PAST PAPER QUESTIONS

• In your studies of social psychology, you will have learned about the classic study by Sherif et al. (1954/1961).

  (a) Describe the sample of participants used in the study by Sherif et al. (1954/1961).

  Sherif et Al. sampled boys who were all ages 11-12 years old, they all came from similar backgrounds and education level. The boys were all from protestant families who were considered well adjusted.
• Describe one way that Sherif et al. (1954/1961) attempted to reduce inter-group conflict.

  Sherif et al. introduced subordinate goals between the groups that required collaboration to encourage group cohesion, such as making them work together to make improvements to a water tank and pump that provided water for both group.
• Explain one weakness of the study by Sherif et al. (1954/1961) in terms of reliability.

  The experiment was a field experiment at a summer camp this meant they could not control all extraneous varaiables that may impact the conflict between the two groups. This reduces reliability of the findings about negative attitudes towards an out-group as the study cannot be replicated to check for result consistency.
• Evaluate agency theory as an explanation of obedience. (A01 part1)

  • Milgram’s agency theory suggests that most people are likely to obey an authority figure and give up their free will.
  • The process of moral strain is the point where individuals feel such discomfort between their judgement and an order from an authority figure that they shift to an agentic state to relieve the strain.
• Evaluate agency theory as an explanation of obedience. (A01 part2)

  • An agentic state is when individuals become agents of the authority figure and will obey without questioning what they are told to do. An autonomous state is when individuals maintain free will and responsibility so dissent against the orders of an authority figure.
• Evaluate agency theory as an explanation of obedience. (A03)

  • Supporting evidence comes from Milgram’s (1963) study which showed that 65% of his participants behaved agentically and shocked the learner to 450 volts.

  • Milgram’s agency theory does not consider individual differences in personality therefore it is an incomplete explanation of what influences a person to obey.

  • Agency theory can be applied to explain the acts of genocide like the Holocaust in which the soldiers behaved agentically and blindly obeyed without question, killing millions of people.
• Milo and Betty had watched a film Milo described a scene. Betty said that the taxis were black, not yellow and described how the main character had arrived at a train station. Betty disagreed with Milo.

  Discuss, using reconstructive memory (Bartlett, 1932), including schema theory, Milo’s and Betty’s recall of the film. (A01 part 1)

  Reconstructive memory suggests that we actively try and make sense of new information based on what we already know.

  • Memory recall may be distorted when memories are reconstructed based on an individual’s understanding from past events.