plumiSocial influence: AQA A‑Level Psychology questions
Every AQA A-Level Psychology exam question on 4.1.1 Social influence, 2020–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
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![June 2025 Paper 1, question 01: What is meant by flexibility in the context of minority influence? [2 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71821-jun25-01-qp.webp)
![June 2025 Paper 1, question 02: Outline the Authoritarian Personality as an explanation for obedience. [4 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71821-jun25-02-qp.webp)
![June 2025 Paper 1, question 03: Outline one limitation of the Authoritarian Personality explanation for obedience. [2 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71821-jun25-03-qp.webp)
![June 2025 AS Paper 1, question 01: Outline consistency as a factor in minority influence. [2 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71811-jun25-01-qp.webp)
![June 2025 AS Paper 1, question 04: Briefly evaluate social support as an explanation of resistance to social influence. [4 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71811-jun25-04-qp.webp)
![June 2025 AS Paper 1, question 05: Describe and evaluate Asch’s research into two or more variables affecting conformity. [12 marks] You may use this space to plan your answer.](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71811-jun25-05-qp.webp)
![June 2024 Paper 1, question 01: Outline one ethical issue that has arisen in social influence research. Refer to one or more social influence studies in your answer. [4 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71821-jun24-01-qp.webp)
![June 2024 Paper 1, question 04: Discuss consistency and flexibility as processes involved in minority influence. [8 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71821-jun24-04-qp.webp)
![June 2024 AS Paper 1, question 01: Outline how two variables investigated by Asch affected conformity. [4 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71811-jun24-01-qp.webp)
![June 2024 AS Paper 1, question 02: Explain two ethical limitations of Asch’s investigations into conformity. [4 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71811-jun24-02-qp.webp)
![June 2024 AS Paper 1, question 03: Suggest two reasons why Asch’s conformity investigations could be considered to be unrealistic. [4 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71811-jun24-03-qp.webp)
![June 2024 AS Paper 1, question 05: Outline flexibility as a factor in minority influence. [2 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71811-jun24-05-qp.webp)
![June 2023 Paper 1, question 01: Which two of the following best describe Zimbardo’s prison study? Shade two boxes only. [2 marks] A Controlled observation B Covert observation C Laboratory exp](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71821-jun23-01-qp.webp)
![June 2023 Paper 1, question 02: Using your knowledge of obedience research, explain possible reasons why the students failed to obey their teacher. [6 marks]](https://pub-e8a9dbab8e2a4d089f52b2a45e0d0b50.r2.dev/bank/71821-jun23-02-qp.webp)
All 46 questions on Social influence, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q01 (2 marks): What is meant by flexibility in the context of minority influence? [2 marks]
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q02 (4 marks): Outline the Authoritarian Personality as an explanation for obedience. [4 marks]
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q03 (2 marks): Outline one limitation of the Authoritarian Personality explanation for obedience. [2 marks]
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q04 (16 marks): A parent-toddler group meets for a trip to a soft play centre. They choose to go to MiniWorld. Julie, one of the parents, thinks MiniWorld is overpriced and wou
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q01 (2 marks): Outline consistency as a factor in minority influence. [2 marks]
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q02 (2 marks): In psychology, participants are often deceived about the real aims of the research. Explain why researchers often use deception in conformity research studies.
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q03 (4 marks): Amal is in a car park spray painting her name on a wall. A police officer on duty walks over to Amal and stands right next to her. When the police officer tells
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q04 (4 marks): Briefly evaluate social support as an explanation of resistance to social influence. [4 marks]
- June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q05 (12 marks): Describe and evaluate Asch’s research into two or more variables affecting conformity. [12 marks] You may use this space to plan your answer.
