A-LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY AQA PAPER 1
QUESTIONS & ACCURATE ANSWERS
NEWEST VERSION
Kelman - Correct Answer ✔✔ 1958. Proposed three types of conformity.
Conformity - Correct Answer ✔✔ Yielding to group pressure. Behaviour and/or beliefs
are influenced by a larger group of people.
Internalisation - Correct Answer ✔✔ Public and private. Validation process. Change
own beliefs.
Identification - Correct Answer ✔✔ Accept influence to establish a relationship with a
group. To feel part of a group. Internalisation and compliance.
Compliance - Correct Answer ✔✔ Public not private. No change in personal opinion. To
fain approval. To fit in with a group
Informational social influence - Correct Answer ✔✔ A type of internalisation. Accepts
information from others as evidence about reality. More confidence in their beliefs.
Normative social influence - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ How large or small a group of participants is.
Unanimity - Correct Answer ✔✔ Where everyone agrees.
Task difficulty - Correct Answer ✔✔ How easy or hard a part of an experiment is.
Variables affecting conformity - Correct Answer ✔✔ Group size, Unanimity, Task
difficulty
Stanford prison experiment - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 2006 . Tried to recreate the results of the
Stanford prison experiment. Broadcast on tv. Participants did not confrom automatically
to social roles.
Social roles - Correct Answer ✔✔ Behaviour expected of an individual who occupies a
given position or status.
Milgram - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ Ethical issues
Internal validity (a lack of realism) - Orne and Holland (1968), Perry (2012)
Individual differences (the influenceof gender)
External validity (the obedience alibi) - Mandel (1998)
Historical validity - Burger (2009)
Orne and Holland - Correct Answer ✔✔ 1968. Claimed that participants in psychological
studies have learned to distrust experimenters because they know that the true purpose
of the study may be disguised.
Perry - Correct Answer ✔✔ 2012. Discovered that many of Milgram's participants had
been sceptical at the time about whether the shocks were real.
Obedience - Correct Answer ✔✔ A type of social influence whereby somebody acts in
response to a direct order from a figure of perceived authority.
Situational variables - Correct Answer ✔✔ Proximity. Location. Uniform
Proximity - Correct Answer ✔✔ How close two people are in relation to distance
Location - Correct Answer ✔✔ Where the experiment takes place
Uniform - Correct Answer ✔✔ What a person is wearing (usually someone involved in
the running of an experiment, not a participant)
Agentic state - Correct Answer ✔✔ A person sees himself/herself as an agent for
carrying out another persons wishes. People allow others to direct their actions, and
then pass off responsibility for the consequences to the person giving orders.
Legitimate authority - Correct Answer ✔✔ A person who is perceived to be in a position
of social control within a situation
QUESTIONS & ACCURATE ANSWERS
NEWEST VERSION
Kelman - Correct Answer ✔✔ 1958. Proposed three types of conformity.
Conformity - Correct Answer ✔✔ Yielding to group pressure. Behaviour and/or beliefs
are influenced by a larger group of people.
Internalisation - Correct Answer ✔✔ Public and private. Validation process. Change
own beliefs.
Identification - Correct Answer ✔✔ Accept influence to establish a relationship with a
group. To feel part of a group. Internalisation and compliance.
Compliance - Correct Answer ✔✔ Public not private. No change in personal opinion. To
fain approval. To fit in with a group
Informational social influence - Correct Answer ✔✔ A type of internalisation. Accepts
information from others as evidence about reality. More confidence in their beliefs.
Normative social influence - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ How large or small a group of participants is.
Unanimity - Correct Answer ✔✔ Where everyone agrees.
Task difficulty - Correct Answer ✔✔ How easy or hard a part of an experiment is.
Variables affecting conformity - Correct Answer ✔✔ Group size, Unanimity, Task
difficulty
Stanford prison experiment - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ 2006 . Tried to recreate the results of the
Stanford prison experiment. Broadcast on tv. Participants did not confrom automatically
to social roles.
Social roles - Correct Answer ✔✔ Behaviour expected of an individual who occupies a
given position or status.
Milgram - Correct Answer ✔✔ 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 - Correct Answer ✔✔ Ethical issues
Internal validity (a lack of realism) - Orne and Holland (1968), Perry (2012)
Individual differences (the influenceof gender)
External validity (the obedience alibi) - Mandel (1998)
Historical validity - Burger (2009)
Orne and Holland - Correct Answer ✔✔ 1968. Claimed that participants in psychological
studies have learned to distrust experimenters because they know that the true purpose
of the study may be disguised.
Perry - Correct Answer ✔✔ 2012. Discovered that many of Milgram's participants had
been sceptical at the time about whether the shocks were real.
Obedience - Correct Answer ✔✔ A type of social influence whereby somebody acts in
response to a direct order from a figure of perceived authority.
Situational variables - Correct Answer ✔✔ Proximity. Location. Uniform
Proximity - Correct Answer ✔✔ How close two people are in relation to distance
Location - Correct Answer ✔✔ Where the experiment takes place
Uniform - Correct Answer ✔✔ What a person is wearing (usually someone involved in
the running of an experiment, not a participant)
Agentic state - Correct Answer ✔✔ A person sees himself/herself as an agent for
carrying out another persons wishes. People allow others to direct their actions, and
then pass off responsibility for the consequences to the person giving orders.
Legitimate authority - Correct Answer ✔✔ A person who is perceived to be in a position
of social control within a situation
