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Assessment Resource – Internal
Level 3 Psychology
27696, Evaluate the significance of a key piece of research to the understanding of
human behaviour
Credits: 4
Teacher guidelines:
The following guidelines are supplied to enable teachers to carry out valid and consistent
assessment using this internal assessment resource.
Context/setting:
In this activity students will be provided with one journal article or article derived from an
academic source, and any accompanying pieces of research from a body of
psychological research.
They will evaluate this article and research using supplied criteria and their class notes.
The students will have the opportunity to pre-read the research prior to the assessment
activity. It is recommended that the studies come from different fields or approaches.
References should be appropriate to Level 8 of the NZC, or have characteristics that
enable students to meet the expected level of understanding. Assessment of this
standard also provides opportunities for students to develop aspects of the key
competencies of the NZC.
Conditions:
The assessment task will be done at school under teacher supervision. It should not be
taken home in either written or electronic form. Students can read texts, collect
information and develop ideas for the assessment.
A summary or edited article can be tailored by the teacher for the students to meet the
needs of the assessment. This is not to be a commentary on the research.
The students may submit their assessment in a variety of ways, e.g. a written report, an
article for a journal, a power-point presentation or other audio-visual presentation. The
mode of submission will be at the teacher’s discretion with consideration given to
resource availability.
Possible bodies of psychological research could include areas such as;
Obedience to authority
Jury behaviour
Conformity
Mass psychogenic illness
Economic theory
Biological research
Consumer behaviour
Pro-environmental behaviour
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
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Topic Example of a body of psychological research:
Social Psychology: Obedience to Authority. Stanley Milgram
Resource requirements:
A range of key pieces of psychological research for obedience to authority:
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Stanley Milgram (1963) Behavioural study of obedience. Journal of Abnormal and
Social Psychology, 67, pages 371-378
Hofling et al (1966) Obedient nurses study. Hofling CK et al. (1966) "An Experimental
Study of Nurse-Physician Relationships". Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
141:171-180
Reicher and Haslam (2006) Rethinking the psychology of tyranny: The BBC prison
study. British journal of Social Psychology, 45, pages 1-40
Bickman (1974) The power of uniforms.
Psychological research collects data using methods which include – experiment,
observation, survey, interviews, correlation, case study, psychometrics/tests and testing.
Research steps refer to the series of steps associated with the scientific method that is
used in psychological research. Steps are - identifying problem, establishing hypothesis
and/or aim and/or open research question, consider published research, ethical
consideration, gathering data, analysing of data, stating conclusion(s), recognising
strengths and limitations.
Additional information:
Teaching and learning guidelines that inform psychology as it is taught in New Zealand
can be found at http://www.tki.org.nz/ncea/.
Information on psychology as it is practiced in New Zealand is available from the New
Zealand Psychological Society, http://www.psychology.org.nz.
Information on Maori-focussed psychological research available through Maori and
Psychology Research Unit
http://www.waikato.ac.nz/wfass/subjects/psychology/mpru/
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
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Sir, yes Sir!
27696, Evaluate the significance of a key piece of research to the understanding of
human behaviour
Credit: 4
Student Instructions Sheet
During your Psychology programme in class, your teacher will work with you on a variety
of written, oral and visual texts. You will do a wide range of activities in class which will
help you to source additional information and read for meaning e.g. for journal articles.
Our body of psychological research;
Social Psychology;
Obedience to Authority (Milgram, 1963)
Sample Assessment:
In class under teacher supervision over 2 class periods.
The final outcome may be reported in a variety of ways at the teacher’s discretion.
Your task is to evaluate a given body of psychological research. For a full evaluation
there are a number of considerations to be undertaken. A full evaluation will consider
both the methodology and the impact of the findings on society.
.
Firstly you need to evaluate the research process and demonstrate your understanding
of the significance of the research to understanding human behaviour.
Firstly examine the attached Milgram’s journal article and report on the study considering
the following elements:
 the purpose of the research.
 the methodology used.
 the effectiveness of this method (is it easy to replicate, give reasons why or why not).
 the strengths and limitations of this piece of research.
 the validity of this research.
 the reliability of this research.
 Key findings from the research
Secondly you will need to evaluate significance of the research to human behaviour.
Using the key pieces of research studied in class from Milgram, and others as
necessary, explain the implications of this research.
 Consider key findings from the research and their significance to the understanding of
human behaviour.

You may consider implications to a real-life example such as those listed below and
how they can be explained using the research findings.
Cults such as Jonestown
McDonald’s phone call incident
Gang related behaviour
Racial hate groups such as the KKK
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
War crimes such as My Lai in Vietnam
You may wish to consider how the findings may be used to impact organisations or in
society in general, for example developing independent thinking.
