing the number of participants in the study
B. Making the line-judgement task more difficult
C. Introducing a confederate who gives a different answer
from the majority
D. Increasing the number of trials completed by each
participant
Answer: C. Introducing a confederate who gives a different
answer from the majority
,Unanimity refers to whether all members of the majority agree
with one another. Asch's research demonstrated that
conformity was reduced when a dissenter broke the unanimity
of the majority, even when the dissenter's answer was not
necessarily correct. Increasing group size would examine group
size rather than unanimity, while task difficulty concerns the
extent to which the participant can confidently identify the
correct answer.
Question 3
A person obeys an instruction from someone wearing a
recognised police uniform because they believe that the person
has legitimate authority.
Which concept best explains the person's behaviour?
A. Social support
B. Authoritarian personality
C. Legitimacy of authority
D. Internalisation
Answer: C. Legitimacy of authority
Legitimacy of authority refers to the perception that another
person has the right to exercise authority over others. Uniforms,
occupational roles and institutional settings can signal
legitimate authority and make obedience more likely. This is a
, situational explanation because it focuses on features of the
social environment rather than a stable personality
characteristic. Authoritarian personality is a dispositional
explanation, whereas internalisation concerns conformity rather
than obedience specifically.
Question 4
Which statement best describes the agentic state?
A. A state in which an individual deliberately rejects social
pressure
B. A state in which an individual perceives themselves as
acting on behalf of an authority figure
C. A state in which an individual believes their behaviour is
determined entirely by personality
D. A state in which an individual privately changes their beliefs
to match a group
Answer: B. A state in which an individual perceives
themselves as acting on behalf of an authority figure
In the agentic state, a person sees themselves as an agent
carrying out another person's wishes rather than viewing
themselves as personally responsible for the consequences of
their actions. Milgram's explanation of obedience proposed that
people can shift from an autonomous state, in which they
