Edexcel A Level Psychology
Edexcel A Level Psychology Topic 1: Social Psychology Exam Questions
Free Edexcel A Level Psychology exam questions for Topic 1: Social Psychology, with a mark scheme for every pack. Covers obedience, agency theory, social impact theory, prejudice, social identity and realistic conflict theory, self-report methods and the Robbers Cave study.
Topic 1: Social Psychology exam questions
1 question pack of real past exam questions, each with its mark scheme. Do not stop after a few: answer as many as you can without notes, then mark every answer with the mark scheme. The more questions you do, the more quickly you will spot how examiners ask about each idea.
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A-Level Psychology Flashcards for 2027 Onwards
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About Edexcel A Level Psychology Topic 1: Social Psychology
Social Psychology is Topic 1 of Edexcel A Level Psychology and is assessed on Paper 1, Foundations in Psychology. It looks at how people behave in groups, focusing on obedience and prejudice. You learn Milgram's research and its variations, agency theory and social impact theory, factors affecting obedience, dispositional factors, and explanations of prejudice such as social identity theory and realistic conflict theory. Methods content includes questionnaires, interviews, sampling and analysing qualitative data, and you carry out a practical investigation. The classic study is Sherif et al. (1954/1961) and you study one contemporary study. Examiners also set a key question applying social psychology to a real issue.
What you need to know
- Obedience Milgram (1963) found 65% of participants gave the maximum 450V shock. His variations (such as location, proximity and an ordinary person giving orders) show how situational factors affect obedience.
- Explanations of obedience Agency theory says people shift from an autonomous state to an agentic state when acting for an authority figure, feeling less responsibility. Social impact theory (Latané, 1981) says impact depends on the strength, immediacy and number of sources.
- Factors affecting obedience and dissent Situational factors include proximity and legitimacy of authority; dispositional factors include the authoritarian personality and locus of control. Culture and gender may also affect obedience.
- Prejudice Social identity theory (Tajfel and Turner) explains prejudice through social categorisation, social identification and social comparison, with in-group favouritism. Realistic conflict theory says competition for limited resources causes prejudice.
- Classic study: Sherif et al. (1954/1961) The Robbers Cave study used 22 boys at a summer camp split into the Rattlers and the Eagles. Competition produced hostility, which was reduced by superordinate goals that required co-operation.
- Methods and practical Questionnaires (open and closed questions, Likert scales), interviews (structured, semi-structured, unstructured), sampling techniques, BPS ethical guidelines and analysis of qualitative data using thematic analysis.
Common mistakes in Topic 1: Social Psychology
- Writing that Milgram's participants were forced to continue; they received verbal prods and were told they could not stop, but none were physically forced.
- Mixing up agency theory and social impact theory; agency theory is about the individual's state of mind, social impact theory is about features of the social force.
- Describing realistic conflict theory without the key idea of competition for limited resources.
- Saying Sherif reduced conflict just by contact; contact alone was not enough and superordinate goals were needed.
- Writing contemporary study evaluation that does not compare it to Milgram, which is often what the question needs.
Try three Topic 1: Social Psychology exam-style questions
1. Explain what is meant by the agentic state. (2 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
A state of mind in which a person sees themselves as acting on behalf of an authority figure; they no longer feel personally responsible for their actions, so they are more likely to obey orders they would otherwise refuse.
2. Describe the three stages of social identity theory. (3 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
Social categorisation, where people are placed into groups including our own in-group; social identification, where we adopt the identity and norms of our in-group; social comparison, where we compare our in-group favourably with out-groups to boost self-esteem, leading to prejudice.
3. Describe the results of Sherif et al.'s (1954/1961) Robbers Cave study. (4 marks)
Show the mark scheme answer
During the competition phase hostility developed between the Rattlers and Eagles; there was name-calling, flag burning and raids on cabins; boys rated their own group positively and the other group negatively; when superordinate goals such as fixing the water supply were introduced, hostility reduced and friendships across groups increased.
Topic 1: Social Psychology FAQs
What does Edexcel A Level Psychology Topic 1 Social Psychology cover?
It covers obedience, agency theory, social impact theory, situational and dispositional factors, prejudice, social identity theory and realistic conflict theory, research methods including questionnaires and interviews, the classic study by Sherif et al. and one contemporary study.
Which paper is Social Psychology examined in?
Social Psychology is examined on Paper 1, Foundations in Psychology, alongside Cognitive Psychology, Biological Psychology and Learning Theories.
Which contemporary study should I learn for Social Psychology?
You study one contemporary study from the options set by Edexcel, such as Burger (2009), a partial replication of Milgram, so check which one your teacher has chosen and learn its aims, procedure, results and evaluation.
