A training facilitator splits her workshop of 24 corporate trainees into two groups based on the colour of the lanyards they are randomly assigned: Gold or Silver. The Gold group are told they are the 'high-potential leaders' of the cohort; they are given premium seating, constant positive reinforcement, and high-quality refreshments. The Silver group are told they are the 'operational support' tier. They are given standard plastic chairs and basic water, but are set the exact same problem-solving tasks. When a Silver trainee asks for clarification on a task, the facilitator points out that no Gold trainees needed help, stating openly to the room: "An inability to adapt and a lack of initiative are typical features of Silver-tier trainees." In response to this, the Gold trainees laughed and nodded in agreement.
During the afternoon sessions, the Silver trainees became passive, disengaged, and their output deteriorated. The Gold trainees exceeded their target outcomes. The Gold trainees actively conformed to the hierarchy even though they knew the lanyards were assigned completely at random. During a break, a Silver trainee misplaced their workbook, and a Gold trainee remarked: "That is exactly the lack of organization we expect from a Silver."
Explain how the source is relevant to the social area of psychology. Support your answer with evidence from the source.
135 exam-style questions on OCR A Level Psychology Areas, covering Social, Cognitive, Developmental, Biological, and Individual differences. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.