A-LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY AQA PAPER 1
STUDY GUIDE 2026 – COMPLETE
CONCEPT REVIEW & PRACTICE
MATERIALS (LATEST EDITION)
AQA A-Level Psychology Paper 1: 100 Q&A Study Guide
SOCIAL INFLUENCE (01-35)
01. What is conformity?
A change in a person's behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure
from a person or group of people.
02. What are the three types of conformity according to Kelman (1958)?
Compliance, Identification, Internalisation.
03. Define compliance.
Publicly conforming to the group's behaviour/opinions while privately disagreeing.
Temporary change.
04. Define identification.
Adopting the group's behaviour/opinions because you value the group. Public and
private acceptance, but may be temporary.
05. Define internalisation.
Genuinely accepting the group's norms, leading to a permanent change in beliefs both
publicly and privately.
06. What are the two main explanations for conformity?
Informational Social Influence (ISI) and Normative Social Influence (NSI).
07. What is Informational Social Influence (ISI)?
Conforming due to a desire to be right, especially in ambiguous or new situations
(cognitive process).
,08. What is Normative Social Influence (NSI)?
Conforming due to a desire to be liked or accepted by the group, to avoid rejection
(emotional process).
09. Describe Asch's (1951) line study procedure.
Participants asked to match a target line with one of three comparison lines, with
confederates giving unanimous wrong answers on 12/18 critical trials.
10. What was the average conformity rate in Asch's original study?
32% (Participants agreed with the wrong answer on critical trials).
11. Name three variables affecting conformity that Asch investigated.
Group size, Unanimity, Task difficulty.
12. How does group size affect conformity?
Conformity increases with group size up to 3-4 confederates, then plateaus.
13. How does unanimity affect conformity?
A break in unanimity (e.g., one dissenter) dramatically reduces conformity, even if the
dissenter is also wrong.
14. What is obedience?
Following a direct order from a perceived authority figure.
15. Describe Milgram's (1963) baseline obedience study procedure.
Participants ('Teacher') administered what they believed were increasingly severe
electric shocks (up to 450V) to a 'Learner' (confederate) for incorrect answers, under the
instruction of an experimenter.
16. What percentage of participants went to 450V in Milgram's baseline study?
65%.
17. Name three situational variables affecting obedience that Milgram studied.
Proximity, Location, Uniform.
18. How did proximity affect obedience in Milgram's variations?
Obedience decreased when the teacher and learner were in the same room (40%).
Further decrease in the touch proximity condition (30%).
19. What is the Agentic State as an explanation for obedience?
A mental state where individuals feel no personal responsibility for their actions because
they believe they are acting as an 'agent' for an authority figure.
, 20. What is the opposite of the Agentic State?
The Autonomous State (acting according to one's own principles, feeling responsible).
21. What is the Authoritarian Personality (Adorno et al., 1950)?
A dispositional explanation: a personality type characterised by extreme respect for
authority, rigidity, and contempt for those of lower status, stemming from harsh parenting.
22. How was the Authoritarian Personality measured?
Using the F-scale (Fascism Scale).
23. What is Locus of Control (Rotter, 1966)?
A person's perception of what controls their life. Internal LoC = belief in personal control.
External LoC = belief that life is controlled by external forces (fate, luck).
24. Which locus of control is linked to less conformity and obedience?
Internal Locus of Control.
25. What is Minority Influence?
A small group (the minority) influences the beliefs/behaviours of the larger group (the
majority).
26. What are the three key processes of Minority Influence (Moscovici)?
Consistency, Commitment, Flexibility.
27. What is meant by consistency in minority influence?
The minority must be consistent in their views over time and between members.
28. What is meant by commitment (augmentation principle)?
When the minority demonstrates dedication (e.g., personal sacrifice), their influence
appears greater.
29. What is Social Change?
When whole societies adopt new attitudes, beliefs, or norms (e.g., women's suffrage,
environmentalism).
30. How does minority influence lead to social change?
Through the processes of drawing attention, consistency, deeper processing (cognitive
conflict), the augmentation principle, and the snowball effect.
31. What is the snowball effect?
The minority view gradually gains momentum, becoming the majority view.
