Assessment Task 2: Case-Based Analysis of Social Influence, Conformity, and Obedience
Course Context
Discipline: Psychology / Social Psychology / Sociology
Course Level: Upper-level Undergraduate or Taught Postgraduate
Typical Course Codes: PSYC
Assessment Weight: 30–40% of final grade
Need a custom essay writer? Superior paper help with writing a similar assignment: Case Analysis of Social Influence?
Our qualified academic writers, 75% of whom hold Masters or PhD degrees, write fully original papers tailored to your rubric, citation style, and deadline. Rated 4.9/5 by thousands of students. Free Turnitin plagiarism report included.
Get Expert Help →Submission Format: Individual written assignment
Length: 1,500 words ±10% (excluding references)
Referencing Style: APA 7th (US/Canada/Australia) or Harvard (UK)
Can someone write my paper professionally and confidentially?
Yes — My Homework Ace Tutors connects you with expert human writers in your subject area. Every paper is written from scratch (zero AI), checked for plagiarism, formatted to your specifications, and delivered before your deadline with 100% confidentially. Free revisions for 14 days.
🖉 Start My Order →Assessment Rationale
This assessment evaluates students’ ability to apply core social psychology theories of social influence, conformity, and obedience to a contemporary, real-world case. It aligns with accreditation expectations across psychology and social science programs that require demonstrated competence in theory application, critical evaluation of empirical research, and ethical reasoning. The task assesses higher-order cognitive skills consistent with Bloom’s revised taxonomy, including analysis, evaluation, and synthesis.
Task Description
You are required to select one contemporary case from the past ten years in which social influence, conformity, or obedience played a central role. Acceptable cases include, but are not limited to, workplace misconduct, policing practices, online group behavior, political rallies, social media challenges, educational settings, or institutional decision-making.
Using this case, write a structured analysis that:
- Clearly describes the selected case and its social context.
- Applies at least two established theories or models of social influence, conformity, or obedience.
- Critically evaluates how well these theories explain the observed behaviors.
- Integrates empirical research evidence to support your analysis.
- Considers ethical implications and limitations of the theoretical explanations.
Required Theoretical Frameworks
You must draw on a minimum of two of the following:
Save 20% on your first order today
Use code SAVE20 at checkout. Our writers deliver AI-free, plagiarism-free papers ranging from short 1-page essays to full dissertations, and with deadlines from 4 hours to weeks due assignments. Money-back guarantee included.
🏢 Claim 20% Off →- Normative and informational social influence
- Asch’s conformity paradigm
- Milgram’s obedience studies
- Social Identity Theory
- Groupthink (Janis)
- Contemporary extensions or replications of classic studies
Structural Requirements
- Introduction outlining the case and analytical focus
- Brief overview of selected theories
- Case analysis with explicit theory application
- Critical evaluation supported by peer-reviewed research
- Ethical considerations and limitations
- Conclusion synthesising key insights
Academic Expectations
This is not a descriptive summary. High-quality submissions demonstrate clear argumentation, precise use of terminology, integration of research evidence, and explicit links between theory and observed behavior. Unsupported opinion, anecdotal reasoning, and over-reliance on textbook summaries will be penalised.
Submission and Integrity
Assignments must be submitted via the institutional learning management system. Standard academic integrity policies apply. Use of generative AI tools is permitted only for planning and proofreading, not for content generation, unless explicitly authorised by the course coordinator.
Marking Criteria and Rubric
| Criterion | High Distinction / A | Credit / B–C | Pass / D | Fail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theoretical Application (30%) | Accurate, sophisticated application of multiple theories directly to the case | Clear application with minor conceptual gaps | Basic or partially accurate application | Minimal or incorrect use of theory |
| Critical Evaluation (25%) | Insightful evaluation of strengths, limitations, and alternatives | Some evaluative commentary with limited depth | Largely descriptive with minimal critique | No critical evaluation |
| Use of Research Evidence (20%) | Consistent integration of high-quality peer-reviewed sources | Adequate use of relevant research | Limited or weak research support | Little or no scholarly evidence |
| Structure and Academic Writing (15%) | Logical structure, clear argument flow, precise academic language | Generally well-organised with minor clarity issues | Organisation present but inconsistent | Disorganised, unclear, or inappropriate style |
| Referencing and Presentation (10%) | Consistent, accurate referencing and professional presentation | Minor referencing or formatting errors | Frequent errors or inconsistencies | Referencing largely absent or incorrect |
Public compliance with harmful group norms often reflects the interaction of normative pressure and perceived authority rather than individual moral failure. Experimental evidence shows that obedience increases when responsibility is diffused and authority is legitimised within institutional settings. Contemporary analyses of online group behavior mirror these mechanisms, suggesting that classic findings retain explanatory power when adapted to digital contexts (Haslam et al., 2019, https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000404).
Learning Resources
- Haslam, S. A., Reicher, S. D., & Birney, M. E. (2019). Nothing by mere authority: Evidence that obedience depends on legitimacy. American Psychologist, 74(5), 617–635. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000404
- Hogg, M. A. (2020). Social identity theory. In Understanding Peace and Conflict Through Social Identity Theory. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28103-9
- Forsyth, D. R. (2021). Group dynamics (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.
- Griggs, R. A. (2017). Coverage of the Stanford Prison Experiment in introductory psychology textbooks. Teaching of Psychology, 44(3), 195–203. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628317713065
