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EnglandPsychology

Topic 5: Social influence

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What affects whether a bystander helps someone in need?

Factors affecting bystander intervention: the bystander effect, diffusion of responsibility, and situational and personal factors that affect whether people help.
A focused answer to Edexcel GCSE Psychology Topic 5, covering factors affecting bystander intervention: the bystander effect, diffusion of responsibility, and situational and personal factors.
9 min answer →

How do crowds change behaviour, and what makes behaviour prosocial or antisocial?

Collective behaviour: deindividuation in crowds, prosocial and antisocial behaviour, and how social influence can lead to both helping and harmful crowd behaviour.
A focused answer to Edexcel GCSE Psychology Topic 5, covering collective behaviour: deindividuation in crowds, prosocial and antisocial behaviour, and how social influence leads to helping or harm.
9 min answer →

Why do people conform to groups and obey authority?

Social influence concepts: conformity and the factors affecting it, obedience to authority and the factors affecting it (including Milgram's work and the agentic state).
A focused answer to Edexcel GCSE Psychology Topic 5, covering conformity and the factors affecting it, and obedience to authority and the factors affecting it (Milgram and the agentic state).
10 min answer →

What did Piliavin and Zimbardo's studies reveal about helping and the power of the situation?

Core studies: Piliavin et al. (1969) subway study of helping behaviour and Haney, Banks and Zimbardo (1973) Stanford prison study, including their aims, methods, results, conclusions and evaluation.
A focused answer to the Edexcel GCSE Psychology Topic 5 core studies: Piliavin et al. (1969) subway study and Haney, Banks and Zimbardo (1973) Stanford prison study, with aim, method, results, conclusion and evaluation.
11 min answer →