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Question 24

A group of junior management consultants at a firm were ordered by their senior partner to falsify an audit report.

  • Elena, who has a high internal locus of control, refused to carry out the instruction, believing that she is personally accountable for the integrity of her work.
  • Marcus, who has a high external locus of control, complied with the order, believing that as a junior employee, he has no choice but to follow the decisions of senior leadership.
  • In a follow-up meeting with other junior staff, there were no significant differences in compliance between male and female consultants, though female consultants reported experiencing higher levels of stress during the task.

Discuss how individual differences (such as locus of control and gender) explain obedience and resistance to authority. Refer to the scenario in your answer.

[8]
Markscheme

Content Questions

  1. A Level
  2. /Psychology
  3. /Content

171 exam-style questions on Edexcel A Level Psychology Content, covering Theories of obedience, Research into obedience (Milgram variations), Factors affecting obedience and dissent, Explanations and research into prejudice, Factors affecting prejudice, Individual differences in obedience/prejudice, and Developmental psychology in obedience/prejudice. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.

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