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A-Level · Psychology

PSY.SI8 Social Influence Processes and Social Change

AQA 7182 · Calculators not allowed · about 90 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

Define the term 'minority influence' as it is used when discussing social change in groups or societies. Name the context of influence and how it typically operates.

(Total for Question 1 is 2 marks)

Identify three features of minority influence that are important for bringing about social change, naming the features in the context of a campaigning group.

(Total for Question 2 is 3 marks)

Outline what is meant by 'consistency' in minority influence when a campaign group tries to change public opinion over months or years.

(Total for Question 3 is 2 marks)

Outline the role of 'commitment' in minority influence in the context of a grassroots protest movement trying to win public support.

(Total for Question 4 is 2 marks)

Outline what is meant by 'flexibility' in a minority influence strategy when negotiating with mainstream groups or decision makers.

(Total for Question 5 is 2 marks)

Explain the 'snowball effect' as a process by which a small minority campaign can create wider social change across a community or society.

(Total for Question 6 is 2 marks)

Nolan et al. conducted a field study on social norms and energy conservation by sending residents messages about neighbours reducing energy use. Briefly outline the main finding of Nolan et al. and its relevance to social-norms interventions in real-world environmental campaigns.

(Total for Question 7 is 4 marks)

Apply the minority influence processes of consistency, commitment, flexibility and the snowball effect to the following public-health campaign scenario. Prompt: A small group of community health volunteers wants to increase neighbourhood vaccination uptake over a year by holding stalls, sharing personal stories and negotiating with local clinics. Explain how each named process could be used in this campaign to increase uptake.

(Total for Question 8 is 4 marks)

Define the term 'social cryptomnesia' and outline one implication of social cryptomnesia for recognising the original contributors to a social change movement in society.

(Total for Question 9 is 4 marks)

A local council proposes a new recycling scheme. Some residents resist because they distrust the motives behind the scheme and prefer their established routines. Identify whether normative social influence or informational social influence best explains the residents resistance, and justify your choice with two reasons applied to this local policy context.

(Total for Question 10 is 3 marks)

Explain how a social-norms intervention designed to reduce littering in a town could be evaluated, using the Nolan et al. field study approach as a model. In your answer identify one practical method of data collection and one advantage and one limitation of field experimentation for this intervention.

(Total for Question 11 is 6 marks)

Discuss the role of social influence processes in social change. In your answer refer to both majority and minority influence, the roles of normative and informational social influence, social-norms interventions such as Nolan et al., and social cryptomnesia. Use examples or the campaign scenario where appropriate.

(Total for Question 12 is 16 marks)

Mark scheme · PSY.SI8 Social Influence Processes and Social Change

Question 1

B1 states that minority influence involves a smaller group or individual attempting to change the beliefs or behaviours of a larger majority oe
B1 states that this change typically occurs through persuasion over time rather than by direct coercion oe
Answer: Minority influence is when a smaller group or individual attempts to change the attitudes or behaviour of a larger majority, typically through persistent persuasion over time rather than by force.

Question 2

B1 consistency oe
B1 commitment oe
B1 flexibility oe
Answer: Consistency; commitment; flexibility.

Question 3

B1 states that consistency means the minority presents the same message over time or across its members oe
B1 explains that this makes the minority appear confident and persuasive, helping attract attention to their view oe
Answer: Consistency means the minority presents the same message over time and across members; this steady position makes them appear confident and persuasive, attracting attention to their position.

Question 4

B1 identifies commitment as minorities showing personal sacrifice or dedication to their cause oe
B1 explains that visible commitment increases the minority's credibility and makes the majority take the message more seriously oe
Answer: Commitment is when minority members show personal sacrifice or strong dedication to their cause; visible commitment increases credibility and makes the majority more likely to take their message seriously.

Question 5

B1 states flexibility means the minority is willing to adapt tactics or accept compromise rather than being rigid oe
B1 explains that flexibility makes the minority appear reasonable and more likely to persuade the majority oe
Answer: Flexibility means the minority adapts tactics or accepts compromise instead of being rigid; this makes them appear reasonable and increases the chance of persuading the majority.

Question 6

B1 states that the snowball effect is when minority influence gradually attracts more supporters, gaining momentum oe
B1 explains that as more people adopt the view the rate of change accelerates and the idea can become mainstream oe
Answer: The snowball effect is when a minority gradually gains more supporters so momentum builds; as adoption increases the rate of change accelerates and the idea can become adopted widely.

Question 7

M1 states that Nolan et al. found messages saying that neighbours were reducing energy use caused residents to reduce their own energy consumption more than control messages about general environmental reasons oe
A1 explains that this supports the use of descriptive social norms to change behaviour in field settings oe
B1 adds that the effect indicates people follow perceived common behaviour of others, so highlighting local norms can encourage conservation oe
B1 links to relevance: shows social-norms interventions can work outside the laboratory, in real communities oe
Answer: Nolan et al. found that messages stating neighbours were reducing energy use produced greater reductions in residents' energy use than general messages; this supports using descriptive social-norms messages in real-world campaigns because people tend to follow perceived common behaviour locally.

Question 8

M1 applies consistency: e.g. volunteers present the same factual message at stalls and in leaflets over time, building credibility oe
M1 applies commitment: e.g. volunteers share personal sacrifice or long term involvement, showing they believe in the campaign and increasing persuasion oe
M1 applies flexibility: e.g. volunteers negotiate with clinics to offer convenient appointments and compromise on approaches to reach hesitant residents oe
A1 applies snowball effect: e.g. early adopters influence friends and family so uptake grows over months, accelerating into wider community acceptance oe
Answer: Consistency: repeat the same factual message at stalls and in materials so the community perceives a steady position. Commitment: volunteers share personal stories and long term dedication to increase credibility. Flexibility: negotiate with clinics and adjust tactics to address concerns so the minority seems reasonable. Snowball effect: initial adopters persuade friends and family, and uptake accelerates until vaccination becomes normal in the neighbourhood.

