How Does A-Level Psychology (AQA): Social and Psychological Factors in Obedience Work?

A-Level Psychology (AQA): Social and Psychological Factors in Obedience is like learning why people follow orders, even when they don’t want to, just like how you might listen to your teacher even if you’d rather be playing on the swings.

Imagine you’re at a party, and someone tells you to do something silly, maybe dance like a chicken. You might laugh and do it because everyone else is doing it too. That’s social influence, people follow orders because others are following them too.

Now imagine your teacher says, "Everyone stand up!", even if you’re tired or want to stay seated, you might still get up because they told you to. That's obedience, and it happens when someone in authority gives an order.

Sometimes people obey because they're afraid, like when a teacher says, "If you don’t do this, no recess!" You follow orders because you want to avoid trouble. That’s the psychological factor of fear or punishment.

Other times, people obey because they think the person giving the order is important, maybe your principal or your mom. That's the social factor of authority and respect.

So when we study obedience in A-Level Psychology, we're looking at why people follow orders, whether it’s because they’re scared, they like the person telling them what to do, or everyone else is doing it too!