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q01 (4 marks): Outline one ethical issue that has arisen in social influence research. Refer to one or more social influence studies in your answer. [4 marks]
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q02 (6 marks): Charlie has just started at a new school. He has become friendly with a group of boys in his year group. Charlie thinks they are ‘cool’. One day, one of the mor
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q03 (6 marks): Later that day, the headteacher calls each of the boys in the group to his office one-by-one, including Charlie. He explains that the school jumper should not b
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q04 (8 marks): Discuss consistency and flexibility as processes involved in minority influence. [8 marks]
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q01 (4 marks): Outline how two variables investigated by Asch affected conformity. [4 marks]
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q02 (4 marks): Explain two ethical limitations of Asch’s investigations into conformity. [4 marks]
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q03 (4 marks): Suggest two reasons why Asch’s conformity investigations could be considered to be unrealistic. [4 marks]
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q05 (2 marks): Outline flexibility as a factor in minority influence. [2 marks]
- June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q06 (8 marks): Two sixth-form students, Mimi and Asif, noticed other students dropping their rubbish on the school playground. They decided to launch a campaign to reduce litt
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q01 (2 marks): Which two of the following best describe Zimbardo’s prison study? Shade two boxes only. [2 marks] A Controlled observation B Covert observation C Laboratory exp
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q02 (6 marks): Using your knowledge of obedience research, explain possible reasons why the students failed to obey their teacher. [6 marks]
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q03 (16 marks): Discuss research into minority influence. [16 marks] You may use this space to plan your answer.
- June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q01 (3 marks): Outline informational social influence as an explanation for conformity. [3 marks]
- June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q02 (3 marks): A teacher asked her class for a volunteer to talk to future A-level students. The teacher asked Sarah first, but she refused. The teacher then asked Emily to he
- June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q04 (2 marks): Maya wants to encourage the workers in her office to use their own reusable cups at work, rather than the disposable paper cups provided by the company. Explain
- June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q05 (3 marks): Briefly outline three findings from Asch’s research into conformity. [3 marks]
- June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q06 (3 marks): Explain one limitation of Asch’s research into conformity. [3 marks]
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q01 (3 marks): Which factors affecting minority influence are illustrated by the following examples? For each example, write the correct factor in the space provided. [3 marks
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q02 (1 mark): Name one explanation of resistance to social influence. [1 mark]
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q03 (4 marks): A teacher was absent and left work for students to complete during the lesson. Some students in the class did not do the work their teacher had left for them. U
- June 2022, Paper 1, Q04 (16 marks): Describe how situational variables have been found to affect obedience. Discuss what these situational variables tell us about why we obey. [16 marks] You may u
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q01 (1 mark): In Milgram’s experiment on obedience to authority, 65% of participants gave the maximum shock when the experimenter was in the same room as the participant. For
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q02 (2 marks): Explain what is meant by social change. [2 marks]
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q03 (6 marks): Steph’s psychology teacher is leaving at the end of term. Steph would like to organise a surprise fancy dress party for her, but the rest of the class are not c
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q04 (6 marks): Describe the procedure of Zimbardo’s research into social roles. [6 marks]
- June 2022, AS Paper 1, Q05 (3 marks): Explain one limitation of Zimbardo’s research into social roles. [3 marks]
- November 2021, Paper 1, Q01 (4 marks): Describe how Zimbardo investigated conformity to social roles. [4 marks]
- November 2021, Paper 1, Q02 (6 marks): Fewer and fewer people use single-use plastic items, such as water bottles and plastic straws. Using your knowledge of social influence processes in social chan
- November 2021, Paper 1, Q05 (8 marks): Discuss legitimacy of authority as an explanation for obedience. [8 marks]
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q01 (1 mark): Which one of the following is most associated with informational social influence? Shade one box only. [1 mark] A It is an emotional, rather than cognitive, pro
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q02 (4 marks): In a sixth form debating society, Samina is the only student in a group of six who does not believe that drugs should be legalised. Using your knowledge of mino
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q03 (3 marks): Researchers have identified different features of science, including: • replicability • theory construction • hypothesis testing. Explain how Asch’s conformity
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q04 (16 marks): It is the end of the school day and Freddie is pushing other students in the bus queue. “Stop it, will you?” protests one of Freddie’s classmates. “You can’t te
- November 2020, AS Paper 1, Q01 (4 marks): Outline and explain the findings of Milgram’s investigation into the effect of location on obedience. [4 marks]
- November 2020, AS Paper 1, Q02 (4 marks): Apart from ethical issues, briefly evaluate the methodology of Milgram’s research into obedience. [4 marks]
- November 2020, AS Paper 1, Q03.3 (2 marks): One of the participants, Ava, strongly believed that the amount of homework she was set was fair. However, when the teacher interviewed her with her three frien
- November 2020, AS Paper 1, Q04 (8 marks): Outline and evaluate locus of control as an explanation for resistance to social influence. [8 marks]
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