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Topic 4: Social Influence

3 dot points, in syllabus order. Each dot point has a focused answer, with exam-style questions and worked answers where available.

Why do people change their behaviour to match a group or obey an authority figure?

Explain conformity and obedience using key studies (Asch, Milgram, Zimbardo) and the factors that increase or reduce them.

How conformity and obedience work, the classic studies by Asch, Milgram and Zimbardo, and the situational factors that increase or reduce social influence.

9 min read →

How do attitudes form and change, and how do we explain the causes of behaviour?

Explain how attitudes are structured and changed, and describe attribution processes and common attribution errors.

How attitudes are structured and change, cognitive dissonance, and how attribution theory explains the causes we assign to behaviour, including the fundamental attribution error.

8 min read →

What causes prejudice and discrimination, and how can they be reduced?

Explain the causes of prejudice and discrimination and evaluate strategies for reducing them.

The difference between prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination, their causes including social identity and competition, and evidence-based strategies for reducing them.

8 min read →