Social influence

Social influence is a core topic within the Social Psychology unit of AQA GCSE Psychology, exploring how the presence and actions of others can affect our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It delves into fascinating questions about why we sometimes conform to group norms, obey authority figures, or how a small group can bring about significant societal change. Understanding social influence helps us make sense of everyday interactions, historical events, and even current social trends, providing crucial insights into the complexities of human behaviour.

This topic is fundamental because it underpins much of our social world. You'll learn about classic research studies that have shaped our understanding of human nature, such as Asch's work on conformity and Milgram's controversial experiments on obedience. Beyond simply describing these phenomena, you'll also explore the psychological explanations for why they occur, considering factors like informational social influence (ISI) and normative social influence (NSI), as well as situational and dispositional explanations for obedience. This knowledge is not just academic; it equips you with a critical lens to analyse real-world events, from political movements to consumer behaviour.

Mastering social influence is vital for your GCSE success, as it frequently appears in exams and connects to other areas of the curriculum, such as research methods (evaluating the ethics and validity of studies) and ethics (considering the moral implications of psychological research). It encourages you to think critically about individual responsibility versus situational pressures, and how these factors interact to shape human actions. By the end of this topic, you'll have a robust understanding of why people act the way they do in social settings and the powerful forces that can sway our decisions.

• →Conformity: Yielding to group pressure, including types like compliance (publicly agreeing but privately disagreeing), identification (conforming to a group you value), and internalisation (publicly and privately agreeing).
• →Explanations for Conformity: Normative Social Influence (NSI - conforming to be liked/accepted) and Informational Social Influence (ISI - conforming because you believe others are right).
• →Obedience: Following a direct order from an authority figure, even if it goes against your own conscience, as demonstrated by Milgram's research.
• →Explanations for Obedience: Agentic state (shifting responsibility to an authority figure) and Legitimacy of Authority (perceiving someone as having the right to give orders).
• →Resistance to Social Influence: The ability to withstand social pressures, aided by factors like social support (presence of allies) and Locus of Control (internal vs. external belief in personal control).
• →Minority Influence & Social Change: How a small group can persuade the majority to adopt their beliefs, requiring consistency, commitment, and flexibility, leading to a 'snowball effect' and wider social change.

• Identification and explanation of social factors affecting conformity (group size, anonymity, task difficulty).
• Identification and explanation of dispositional factors affecting conformity (personality, expertise).
• Knowledge of Asch’s study of conformity.
• Knowledge of Milgram’s Agency theory (agency, authority, culture, proximity).
• Explanation of dispositional factors affecting obedience (Adorno’s theory of the Authoritarian Personality).
• Identification and explanation of social factors affecting bystander intervention (presence of others, cost of helping).
• Identification and explanation of dispositional factors affecting bystander intervention (similarity to victim, expertise).
• Knowledge of Piliavin’s subway study.
• Identification and explanation of social factors affecting collective behaviour (social loafing, deindividuation, culture).
• Identification and explanation of dispositional factors affecting collective behaviour (personality, morality).

• 💡Name and Explain: When discussing studies (e.g., Asch, Milgram), don't just state the name. Briefly outline the procedure, key findings, and, most importantly, *explain* what the study tells us about social influence. Link findings directly to the concept you're discussing.
• 💡Evaluate Critically: For higher marks, go beyond description. Evaluate studies and theories using concepts like generalisability (sample bias), reliability (consistency), validity (ecological validity, demand characteristics), and ethical issues. Always explain *why* these points are strengths or weaknesses.
• 💡Apply Your Knowledge: Be prepared to apply your understanding of social influence to novel scenarios. If a question describes a situation, use the correct terminology (e.g., 'This is an example of normative social influence because...') and explain how the concepts fit the scenario.

• Confusing types of conformity: Students often mix up 'compliance' and 'internalisation'. Remember, compliance is a *temporary* public change without private acceptance, while internalisation is a *permanent* change in both public and private views. Identification sits in between, where you conform to a group you value, but it might not be permanent if you leave the group.
• Believing Milgram's participants were 'evil' or 'sadistic': It's easy to judge the participants, but Milgram's research actually demonstrated the powerful situational pressures that can lead ordinary people to obey destructive orders. The key takeaway is that most people are capable of obedience when under pressure from legitimate authority, not that they are inherently bad.
• Thinking resistance to social influence is easy: While concepts like social support and Locus of Control explain *why* some resist, it's crucial to understand that resisting conformity or obedience is often very difficult and takes significant personal strength. It's not a simple choice, but a complex interaction of personality and situational factors.

1. 1Week 1 - Foundations: Start by defining conformity, obedience, and minority influence. Focus on Asch's research for conformity and Milgram's for obedience. Understand their procedures, findings, and initial conclusions. Create flashcards for key terms and researchers.
2. 2Week 1 - Explanations: Delve into the explanations for conformity (NSI, ISI) and obedience (agentic state, legitimacy of authority). Practice explaining these concepts clearly, using examples from the studies. Attempt some short-answer (2-4 mark) questions.
3. 3Week 2 - Resistance & Minority Influence: Study resistance to social influence (social support, Locus of Control) and the process of minority influence (consistency, commitment, flexibility, snowball effect). Understand how these factors contribute to social change.
4. 4Week 2 - Evaluation & Application: Practice evaluating all key studies and theories for their strengths and weaknesses (e.g., ethics, methodology, generalisability). Work through longer-answer (6-9 mark) and essay-style (12 mark) questions, focusing on application and critical analysis. Review past paper questions to identify common themes.

• 📋Define/Outline Questions (2-4 marks): These require a clear, concise definition or a brief description of a concept or study. E.g., 'Outline one explanation for conformity.' Advice: Use precise psychological terminology and get straight to the point.
• 📋Describe Questions (4-6 marks): These ask for more detail about a study or theory. E.g., 'Describe Asch's research into conformity.' Advice: Include the aim, procedure, key findings, and a brief conclusion. Use linking phrases to ensure clarity.
• 📋Application Questions (6-9 marks): You'll be given a scenario and asked to apply your knowledge. E.g., 'A teacher tells students they must wear school uniform. Using your knowledge of social influence, explain why students might obey.' Advice: Identify the relevant social influence concept(s), define them, and then explicitly link them back to the details of the scenario.
• 📋Evaluation Questions (6-12 marks): These require you to critically assess a study or theory. E.g., 'Evaluate Milgram's research into obedience.' Advice: Present balanced arguments (strengths and weaknesses), provide specific examples from the study, and explain the *impact* of each point (e.g., 'This lowers the ecological validity because...'). Conclude with a summary of your overall judgment.