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'Instigators' and an unethical act A study examined the psychology of 'instigators' - AQA - A-Level Psychology - Question 3 - 2018 - Paper 3
Question 3
'Instigators' and an unethical act A study examined the psychology of 'instigators'. 'Instigators' are people who surround an unethical act and influence the wrongd... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:'Instigators' and an unethical act A study examined the psychology of 'instigators' - AQA - A-Level Psychology - Question 3 - 2018 - Paper 3
Step 1
Explain one ethical issue that could be violated in the 'instigators' and an unethical act study.
Answer
One ethical issue that could be violated in the study is informed consent. In this scenario, the student being asked to vandalise the book may not be aware they are participating in a research study. Therefore, they may lack full awareness of the study's aims and have not given proper consent to be involved in such an unethical act. This violates the ethical guideline of ensuring participants are informed about the nature of the research they are partaking in.
Step 2
Explain how social impact theory can support the findings of the 'instigators' and an unethical act study.
Answer
Social impact theory can be applied to the findings of the study, suggesting that the presence of two confederates exerting influence on the participant would lead to greater obedience compared to a single confederate. This can be explained as follows:
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The theory posits that the strength of the source (the confederates) and the target (the participant) is crucial; therefore, a larger number of confederates increases the pressure on the individual to conform, which aligns with the 87% obedience rate observed in the first condition.
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The results indicate that participants instructed by two confederates displayed a much higher percentage of compliance (87%), compared to those influenced by just one confederate (62%). This supports the theory that the more sources reinforcing the same instruction, the more likely the target will yield to that influence.
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However, it is important to consider that alternative theories, such as agency theory, could also explain these findings, as they suggest that the participants may have been acting under the direction of the confederates, who were perceived as authority figures. Thus, while social impact theory provides a valid lens to understand the results, other perspectives such as agency theory could equally justify the findings.