1.7: The external explanation

Question 1

Yolanda dropped a crisp packet in the shopping centre and when told to pick it up by a fellow shopper she did nothing, but when told to do so by a security guard, she immediately complied.

With reference to the passage above, explain why Yolanda obeyed the security guard, but not the fellow shopper (3 marks)

Answer 1

Yolanda obeyed the security guard, because his uniform gave the impression of him having high legitimate authority to issue orders that should be obeyed

Question 2

Yolanda dropped a crisp packet in the shopping centre and when told to pick it up by a fellow shopper she did nothing, but when told to do so by a security guard, she immediately complied.

With reference to the passage above, explain why Yolanda obeyed the security guard, but not the fellow shopper (3 marks).
Yolanda obeyed the security guard, because his uniform gave the impression of him having high legitimate authority to issue orders that should be obeyed.
The fellow shopper what?

Answer 2

The fellow shopper wasn’t wearing a uniform and so had less legitimate authority

Question 3

Yolanda dropped a crisp packet in the shopping centre and when told to pick it up by a fellow shopper she did nothing, but when told to do so by a security guard, she immediately complied.

With reference to the passage above, explain why Yolanda obeyed the security guard, but not the fellow shopper (3 marks).
Yolanda obeyed the security guard, because his uniform gave the impression of him having high legitimate authority to issue orders that should be obeyed.
The fellow shopper wasn’t wearing a uniform and so had less legitimate authority.
What was this similar to?

Answer 3

This was similar to the findings of Bickman’s (1974) study

Question 4

Yolanda dropped a crisp packet in the shopping centre and when told to pick it up by a fellow shopper she did nothing, but when told to do so by a security guard, she immediately complied.

With reference to the passage above, explain why Yolanda obeyed the security guard, but not the fellow shopper (3 marks).
Yolanda obeyed the security guard, because his uniform gave the impression of him having high legitimate authority to issue orders that should be obeyed.
The fellow shopper wasn’t wearing a uniform and so had less legitimate authority.
This was similar to the findings of Bickman’s (1974) study, where what?

Answer 4

This was similar to the findings of Bickman’s (1974) study, where more participants obeyed a security guard than someone dressed in casual clothes when they ordered a passerby to pick up litter they hadn’t dropped