TCE Psychology · Level 3
TCE Psychology Level 3: Social Psychology — Flashcards & Quiz
TCE Psychology Level 3 examines how social influences shape human behaviour, attitudes and identity. These free flashcards and true/false questions cover conformity (Asch), obedience (Milgram), attitudes and persuasion, group behaviour and groupthink, prejudice and discrimination, prosocial behaviour and bystander intervention, and attribution theory. Every card is aligned to the TASC curriculum so you can revise the exact social psychology content assessed in your TCE Level 3 examinations.
Sample Flashcards
Q1: Describe Asch’s (1951) conformity experiment and its key findings.
Asch asked participants to match line lengths in a group setting where confederates deliberately gave incorrect answers. Key findings: 75% of participants conformed at least once, with an average conformity rate of 37% across trials. Conformity increased with group size (up to 3–4 confederates) and unanimity. A single dissenting confederate reduced conformity by approximately 80%.
Q2: Describe Milgram’s (1963) obedience experiment and its key findings.
Milgram instructed participants to administer increasing electric shocks (15–450V) to a confederate "learner" for wrong answers. Key findings: 65% of participants administered the maximum 450V shock despite the learner’s protests. Obedience was highest when the authority figure was present, the victim was distant and the experiment was conducted in a prestigious institution (Yale).
Q3: What are attitudes and how are they formed and changed?
Attitudes are evaluations (positive, negative or neutral) of objects, people, events or ideas. They consist of three components: cognitive (beliefs), affective (emotions) and behavioural (actions). Attitudes are formed through direct experience, social learning and conditioning. Attitude change occurs through persuasion (Elaboration Likelihood Model: central and peripheral routes) and cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1957).
Q4: What is groupthink and what conditions promote it?
Groupthink (Janis, 1972) occurs when the desire for group harmony overrides realistic appraisal of alternatives. Symptoms include illusion of invulnerability, collective rationalisation, suppression of dissent and pressure on dissenters. Conditions promoting groupthink: high group cohesion, directive leadership, isolation from outside opinions and high-stress decision-making contexts.
Q5: Explain how prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination are related but distinct concepts.
Stereotypes are cognitive generalisations about a group (beliefs). Prejudice is a negative emotional attitude toward a group (affect). Discrimination is negative behaviour directed at individuals based on their group membership (action). These three components mirror the cognitive, affective and behavioural components of attitudes. Prejudice can exist without discrimination and vice versa.
Q6: What is attribution theory and what is the fundamental attribution error?
Attribution theory (Heider, 1958) explains how people interpret the causes of behaviour. Internal (dispositional) attributions assign causes to personal traits. External (situational) attributions assign causes to environmental factors. The fundamental attribution error (Ross, 1977) is the tendency to overestimate dispositional factors and underestimate situational factors when explaining others’ behaviour.
Q7: What factors influence prosocial behaviour and bystander intervention?
Prosocial behaviour is voluntary action intended to benefit others. The bystander effect (Darley & Latané, 1968) describes reduced helping when others are present, due to diffusion of responsibility (someone else will help), pluralistic ignorance (looking to others for cues) and evaluation apprehension (fear of embarrassment). Helping increases when: the situation is clearly an emergency, the bystander feels personally responsible, the cost of helping is low and there is a personal relationship with the victim.
Q8: Explain Tajfel’s Social Identity Theory.
Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979) proposes that individuals derive part of their self-concept from their membership in social groups. The theory involves three processes: social categorisation (classifying people into groups), social identification (adopting the identity of the group) and social comparison (comparing in-group favourably to out-groups to enhance self-esteem). This explains in-group favouritism and out-group discrimination.
Sample Quiz Questions
Q1: In Asch’s conformity experiment, the majority of participants never conformed to the incorrect group answer.
Answer: FALSE
75% of participants conformed at least once during the experiment. While some never conformed, the majority yielded to group pressure on at least one trial, with an overall conformity rate of 37%.
Q2: In Milgram’s experiment, 65% of participants administered the maximum 450-volt shock to the learner.
Answer: TRUE
65% of participants in Milgram’s baseline condition continued to the maximum 450V shock level, despite the learner’s protests and apparent distress. This demonstrated the surprising power of obedience to authority.
Q3: Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person holds two consistent and compatible beliefs simultaneously.
Answer: FALSE
Cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1957) occurs when a person holds two contradictory (inconsistent) cognitions, or when behaviour conflicts with attitudes. This creates psychological discomfort that motivates the person to reduce the inconsistency.