Question 9

M1 defines social cryptomnesia as forgetting the origins of an idea so people adopt a changed social norm without remembering the minority or source that started it oe
A1 states an implication: the original minority may not receive credit for the change, their role is forgotten while the new norm remains oe
B1 explains consequence: loss of historical recognition can reduce motivation for future minority activism or obscure how change occurred oe
B1 connects to social memory: society remembers the norm but not the originator, affecting cultural narratives and policymaking oe
Answer: Social cryptomnesia is when people adopt a new social norm but forget the origin or the minority group that started it. An implication is that original activists do not get credit and their role is forgotten, which can reduce recognition of how change occurred and might lessen motivation for future activism while the new norm remains accepted.

Question 10

B1 identifies normative social influence (NSI) as the best explanation cao
M1 justification 1: residents prefer established routines and fear social disapproval or standing out if they change, showing NSI concern for belonging oe
A1 justification 2: distrust of motives prompts refusal to adopt new public behaviour because people may worry about being judged or manipulated, a social conformity concern rather than lack of information oe
Answer: Normative social influence. Residents stick to routines and may fear standing out or being judged for changing, and distrust of motives reinforces a desire to conform to familiar local norms rather than accept the policy based on information alone.

Question 11

M1 identifies a field experiment method: e.g. sending tailored messages to households saying most neighbours do not litter, with a control group receiving general anti-littering information oe
A1 explains a practical data collection method: e.g. measure litter counts in public bins and on streets before and after messaging, or use unobtrusive observations of people dropping litter oe
M1 gives one advantage: high ecological validity since the intervention is tested in a real community and behaviour is observed in a natural setting oe
A1 explains why this advantage matters: findings better predict real-world impact and policy relevance than lab studies oe
M1 gives one limitation: field experiments have less experimental control and more potential confounding variables, such as weather or other local campaigns oe
A1 explains the limitation: uncontrolled variables make establishing a clear causal link between the message and behaviour harder and can reduce internal validity oe
Answer: Use a field experiment like Nolan et al.: send descriptive-norm messages to some neighbourhoods and neutral messages to controls, then collect litter counts or unobtrusive observations before and after. Advantage: high ecological validity so results predict real-world behaviour and inform policy. Limitation: less experimental control and possible confounds such as weather or other local events that make causality harder to establish.

Question 12

Level 4 (13-16): Knowledge of social influence processes and social change is accurate, detailed and well organised. Discussion is thorough and evaluative, integrating AO1, AO2 and AO3 material. The answer considers both supporting and challenging evidence, applies concepts to examples or scenarios effectively, and shows clear chains of reasoning about mechanisms and consequences.
Level 3 (9-12): Knowledge is clear and mostly accurate with some detail. Discussion includes evaluation and some integration of evidence and application. Some points are developed and supported, though coverage may be less comprehensive or less analytical than top band answers.
Level 2 (5-8): Knowledge is present but limited or partially accurate. Discussion is largely descriptive with limited evaluation or application. Points are brief and not developed into sustained argument.
Level 1 (1-4): Knowledge is minimal and statements are superficial. Little or no relevant evaluation or application. Answer may be disorganised or fragmentary.
Level 0 (0): No creditable content.
Indicative content:
- AO1: Minority influence processes: consistency, commitment and flexibility help minorities persuade the majority; the snowball effect describes how small shifts can become large-scale change over time.
- AO1: Majority processes: conformity via normative social influence (NSI) and informational social influence (ISI) maintain existing norms but can also enable rapid spread once a new norm is perceived as common.
- AO2: Application: minority campaigns use consistency and commitment to attract attention and credibility; flexibility helps negotiate incremental policy shifts; early adopters create a snowball effect that turns minority positions into majority practice.
- AO2: Nolan et al. shows descriptive norm messages can change real behaviour, demonstrating how majority-like cues can be used deliberately in interventions to encourage desired behaviours such as energy saving or recycling.
- AO3: Evaluation of minority influence: supporting evidence shows minorities can initiate change but effects are often slow and indirect; minority influence is strengthened by clear, consistent messaging but can be undermined by perceived extremism or lack of flexibility.
- AO3: Evaluation of social-norms interventions: field studies like Nolan et al. have high ecological validity and real policy relevance, but field interventions risk confounds and ethical issues if messaging misrepresents behaviour or pressures vulnerable groups.
- AO3: Role of ISI and NSI: ISI explains change where uncertainty exists and people look for information, NSI explains public compliance when people want social approval; both can explain resistance where entrenched norms or distrust reduce the impact of persuasive messages.
- AO3: Social cryptomnesia: societies may adopt new norms but forget the originators; this has implications for historical recognition and for the morale of activists, and means models of change must account for how memory and attribution affect long-term outcomes.
- AO3: Counter-evidence and individual differences: not everyone conforms or changes; personality, prior commitment, cultural context and competing information sources affect whether influence leads to social change; Perrin and Spencer type replications show variability across time and culture.
- AO3: Practical considerations: ethical use of social-norms messaging, the need for accurate descriptive information, monitoring unintended consequences, and combining minority-led activism with institutional change to secure lasting outcomes.

Social Influence Processes and Social Change - Worksheets, Questions and Revision