AO2 Application in AQA Psychology: Social Influence Examples & Tasks
Social Influence is a core topic in AQA A-Level Psychology Paper 1 — and it's rich with opportunities for AO2 application. In this article, you’ll find real-life examples, sample questions, and ready-to-use ideas to help students develop their AO2 skills in class or at home.
What Is AO2 in Social Influence?
In this context, AO2 means applying psychological theories — such as conformity, obedience, or social change — to unfamiliar but realistic scenarios. Examiners want to see students use named theories or studies to explain why someone might follow a crowd, resist peer pressure, or break rules in certain settings.
AO2 Scenario Example 1: TikTok Peer Pressure
Scenario: A popular TikTok challenge encourages teens to perform risky stunts in public. Even students who usually follow rules begin participating.
AO2 Task: Apply explanations for conformity to explain why even rule-following students might take part.
Model Answer: Students may be influenced by normative social influence — the desire to be liked and accepted by peers. The online popularity of the challenge increases peer pressure, especially if popular figures are participating. They may also be identifying with those individuals, leading to temporary or internalised conformity.
AO2 Scenario Example 2: Uniform Protest
Scenario: During a school inspection, most students follow uniform rules, but a small group deliberately wear banned trainers. They become more defiant as more students join in.
AO2 Task: Apply variables affecting conformity to explain why more students began to join the rebellion.
Model Answer: According to Asch’s research, group size and unanimity affect conformity levels. Initially, students may conform to school rules, but as more rebels appear, it reduces perceived risk. The growing support changes the group norm, reducing normative pressure to conform to authority and encouraging defiance.
Ideas for Teaching AO2 in Social Influence
Use these tips to embed AO2 tasks into your lessons:
- Start lessons with REK-style AO2 questions tied to current events
- Have students work in pairs to break down a scenario and select the best theory
- Encourage green-pen improvement by comparing student answers to model responses
- Use past paper questions to analyse *why* a particular AO2 response scores well
Need More? Get 20 Self-Marking AO2 Scenarios
Want a full bank of teen-relevant, QR self-marking AO2 tasks? Our Real-World Psychology Scenario Pack includes:
- 20 AO2 questions across Social Influence, Memory, Attachment & Psychopathology
- Fully modelled answers accessible via QR code
- Ideal for REK, homework, or cover lessons
[Explore the pack here] Real-World Psychology: AO2 Application Scenario Pack for AQA Paper 1 ( – Yum Yum Mama
Final Thoughts
AO2 in Social Influence can be fun, relevant, and highly engaging — if you use realistic examples that students care about. Use the scenarios above or grab the full pack to take the pressure off and keep progress visible.
