Conformity past paper questions Flashcards
2024 past paper
Describe what is meant by conformity.
Two marks
Candidates are asked to describe what is meant by conformity.
* conformity is a type of social influence (1) involving a change in belief or
behaviour (1) in order to fit in with a group (1)
* this change is a response to real or imagined group pressure. (1)
Examples may be credited.
Any other valid response.
Describe minority influence.
Two marks
Candidates are asked to describe what is meant by minority influence.
* this is when a small group changes the attitudes/beliefs/behaviours (1) of a
majority. (1)
Examples may be credited.
Any other valid response.
Read the scenario below and answer the question that follows:
Alex is from Scotland and Hana is from Japan. They go to the same school and
their class have decided to go out on Friday night. The majority want to go
bowling but both Alex and Hana would rather go to the cinema.
Using your knowledge of cultural factors, explain why Hana would be more likely
than Alex to conform.
Five marks
Candidates are asked to explain how cultural factors will mean Hana is more likely
than Alex to conform.
A maximum of 2 marks may be awarded if no reference is made to the scenario.
* Hana is from Japan which is a collectivist culture (1) whereas Alex is from
Scotland, which is an individualistic culture (1)
* Collectivist cultures have higher rates of conformity than individualistic cultures
(1) due to collectivist cultures valuing cooperation (1) and individualistic
cultures valuing competition (1)
* it would be more important for Hana to agree to go bowling as they have been
socialized to avoid social rejection/to value group harmony (1) whereas Alex
would have been socialized to make independent choices. (1)
Candidates can refer to research in their response.
Any other valid response.
Explain what is meant by normative social influence. You must include an
example of everyday normative social influence in your answer.
Three marks
Candidates are asked to explain what is meant by normative social influence, and
to give an everyday example of NSI. A maximum of 2 marks are available for an
explanation.
* to go along with group norms/behaviour/beliefs (1) in order to fit in/be liked/to
avoid rejection/ridicule (1)
* to conform to promote social harmony (1)
* the norms/behaviour/beliefs may not be maintained when not with the group
(1)
* it may result in compliance (1)
* feeling under pressure to follow a particular football team because the larger
friendship group is doing it and they want a sense of belonging. (1)
Any other valid response.
Explain how situational factors may affect conformity levels. You must refer to
Asch’s research in your answer.
Six marks
Candidates are asked to explain situational factors that might affect conformity.
Candidates who do not refer to Asch can gain a maximum of 4 marks.
* group size: Asch found that the optimum group size for conformity to occur was
in groups of 3-5 (1) Groups of fewer than 3 show lower levels of conformity (1)
more than 5 showed very little difference in conformity levels (1)
* unanimity: Asch found that conformity decreased when participants had an ally
in the group. (1) This was the case whether or not the ally gave the same answer
as the participant. (1) In the Asch study, all confederates gave the same
incorrect answer, (1) therefore conformity was high (1)
* difficulty of task: In the Asch studies, the closer together the lines were in size,
the greater the level of conformity. (1) The correct answer was less obvious,
therefore conformity was high (1)
* familiarity with group: In the Asch study, the participants did not know each
other. (1) Where participants are strangers, they may be more/less likely to
conform (1) where they don’t want to stand out from the strangers/where they
don’t mind being rejected by strangers. (1)
Any other valid response.
Explain one weakness of the Mori and Arai (2010) study.
Two marks
Candidates are asked to explain one weakness of the Mori and Arai (2010) study.
* the task was unusual/not one that participants would encounter in their
everyday lives (1) therefore was low in mundane realism. (1) This means the
results are less generalisable to real life situations. (1)
* the task was more difficult than in the Asch study/ the comparison lines were
closer in size/background music was plying. (1) Therefore, this was not a fully
valid replication of Asch. (1)
Any other valid response.
