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Psychology Revision Guides
A-Level Lessons Aid: This resource is designed to support your revision and may contain errors. If you find a discrepancy with your class teaching, your teacher is correct -- please let us know at alevelrevise@scott.scottrix.co.uk.

Social Influence and Attachment

Year 1 / ASYear 2 / A-Level All Boards (AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC, CCEA) AQA

A-Level Psychology revision: Social Influence and Attachment. Learning objectives, key points, worked examples and practice questions across AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC and CCEA.

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📌 Key Points

Key Fact: Conformity: Compliance (public only), Identification (group membership), Internalisation (true belief); Asch (line length, 32% conform), Zimbardo (Stanford prison)
Key Fact: Obedience: Milgram (65% to 450V), agency theory (agentic/autonomous state), legitimacy of authority, gradual commitment
Key Fact: Resistance: social support (ally), locus of control (internal resist); Minority influence: consistency, commitment, flexibility, snowball effect
Key Fact: Attachment: Bowlby (evolutionary, monotropy, critical period 0-2.5yrs, IWM), Ainsworth: Secure (B), Insecure-avoidant (A), Insecure-resistant (C); Disorganised (D)
Key Fact: Cultural: van IJzendoorn (meta-analysis, secure universal but variations), Romanian orphans (Rutter, ERA study, privation effects)
Key Fact: Influence on later relationships: IWM -> parenting, peer, romantic (Hazan & Shaver)

🎯 Learning Objectives

  • Explain conformity: types (compliance, identification, internalisation), Asch, Zimbardo
  • Explain obedience: Milgram, situational vs dispositional factors, agency theory
  • Understand resistance to social influence: social support, locus of control
  • Explain minority influence: Moscovici, consistency, commitment, flexibility
  • Understand attachment: Bowlby (monotropy, critical period, internal working model), Ainsworth (Strange Situation, types)
  • Evaluate cultural variations in attachment, Romanian orphan studies, institutionalisation

💡 Worked Example

Exam-Style Question

Question: Explain why Milgram's participants obeyed using agency theory

Model Answer:

Agentic state: individual sees self as agent of authority, not responsible. Autonomous state: self-directed. Shift triggered by: legitimate authority, institutional context, gradual commitment (15V steps), buffers (victim not visible). Dispositional: authoritarian personality (Adorno)

❓ Practice Questions

Model answers are being added progressively - questions marked ✗ don't have one yet. Cross-check with your teacher or the official mark scheme.

Questions:

  • Distinguish compliance vs internalisation✗ answer coming soon
  • Evaluate Zimbardo ethics✗ answer coming soon
  • Explain internal working model✗ answer coming soon
  • Compare attachment types in Strange Situation✗ answer coming soon
  • Evaluate Romanian orphan study✗ answer coming soon

🎬 Video Resources

📄 Past Papers & Exam Resources

🔗 Further Reading & Resources

📚 Lesson Plan (50 minutes)

  1. Starter (5 min): Recall prior knowledge of social influence and attachment with quick questions.
  2. Teaching (15 min): Work through each of the learning objectives, explaining principles step by step.
  3. Key points review (5 min): Revisit the key points together, confirming understanding.
  4. Worked example (10 min): Model the example question: Explain why Milgram's participants obeyed using agency theory. Solution: Agentic state: individual sees self as agent of authority, not responsible. Autonomous state: self-directed. Shift triggered by: legitimate authority, institutional context, gradual commitment (15V steps), buffers (victim not visible). Dispositional: authoritarian personality (Adorno)
  5. Practice (10 min): Students attempt the practice questions independently; circulate and support.
  6. Plenary (5 min): Review answers and address misconceptions.

🏠 Homework

  • Distinguish compliance vs internalisation
  • Evaluate Zimbardo ethics
  • Explain internal working model
  • Compare attachment types in Strange Situation
  • Evaluate Romanian orphan study

🧾 Assessment

Check practice answers against the model answer; use the built-in practice questions as formative assessment.

🎓 Smart Lesson (Guided)