For Achieved you must evaluate the research study with respect to:
 The research design and methodology
 The significance of its methodology and findings
 The contribution of the research to the understanding of human behaviour.
For Merit or Excellence you must evaluate the research study with respect to:
 Its implications in understanding behaviour in other real life situations
 How the findings may be used to impact organisations or broader society
 The limitations of the psychological research
 The contribution of the study within and beyond psychology.
Assessment guide
For achieved
For merit
For excellence
The candidate must
evaluate the significance of
a key piece of research to
the understanding of human
behaviour.
The candidate must provide
an evaluation that includes
a consideration of the
limitations of the
psychological research,
including validity and
reliability, and the key
contribution of the research
to the understanding of
human behaviour.
The candidate must provide
an evaluation that includes
a consideration of the broad
contribution of the research
within and beyond
psychology such as societal
change, and how the
findings may be used to
impact organisations or
broader society.
Sample Task
The evaluation of the key piece of research may be made in a variety of formats. Your
format needs to be negotiated and agreed with your teacher. This may be in a written
format or electronic presentation such as powerpoint.
Evaluate the key piece of given research with respect to:

the purpose or context and/or hypothesis of the research.

the methodology used, including the effectiveness of the research

the strengths and limitations of this piece of research, which may include elements
such as validity and reliability
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
Evaluate the findings from this key research.
Findings from key research can be used to explain behaviour in a variety of real life
situations. Findings may be evaluated by using them to explain behaviour using an
example from a real life situation. In addition findings may be evaluated as to their
impact in a broader societal or organisational setting.
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Assessment Schedule
27696, Judgement Statement: Evaluate the significance of a key piece of research to the understanding of human behaviour
Achieved
The candidate must fully evaluate a key
piece of research by explaining its
significance for understanding human
behaviour.
The evaluation will include:
 an explanation of the appropriateness of
the methodology with respect to the
purpose of the research. This may be with
respect to the data gathering and
associated strengths and weaknesses
 an explanation of two important findings
that came directly from the key piece of
research
 a review of the purpose or context
Achieved with Merit
The candidate must provide an evaluation
that includes a consideration of the
limitations of the psychological research,
including validity and reliability, and the key
contribution of the research to the
understanding of human behaviour.
Achievement plus
Achieved with Excellence
The candidate must provide an evaluation that
includes a consideration of the broad contribution of
the research within and beyond psychology such as
societal change, and how the findings may be used
to impact organisations or broader society
 an explanation of the limitations of the
methodology with respect to its reliability
and validity.
 an explanation of how the findings of the research
explain behaviour in a broader context than the
real life setting. This broader context will include 1
example of how the findings may be applied in a
scenario beyond the real life setting
 an evaluation of how the findings of the
key contribution of the research explains
behaviour in at least one real life setting.
Merit plus
and/or hypothesis
 an explanation of the contribution of
the research to the understanding of
human behaviour.
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27696, Evidence Statements: Evaluate the significance of a key piece of research to the understanding of human behaviour
Achievement
Achieved with Merit
Achieved with Excellence
Obedience to Authority
Summarise the purpose of the research;
to measure the level of changes in
obedience with the presence of an
authority figure giving instructions. Or;
what factors lead people to obey?
Describe the methodology used and the
findings: Students will explain the type,
steps and the variables. Milgram himself
described this as an experiment.
Observation of stress, anxiety and emotion
were recorded. According to Milgram; DV:
each subject scored between 0 and 30
depending on when they terminated the
experiment. An obedient subject was one
who administered all the shock levelsscored 30. IV: the presence of the
instructor and authoritative figure. They
must mention the procedure in their own
words.
Implications can be demonstrated by
showing how people have been obedient in
real life situations
Milgram’s research concluded it is in all of us to act cruelly
given the right conditions such as below; Behaviour can be
impacted by people following or resisting orders.
Implications are For example; that Milgram
has developed a basis for explaining
human behaviour. Any comment on the
significance of his findings. Most people will
obey orders that go against their
conscience in certain circumstances.
Students must explain how authoritative
figures can create an unjust and out of the
ordinary behaviour within a society. Any
situation where an authority has given
orders for an unjust act and people have
obeyed. Students need to say how it
supports or goes against Milgram’s
research. People lose feelings of empathy,
compassion and morality.
why people obey orders; any one of; when there is a
legitimate authority from a defined societal role – for
example, when there was a change of setting the obedience
changed; gradual commitment-once people comply with a
little trivial component they will continue on and feel
committed to helping the researcher or the country such as
the NZDP party; agency theory-fear of not following societal
rules learnt from school, parents and society. Symbols such
as uniforms increasing obedience. An unknown or unseen
authority giving an order. Suggestible or fearful people are
often more likely to obey
For example;
Evaluate the effectiveness of this
method (is it easy to replicate, give
reasons why or why not): It was effective
because it gave concrete, measurable
results. The variables were well controlled
in a lab environment. It could be replicated
but only with modifications such as lower
voltages or using virtual technology.
