1. Social Influence Mini Mock
Peer marking guide

2. Question 1
ANS: A & E (1 mark each)

3. Question 2: Identify three variables affecting conformity and outline how each of these was investigated in Asch’s experiment
Award one mark for each correct variable (maximum 3 marks):
Group size
Unanimity
Task difficulty
Then a further mark for explaining how each one was manipulated by Asch (maximum 3 marks):
Group size - Ash varied the number of confederates in the procedure to see the effect this would have on the conformity rate
Unanimity - Asch sometimes arranged for a confederate to give a different answer to the majority/same answer as the real participant
Task Difficulty - Asch made the right answer less obvious by making the lines more similar to each other

4. Q.3: When you are a passenger on a train, you are much more likely to move to another seat if the ticket collector tells you to move than if another passenger tells you to do so. Use your knowledge of why people obey to explain this behaviour. (4 marks)
Award two marks for correctly outlining the explanation and a further two marks for application, which must make reference to the information in the scenario Example answer: A01 We are all brought up to obey someone that we believe has legitimate authority, in other words, has the right to tell us what to do (1 mark). A uniform often increases obedience because it give the impression that the person has legitimate authority (1 mark). A02 As the ticket collector’s uniform indicates that he has a position that is sanctioned by society, he is seen as a legitimate authority (1 mark), whereas the passenger is not perceived as a legitimate authority and therefore is less likely to be obeyed (1 mark)

5. Q.4: It is Ani’s first day in a new job and he spends a lot of time watching to see what his colleagues are doing, so that he will fit in with them and be liked. Explain Ani’s behaviour in terms of compliance (2 marks)
Award one mark for a correct definition of compliance, and one mark for applying it appropriately to Ani Example answer: A01 Compliance is where a person changes their behaviour temporarily to conform to a majority usually so that they can fit in and be liked (1 mark). A02 Ani is showing compliance because he is doing what his colleagues do so that he can fit in, but will probably revert back to his former behaviour once his colleagues are not present (1 mark)

6. Q.5: Explain two factors that are likely to lead to a minority successfully influencing a majority
Award one mark for each correctly identified factor: being consistent, being flexible/non-dogmatic, being committed, making sacrifices for the cause, acting out of principle rather than self-interest
Then one further mark for elaborating on each point
e.g. “The minority must demonstrate flexibility. They must show that they are willing to adapt their view in light of contradictory evidence”

7. Q.6: How has social influence research helped our understanding of social change? (4 marks)
Credit can be awarded to answers that make reference to:
The snowball effect
Social cryptoamnesia
Cognitive conflict
The answer must be focused on social change, and not change at an individual level.
Examples of how these processes work can gain credit

8. Q.4: How has social influence research helped our understanding of social change? (4 marks)
Example answers:
The theory of social cryptoamnesia can help us understand the process of social change (1 mark). This is where the majority group take on board the views and ideas of the minority but either forget where they came from or deliberately disassociate themselves (1 mark). This is because minorities tend to have a negative image that members of the majority do not want to be associated with, so while they become persuaded by the arguments of the negative minority, they seek to distance themselves from the source of the information (1 mark). For example, a lot of people may not identify with the women’s rights movement, but a lot of the ideas generated by the movement, e.g. the need for equal pay legislation, have been internalised by the majority (1 mark)
The snowball effect can help us to understand the process of social change (1 mark) This is the theory that the influence of the minority grows slowly over time. It starts with a few members of the majority moving towards the minority, gradually becoming more influential as more people from the majority start to pay attention to it (1 mark). Eventually, there reaches a tipping point at which time, social influence accelerates as the movement gathers momentum, until it becomes the majority view (1 mark). It is referred to as the snowball effect because the speed of the change increases the bigger the movement becomes, with the majority of change occurring near the end of the process (1 mark).

9. Q. 7: Milgram’s work can be criticised for being unethical
Q.7: Milgram’s work can be criticised for being unethical. Describe one way in which his work is unethical
One mark for identifying a relevant ethical issue, e.g lack of informed consent, protection from harm, deception, right to withdraw
Second mark for explaining why it was an issue in Milgram’s work, e.g. ‘participants were deceived as they were told that they were taking part in a study on memory, when in fact it was a study on obedience’