Fiducia TogetherConformity and obedience
Going along with a group, and following an instruction from authority.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
Conformity is changing behaviour to match a group. Obedience is following a direct order from an authority figure. Asch and Milgram are the classic studies.
Where it applies
GCSE and A Level psychology.
How it works
Asch found substantial conformity to an obviously wrong majority. Milgram found high obedience to instructions to deliver apparently dangerous shocks.
Both are heavily criticised on ethics and on ecological validity, and both are also robust findings that have been replicated in varied forms.
How to use it in your work
Give the study, the finding, and one evaluation point — usually ethics or validity.
Explain the situational factors identified: group size, unanimity, proximity of the authority, and location.
Apply it. Questions often ask about real events, and the transfer is the mark.
Where to get help
Your teacher and your board's specification and mark scheme.
Revise this with a song
These are ours. We write revision songs because a lot of people remember a tune when they cannot remember a page, and because revising out loud in the kitchen beats staring at a highlighter.
- The Psychology Song The GCSE and A Level psychology topics, set to music.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.