Obedience — following a direct order
Obedience — changing your behaviour because you have been given a direct order by someone with authority over you. Authority figure — someone seen as having the right to give orders because of their role or status. Two features: an explicit instruction, coming from above, not an equal. The spec names two factor families: personality (the person ordered) and the situation (the circumstances).
Personality factors — authoritarian & locus
A personality factor is a stable feature of the person ordered that travels with them anywhere. Authoritarian personality — respect for authority and rank, rigid views; orders from above are simply obeyed, so obedience is higher. Locus of control — an external locus (luck, others) raises obedience, as responsibility feels the order-giver's; an internal locus (own choices) lowers it. Both are far less known than situational factors.
Situational factors — the circumstances
A situational factor is a feature of the circumstances: change them and the same person acts differently. Proximity of the authority — higher when they are present and close, lower from another room. Proximity to the consequence — lower when the person can see the harm. Legitimacy — higher when the person looks entitled (uniform, title). Setting — an authoritative place raises it. All are about the circumstances, never the person obeying.
Drawn from real examiner reports.
Personality vs situational factor swapped
The biggest mark-loser: a pure definition trap. Asked for a personality factor, candidates give proximity, uniform or legitimacy — all situational (and the reverse also happens). The check: is this about the person ordered, or the circumstances? What they are like is personality; where they stand is the situation.
Candidates asked for a personality factor affecting obedience gave a situational one, and the reverse, across the two parts of one question (June 2023 P1 Q21a/b), with the same swap on bystander intervention (Nov 2020 P1 Q20 vs Q19).
Obedience written as conformity
Obedience and conformity are the classic definition pair, and answers blur them. Obedience — pressure from an authority figure above you, an explicit order. Conformity — pressure from a majority group alongside you, no order. Same act: staying quiet because a teacher told the class = obedience; because everyone else did = conformity.
Conformity versus obedience is a recurring definition trap requiring connectives (June 2022 P1 Q22).
Describe the difference needs a connective
Asked to describe the difference, most give two definitions side by side, leaving it only implied — one mark. The second mark needs a connective: obedience is changing because a direct order was given by an authority, whereas conformity is matching a majority with no order given. The connective names the axis, and the axis earns the mark.
Describe-the-difference items are answered with two separate definitions worth one mark, connectives such as whereas earning the second (June 2019 P1 Q6; June 2022 P1 Q7).
Two marks means two unique points
A 2-mark 'describe' needs two different points, not one reworded. Asked how proximity affects obedience, 'people obey more when the boss is there' then 'obedience is higher if they are nearby' is one point twice. The second must differ: the opposite condition (obedience falls from another room), or seeing the harm lowers it.
A 2-mark describe requires two unique points; the same point reworded is not credited (June 2023 P2 Q22).
Proximity of authority ≠ to consequence
Two kinds of proximity that pull opposite ways. Proximity of the authority — how close the person giving the order is; present and close raises obedience. Proximity to the consequence — how close the person is to the harm; seeing or hearing it lowers obedience. A manager beside you raises it; seeing the victim's distress lowers it.
Factor named but not justified
Naming the factor is the easy mark; the thrown-away mark is the because. The mark scheme wants a chain: name the factor and family, state the direction (more or less obedient), then the reason — the mechanism. 'Explain a strength' answered by describing, or 'state one feature' answered by defining, fail the same way.
Identification without justification is named in every Paper 1 report (June 2024 P1 Q11b, Q15b), and state one feature was answered by defining the term (June 2023 P1 Q6).
Obeying harmful orders ≠ a cruel personality
Two over-statements. 'Obeying harmful orders needs a cruel personality' — the evidence shows ordinary people obey when circumstances allow; if cruelty were the cause, removing the uniform would not change it, and it does. 'Personality decides it' — personality makes obedience more likely, not certain; the families act together.
External locus ≠ external authority figure
'External' does double duty here. Locus of control is a belief about what controls your life. External locus — outcomes down to luck or others → more obedient. Internal locus — outcomes from your own choices → less obedient. Reading 'external' as 'the authority is external' describes proximity, a situational factor.
Personality factors such as locus of control are answered much less securely than situational ones and should be a focus for teaching (June 2022 P1 Q25).
Match the command word
Read the command word first. State = name the factor only. Explain = factor plus direction and mechanism. Describe the difference = a comparative sentence with a connective. Assess = the 9-mark essay with balanced AO3 and a conclusion.
Scenario detail is the only AO2
The scenario detail is the only source of AO2 marks. Naming the person or repeating the stem does not count — tie a specific detail to a factor with a reason. AO3 cannot be awarded unless AO2 is present: apply first, evaluate second.
The 7-9 Assess needs balance and evidence
The 9-mark Assess is AO1/AO2/AO3, AO3 the ceiling. After AO1 and AO2, evaluate on validity, generalisability and ethics, backing each point with evidence such as Milgram, then reach a balanced conclusion. Prose, not bullets.
A scenario plants one factor per family
Obedience scenarios usually plant one personality and one situational factor, often pulling opposite ways. Do not just list them: say which is likely to win here and why. Naming what would change the outcome proves you are using the scenario.
Obedience — changing your behaviour because you have been given a direct order or instruction by a person who has authority over you.
Authority figure — someone seen as having the right to give orders in that situation because of their position, role or status: a teacher, a manager, a police officer, a doctor, an officer.
Full notes, flashcards, Q&A and the topic quiz for every premium subject.
Premium plans are US$8.99/month or US$49.99/year — first month free.
Studying with a parent's blessing? Show them this.