Q4: Groupthink is more likely to occur in groups with low cohesion and open leadership styles.
Answer: FALSE
Groupthink is promoted by high group cohesion, directive leadership, isolation from outside opinions and high-stress decision-making. Low cohesion and open leadership actually reduce the risk of groupthink.
Q5: Stereotypes refer to the behavioural component of prejudice, while discrimination refers to the cognitive component.
Answer: FALSE
Stereotypes are the cognitive component (beliefs about a group). Prejudice is the affective component (negative feelings toward a group). Discrimination is the behavioural component (negative actions toward group members).
Why It Matters
Social psychology is vital for TCE Psychology Level 3 because it reveals how profoundly other people influence our thoughts, feelings and behaviour — often without our conscious awareness. The classic experiments you study here, from Asch’s conformity studies to Milgram’s obedience research and Zimbardo’s prison experiment, demonstrate that situational factors can override individual personality and moral judgement. These findings have direct real-world implications for understanding group decision-making, prejudice, advertising, leadership and emergency response. TASC assessments test your ability to describe these studies accurately, evaluate their methodology and ethics, and apply social psychological concepts to contemporary issues. The critical evaluation skills you develop here — questioning research methods, identifying ethical concerns, assessing generalisability — are transferable across the entire Level 3 course.
Key Concepts
Conformity and Obedience
Asch’s conformity studies and Milgram’s obedience research are foundational experiments in social psychology. TASC assessments require you to describe procedures and findings, distinguish between informational and normative influence, and critically evaluate both the methodology and ethics of these classic studies.
Attitudes, Persuasion and Cognitive Dissonance
Understanding how attitudes are formed, maintained and changed is essential. The Elaboration Likelihood Model (central vs peripheral routes) and Festinger’s cognitive dissonance theory explain mechanisms of attitude change that TASC examiners expect you to apply to scenarios.
Prejudice, Stereotypes and Discrimination
The cognitive (stereotype), affective (prejudice) and behavioural (discrimination) components of intergroup bias are distinct but related. Social Identity Theory explains the psychological mechanisms behind in-group favouritism and out-group bias. Being able to explain and apply these concepts is a core TASC skill.
Prosocial Behaviour and the Bystander Effect
Understanding why people help (or fail to help) in emergencies is a key social psychology topic. The bystander effect and its three mechanisms (diffusion of responsibility, pluralistic ignorance, evaluation apprehension) are frequently assessed in TASC exams through scenario-based questions.
Study Tips
- Create study cards for each classic experiment (Asch, Milgram, Zimbardo, Festinger) with: procedure, key findings, ethical issues and real-world applications — this structured approach matches TASC extended response requirements.
- Practise distinguishing between informational and normative social influence using novel scenarios — TASC exams test your ability to apply these concepts to situations beyond the original experiments.
- Memorise the three components of attitudes (cognitive, affective, behavioural) and the three components of intergroup bias (stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination) — both triads appear frequently in TASC assessments.
- Use flashcards with spaced repetition to memorise key researchers and dates (Asch 1951, Milgram 1963, Zimbardo 1971, Festinger 1957, Tajfel 1979) — accurate citation strengthens exam responses.
- Prepare ethical evaluation paragraphs for Milgram and Zimbardo’s experiments — TASC assessments always include an ethical component when discussing classic social psychology research.
- Link social psychology to other topics: connect conformity to group learning (Cognition), the stress of social isolation to biological stress responses (Biological), and stigma to abnormal psychology (Abnormal).
Related Topics
Frequently Asked Questions
What does TCE Psychology Level 3 cover on social psychology?
This topic covers conformity (Asch’s line experiment), obedience to authority (Milgram’s shock experiment), attitudes and persuasion, group behaviour and groupthink, prejudice and discrimination (stereotypes, in-group/out-group bias), prosocial behaviour, bystander intervention and attribution theory.
Are these flashcards aligned to the TASC curriculum?
Yes — every flashcard and quiz question is mapped to the Tasmanian Assessment, Standards and Certification (TASC) Psychology Level 3 curriculum for the social psychology topic.
How should I study classic social psychology experiments for TCE exams?
For each classic study (Asch, Milgram, Zimbardo), memorise the procedure, key findings and ethical issues. Practise evaluating studies using the criteria of reliability, validity, generalisability and ethics, as TASC exams require critical evaluation.
Last updated: March 2026 · 10 flashcards · 10 quiz questions · Content aligned to the TASC