STUDY GUIDE 2026 – COMPLETE
CONCEPT REVIEW & PRACTICE
MATERIALS (LATEST EDITION)
AQA A-Level Psychology Paper 1: 100 Q&A Study Guide
SOCIAL INFLUENCE (01-35)
01. What is conformity?
A change in a person's behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure
from a person or group of people.
02. What are the three types of conformity according to Kelman (1958)?
Compliance, Identification, Internalisation.
03. Define compliance.
Publicly conforming to the group's behaviour/opinions while privately disagreeing.
Temporary change.
04. Define identification.
Adopting the group's behaviour/opinions because you value the group. Public and
private acceptance, but may be temporary.
05. Define internalisation.
Genuinely accepting the group's norms, leading to a permanent change in beliefs both
publicly and privately.
06. What are the two main explanations for conformity?
Informational Social Influence (ISI) and Normative Social Influence (NSI).
07. What is Informational Social Influence (ISI)?
Conforming due to a desire to be right, especially in ambiguous or new situations
(cognitive process).
,08. What is Normative Social Influence (NSI)?
Conforming due to a desire to be liked or accepted by the group, to avoid rejection
(emotional process).
09. Describe Asch's (1951) line study procedure.
Participants asked to match a target line with one of three comparison lines, with
confederates giving unanimous wrong answers on 12/18 critical trials.
10. What was the average conformity rate in Asch's original study?
32% (Participants agreed with the wrong answer on critical trials).
11. Name three variables affecting conformity that Asch investigated.
Group size, Unanimity, Task difficulty.
12. How does group size affect conformity?
Conformity increases with group size up to 3-4 confederates, then plateaus.
13. How does unanimity affect conformity?
A break in unanimity (e.g., one dissenter) dramatically reduces conformity, even if the
dissenter is also wrong.
14. What is obedience?
Following a direct order from a perceived authority figure.
15. Describe Milgram's (1963) baseline obedience study procedure.
Participants ('Teacher') administered what they believed were increasingly severe
electric shocks (up to 450V) to a 'Learner' (confederate) for incorrect answers, under the
instruction of an experimenter.
16. What percentage of participants went to 450V in Milgram's baseline study?
65%.
17. Name three situational variables affecting obedience that Milgram studied.
Proximity, Location, Uniform.
18. How did proximity affect obedience in Milgram's variations?
Obedience decreased when the teacher and learner were in the same room (40%).
Further decrease in the touch proximity condition (30%).
19. What is the Agentic State as an explanation for obedience?
A mental state where individuals feel no personal responsibility for their actions because
they believe they are acting as an 'agent' for an authority figure.
, 20. What is the opposite of the Agentic State?
The Autonomous State (acting according to one's own principles, feeling responsible).
21. What is the Authoritarian Personality (Adorno et al., 1950)?
A dispositional explanation: a personality type characterised by extreme respect for
authority, rigidity, and contempt for those of lower status, stemming from harsh parenting.
22. How was the Authoritarian Personality measured?
Using the F-scale (Fascism Scale).
23. What is Locus of Control (Rotter, 1966)?
A person's perception of what controls their life. Internal LoC = belief in personal control.
External LoC = belief that life is controlled by external forces (fate, luck).
24. Which locus of control is linked to less conformity and obedience?
Internal Locus of Control.
25. What is Minority Influence?
A small group (the minority) influences the beliefs/behaviours of the larger group (the
majority).
26. What are the three key processes of Minority Influence (Moscovici)?
Consistency, Commitment, Flexibility.
27. What is meant by consistency in minority influence?
The minority must be consistent in their views over time and between members.
28. What is meant by commitment (augmentation principle)?
When the minority demonstrates dedication (e.g., personal sacrifice), their influence
appears greater.
29. What is Social Change?
When whole societies adopt new attitudes, beliefs, or norms (e.g., women's suffrage,
environmentalism).
30. How does minority influence lead to social change?
Through the processes of drawing attention, consistency, deeper processing (cognitive
conflict), the augmentation principle, and the snowball effect.
31. What is the snowball effect?
The minority view gradually gains momentum, becoming the majority view.