Cults-Jonestown
Describe the strengths and weaknesses
Anonymous authority. Instructions over the
Cult behaviour of mass conformity creates
groupthink – a high level of commitment
that people shut off the real world and
become so focussed and are influenced to
do bad things.
McDonald’s phone call incident
Resisting pressures to obey; any one of; when they feel
responsible for their actions because they identify with the
person affected; when they observe others being
disobedient; when they have more time to think about what
they are doing; individual differences such as gender.
Obedience dropped in Milgram’s variation of the study when
the lab was swapped for a run-down location.
Insight is any commentary such as the following;
We can encourage independence in society by examining
why people resist obedience.
It does not matter what culture, it is a universal human
behaviour to become obedient to authority given the right
conditions or circumstances.
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of this piece of research. Any one of each;
(Strengths)-It allowed precise observation
and measurement of the naive subjects
behaviour. The situation was controlled,
providing consistency and reliability.
(Weaknesses) it was artificial in a lab
setting. No control group. Ethically –
deception can be damaging.
Comment on the validity of this
research: Any criticism of the validity (a
measure of whether the procedure actually
worked and observed effects were
genuine). Such as; the participants claimed
they didn’t really believe they were giving
electric shocks and were not really
distressed, or; just trying to please the
experimenter.
Comment on the reliability of this
research. Any comment on the validity (the
degree to which the findings of a study can
be generalized beyond the context of the
investigation) When Milgram repeated the
experiment in other conditions such as a
run-down environment, he found different
results. The different conditions
constituted different IV conditions which
resulted in different explainable DV
outcomes thus making his series of
studies more reliable. Or; Other countries
phone to abuse an employee showed
people can be obedient even when from an
anonymous figure given the right
conditions.
Gang related behaviour – collective anger
about another group who may be more
privileged.
Group behaviour, imitation of the crowd or
social contagion such as mass
psychogenic illness or hysteria.
Beyond Psychology is any reference to society using these
research findings to impact human behaviour such as;
armies in training, prisons in rehabilitation, businesses
creating obedience or resistance etc. OR the student will
apply the findings to a new situation or behaviour in society
and explain the impact. Such as promoting global change
through celebrities or authorities. Economic growth in a
hierarchical situation. Pro-social behaviour to create social
change.
KKK shows de-individuation and
obedience increases with the feeling of
anonymity when wearing uniforms or
masks such as the white KKK uniform
Uniforms-schools, parents and society has
instilled an obedience to uniforms or
symbols of a uniform such as a Sheriff’s
badge.
Obedient nurses study-an anonymous
doctor calls in and nurses still prescribe the
instructed dose.
War crimes such as My Lai, Vietnam
ordinary people killing many innocent
civilians under instruction from their
commanding officer.
have higher or lower obedience rates which
changes the reliability.
Explain what event or context led to
their research
Any one of;
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Milgram wanted to test whether Germans
committed their crimes because of
personality or environment (the Germans
are different hypothesis); He wanted to
understand the behaviour of obedience
during WWII; if given the right situation
what are people capable of; testing the
reason why people acted so cruelly at May
Lai during the Vietnam war.
Important findings
Atrocities of history or present may be
explained in terms of pressure to obey from
authority
Obedience to authority is the result of
social influence when somebody acts in
response to a direct order from an authority
figure. It is important because it can be
destructive such as Nazi Germany or cults.
Milgram’s subjects administered electric
shocks on people even when they could
hear they were in extreme pain. Similar to
Nazi leaders knowing they were causing
harm to Jews.
Deindividuation is when there is a loss of
social identity and inhibition, causing
people to lose the feeling of responsibility
for their actions such as the subjects not
associating their actions with the electric
shocks. It is important because step by
step individuals can lose their inhibition and
do terrible things such as soldiers slowly
trained to kill innocent civilians in Vietnam.
Social influence – the individual’s
behaviour is changed by the presence of
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an authority figure. The researcher
standing over them. This is important
because authoritative figures can misuse
their power. (reference could also be made
to norm salience or norm access).
Types of conformity when an authority
figure is there. Changing your behaviour
due to a pressure from an authority.
Majority influence is when they follow the
other members of the group. Minority
influence is where a persuasive minority
uses pressure to change behaviour. This is
important because it gives hope to minority
groups wanting to create a positive change
such as Amnesty International.
Independence is when people make the
choice not to be obedient to the authority.
When Milgram’s subjects stopped giving a
shock at earlier stages. This is important
because it describes how people can resist
obedience and have the confidence to
stand up to unjust acts.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016