AQA PSYCHOLOGY QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED 100% ANSWERS PAPER 1
UPDATED VERSION 2026
Kelman - ANSWER✔️1958. Proposed three types of conformity.
Conformity - ANSWER✔️Yielding to group pressure. Behaviour and/or beliefs are influenced by
a larger group of people.
Internalisation - ANSWER✔️Public and private. Validation process. Change own beliefs.
Identification - ANSWER✔️Accept influence to establish a relationship with a group. To feel part
of a group. Internalisation and compliance.
Compliance - ANSWER✔️Public not private. No change in personal opinion. To fain approval.
To fit in with a group
,Informational social influence - ANSWER✔️A type of internalisation. Accepts information from
others as evidence about reality. More confidence in their beliefs.
Normative social influence - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - ANSWER✔️How large or small a group of participants is.
Unanimity - ANSWER✔️Where everyone agrees.
Task difficulty - ANSWER✔️How easy or hard a part of an experiment is.
Variables affecting conformity - ANSWER✔️Group size, Unanimity, Task difficulty
,Stanford prison experiment - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - ANSWER✔️Behaviour expected of an individual who occupies a given position or
status.
Milgram - 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 - 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 - 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 - ANSWER✔️2012. Discovered that many of Milgram's participants had been sceptical at
the time about whether the shocks were real.
, Obedience - ANSWER✔️A type of social influence whereby somebody acts in response to a
direct order from a figure of perceived authority.
Situational variables - ANSWER✔️Proximity. Location. Uniform
Proximity - ANSWER✔️How close two people are in relation to distance
Location - ANSWER✔️Where the experiment takes place
Uniform - ANSWER✔️What a person is wearing (usually someone involved in the running of an
experiment, not a participant)
Agentic state - 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 - ANSWER✔️A person who is perceived to be in a position of social control
within a situation
Authoritarian personality - ANSWER✔️A distinct personality pattern characterised by strict
adherence to conventional values and a belief in absolute obedience or submission to authority.
Elms and Milgram - ANSWER✔️1966. To see if authoritarian personality traits were more likely
to be displayed by obedient participants than disobedient participants from Milgram's original
experiment. 20 obedient and 20 disobedient. Completed F-scale. Obedient participants score
higher on F-scale.
Evaluation of the authoritarian personality - ANSWER✔️Research evidence for the
authoritarianism/obedience link - Elms and Milgram (1966)
Difference between authoritarian and obedient participants.
Education may determine authoritarianism and obedience - Middendorp and Meloen (1990)
Left wing views are assocaited with lower levels of obedience - Bègue et al (2014)
Autonomous state - ANSWER✔️People direct their own actions, and they take responsibility for
the results of those actions.
Conventionalism - ANSWER✔️An adherence to conventional norms and values
Authoritarian aggression - ANSWER✔️Aggressive feelings towards people who violate
conventional norms
Authoritarian submission - ANSWER✔️Uncritical submission to legitimate authorities
Resistance to social influence - ANSWER✔️Social support, locus of control
VERIFIED 100% ANSWERS PAPER 1
UPDATED VERSION 2026
Kelman - ANSWER✔️1958. Proposed three types of conformity.
Conformity - ANSWER✔️Yielding to group pressure. Behaviour and/or beliefs are influenced by
a larger group of people.
Internalisation - ANSWER✔️Public and private. Validation process. Change own beliefs.
Identification - ANSWER✔️Accept influence to establish a relationship with a group. To feel part
of a group. Internalisation and compliance.
Compliance - ANSWER✔️Public not private. No change in personal opinion. To fain approval.
To fit in with a group
,Informational social influence - ANSWER✔️A type of internalisation. Accepts information from
others as evidence about reality. More confidence in their beliefs.
Normative social influence - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - ANSWER✔️How large or small a group of participants is.
Unanimity - ANSWER✔️Where everyone agrees.
Task difficulty - ANSWER✔️How easy or hard a part of an experiment is.
Variables affecting conformity - ANSWER✔️Group size, Unanimity, Task difficulty
,Stanford prison experiment - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - ANSWER✔️Behaviour expected of an individual who occupies a given position or
status.
Milgram - 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 - 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 - 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 - ANSWER✔️2012. Discovered that many of Milgram's participants had been sceptical at
the time about whether the shocks were real.
, Obedience - ANSWER✔️A type of social influence whereby somebody acts in response to a
direct order from a figure of perceived authority.
Situational variables - ANSWER✔️Proximity. Location. Uniform
Proximity - ANSWER✔️How close two people are in relation to distance
Location - ANSWER✔️Where the experiment takes place
Uniform - ANSWER✔️What a person is wearing (usually someone involved in the running of an
experiment, not a participant)
Agentic state - 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 - ANSWER✔️A person who is perceived to be in a position of social control
within a situation
Authoritarian personality - ANSWER✔️A distinct personality pattern characterised by strict
adherence to conventional values and a belief in absolute obedience or submission to authority.
Elms and Milgram - ANSWER✔️1966. To see if authoritarian personality traits were more likely
to be displayed by obedient participants than disobedient participants from Milgram's original
experiment. 20 obedient and 20 disobedient. Completed F-scale. Obedient participants score
higher on F-scale.
Evaluation of the authoritarian personality - ANSWER✔️Research evidence for the
authoritarianism/obedience link - Elms and Milgram (1966)
Difference between authoritarian and obedient participants.
Education may determine authoritarianism and obedience - Middendorp and Meloen (1990)
Left wing views are assocaited with lower levels of obedience - Bègue et al (2014)
Autonomous state - ANSWER✔️People direct their own actions, and they take responsibility for
the results of those actions.
Conventionalism - ANSWER✔️An adherence to conventional norms and values
Authoritarian aggression - ANSWER✔️Aggressive feelings towards people who violate
conventional norms
Authoritarian submission - ANSWER✔️Uncritical submission to legitimate authorities
Resistance to social influence - ANSWER✔️Social support, locus of control
