AQA AS PSYCHOLOGY 7181 1 PAPER 1
INTRODUCTORY TOPICS IN PSYCHOLOGY
FINAL PAPER 2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS FULL SOLUTION GRADED A+
◉ Define identification. Answer: Adopting the views of a group both
publicly and privately because you value membership of that group.
This is a stronger form of conformity, temporary and is not
maintained when individuals leave the group. For example, in the
army you may adopt the behaviour and beliefs of fellow soldiers, but
on leaving the army for civilian life, new behaviours and opinions
will be adopted.
◉ Define internalisation. Answer: (True Conformity)
Behaviour/belief of the majority is accepted by the indivudal and
becomes part of their own belief system. Lasts even when the
majority isn't present. Most likely to be linked to ISI.
◉ Define conformity. Answer: The process of yielding to majority,
when an individual is influence by a majority group's views or
behaviour
◉ What are the different explanations for conformity?. Answer:
Informative Social Influence (ISI)
,Normative Social Influence (NSI)
Variables affecting conformity (Investigated by Asch): Group size,
Task Difficulty & Unanimity
◉ Describe normative social influence. Answer: When a person
conforms to be accepted and to feel as though they belong to a
group. This usually occurs when conformity is socially rewarding or
in order to avoid social rejection.
◉ Provide research support for normative social influence. (& year).
Answer: Asch (1955) A line judgement test where the matching line
was obvious. Over the 12 critical trials (where the majority gave the
clearly incorrect answer) 75% of participants conformed at least
once.
Study shows that as conformity occurred in a non-ambiguous
situation, normative influence was the only explanation for the
levels of conformity seen here.
◉ Describe informational social influence. Answer: Explains
conformity that occurs out of a desire to be right. Occurs in
ambiguous situations where the correct answer or solution or way
to behave isn't clear.
,◉ Provide research support for informational social influence.
Answer: Jenness (1932) Ambiguous situation where participants
had to estimate the number of beans in the jar. Found that.
Individual estimates moved towards the estimates of others showing
that they privately believed the group estimate over their original
one. Thus displaying informational social influence.
◉ Describe the procedure Asch's Original Research into Conformity.
(1955). Answer: 123 male students
Participant answered last or 2nd to last to call out which of the three
comparison lines matched the standard line. Was only 1 true
participant and other 6 were confederates.
Critical Trials: 12/18 trials where confederates provided the wrong
answers.
◉ How many participants took place in Asch's original study?.
Answer: 123 American male students
◉ What year did Asch's original study take place?. Answer: 1955
◉ What was the task in Asch's original study?. Answer: To say which
comparison line, A,B or C was the same as the stimulus line on 18
different trials
, ◉ Describe the control group in Asch's original study?. Answer: 36
participants who were tested individually on 20 trials, to test how
accurate individual judgements were
◉ What were the critical trials of Asch's original study?. Answer: 12
(out of 18 total trials) were critical, which meant that the
confederates gave identically wrong answers and the real
participants always answered last or second to last.
◉ Describe the results of Asch's original study. Answer: 1. The
control group had an error rate of less than 1% demonstrates the
obviousness of the answer
2. 32% conformity rate in the critical trials
3. 25% of participants never conformed at all
4. 5% of participants conformed every single time
◉ What did the post-experiment discussions find in Asch's original
study?. Answer: - Majority of conforming participants did so in order
to avoid ridicule
INTRODUCTORY TOPICS IN PSYCHOLOGY
FINAL PAPER 2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS FULL SOLUTION GRADED A+
◉ Define identification. Answer: Adopting the views of a group both
publicly and privately because you value membership of that group.
This is a stronger form of conformity, temporary and is not
maintained when individuals leave the group. For example, in the
army you may adopt the behaviour and beliefs of fellow soldiers, but
on leaving the army for civilian life, new behaviours and opinions
will be adopted.
◉ Define internalisation. Answer: (True Conformity)
Behaviour/belief of the majority is accepted by the indivudal and
becomes part of their own belief system. Lasts even when the
majority isn't present. Most likely to be linked to ISI.
◉ Define conformity. Answer: The process of yielding to majority,
when an individual is influence by a majority group's views or
behaviour
◉ What are the different explanations for conformity?. Answer:
Informative Social Influence (ISI)
,Normative Social Influence (NSI)
Variables affecting conformity (Investigated by Asch): Group size,
Task Difficulty & Unanimity
◉ Describe normative social influence. Answer: When a person
conforms to be accepted and to feel as though they belong to a
group. This usually occurs when conformity is socially rewarding or
in order to avoid social rejection.
◉ Provide research support for normative social influence. (& year).
Answer: Asch (1955) A line judgement test where the matching line
was obvious. Over the 12 critical trials (where the majority gave the
clearly incorrect answer) 75% of participants conformed at least
once.
Study shows that as conformity occurred in a non-ambiguous
situation, normative influence was the only explanation for the
levels of conformity seen here.
◉ Describe informational social influence. Answer: Explains
conformity that occurs out of a desire to be right. Occurs in
ambiguous situations where the correct answer or solution or way
to behave isn't clear.
,◉ Provide research support for informational social influence.
Answer: Jenness (1932) Ambiguous situation where participants
had to estimate the number of beans in the jar. Found that.
Individual estimates moved towards the estimates of others showing
that they privately believed the group estimate over their original
one. Thus displaying informational social influence.
◉ Describe the procedure Asch's Original Research into Conformity.
(1955). Answer: 123 male students
Participant answered last or 2nd to last to call out which of the three
comparison lines matched the standard line. Was only 1 true
participant and other 6 were confederates.
Critical Trials: 12/18 trials where confederates provided the wrong
answers.
◉ How many participants took place in Asch's original study?.
Answer: 123 American male students
◉ What year did Asch's original study take place?. Answer: 1955
◉ What was the task in Asch's original study?. Answer: To say which
comparison line, A,B or C was the same as the stimulus line on 18
different trials
, ◉ Describe the control group in Asch's original study?. Answer: 36
participants who were tested individually on 20 trials, to test how
accurate individual judgements were
◉ What were the critical trials of Asch's original study?. Answer: 12
(out of 18 total trials) were critical, which meant that the
confederates gave identically wrong answers and the real
participants always answered last or second to last.
◉ Describe the results of Asch's original study. Answer: 1. The
control group had an error rate of less than 1% demonstrates the
obviousness of the answer
2. 32% conformity rate in the critical trials
3. 25% of participants never conformed at all
4. 5% of participants conformed every single time
◉ What did the post-experiment discussions find in Asch's original
study?. Answer: - Majority of conforming participants did so in order
to avoid ridicule
