Edexcel IAL Psychology Topic A Social Psychology

AO1 (3 marks), AO3 (3 marks)

Credit one mark for accurate identification of each ethical issue
(AO1)
Credit one mark for justification of each ethical issue (AO3)

For example:

• The right to withdraw was explicitly given to the
participants at the start of study (1) but by using verbal
prods it made it very difficult to actually withdraw during
the experiment itself so it was unethical (1).
• Informed consent was not obtained as they were told the
experiment was about learning not obedience (1)
therefore participants were not aware of aims of study
which was unethical but necessary to reduce demand
characteristics and gather more reliable obedience data
(1).
• Milgram caused severe distress to a number of the
participants during the experiment (1) however after
debriefing the participants were glad to have been
involved despite the unethical levels of distress the
experiment had caused them at the time, they felt it was
worthwhile (1).

Look for other reasonable marking points.

(6)

AO1 (2 marks)

Credit one mark for each accurate conclusion.

For example:

• Obedience decreases when the authority figure was
not in close proximity (1).
• Obedience decreases the lower the prestige/status of
authority figure is to the teacher (1).

Look for other reasonable marking points.

(2)

AO1 (2 marks) AO3 (2 marks)

Credit one mark for accurate identification of one strength and
one weakness (AO1)
Credit one mark for justification of each strength and each
weakness (AO3)

Strength

For example:

• Agency theory, which includes the concept of blind
obedience, is supported by a number of research studies
(1). Burger’s (2009) replication of Milgram’s original study
found that participants followed instructions and
administered shocks to the learners, supporting blind
obedience (1).

Weakness

For example:

• The theory relies on the concept of agentic state
behaviour in the presence of authority (1) so it does not
explain obedience to authority when an authority figure is
distant, such as following the law when police are not
nearby (1).

Look for other reasonable marking points.

(4)

AO1 (1 mark)
Credit one mark for an accurate aim.
For example:
- Milgram aimed to see whether the physical distance
between the experimenter and the teacher would affect
obedience levels. (1)
Look for other reasonable marking points.

(1)

AO3 (1 mark)
Credit one mark for an accurate conclusion.
For example:
- Milgram concluded that reduced proximity of the
experimenter lead to fewer participants obeying. (1)
Look for other reasonable marking points.

(1)

AO1 (1 mark) AO3 (1 mark)
Credit one mark for identification of weakness (AO1).
Credit one mark for justification of weakness (AO3).
For example:
- One weakness in Milgram's Experiment 7 is that he placed
participants in an artificial laboratory setting to answer
the telephone (1) which is not an ecologically valid setting
for measuring everyday obedience to an authority figure
giving instructions over the telephone (1)
Look for other reasonable marking points.

(2)

AO1 (1 mark) AO3 (1 mark)
Credit one mark for accurate identification of individual
difference (AO1).
Credit one mark for justification of individual difference (AO3).
For example:
- Adorno (1950) claimed that those with an authoritarian
personality tend to obey (1) Elms and Milgram (1966)
found that those with an authoritarian personality are said
to like rules, which leads to high levels of obedience (1).
Look for other reasonable marking points.

(2)