Students Natasha and Tanya are buying food in the supermarket on their way home from school. As they are paying, they notice their psychology teacher, Mr Boat, at the far end of the queue. They both smile and wave.

Mr Boat shouts, “Hey, you two! I think you owe me homework. Wait there so we can have a quick chat.”

Natasha and Tanya finish paying, glance at each other giggling and hurry out of the supermarket.

Using your knowledge of obedience research, explain possible reasons why the students failed to obey their teacher. [6 marks]

Answer: Natasha and Tanya may have failed to obey because Mr Boat had little proximity. He was at the far end of the queue, so the authority figure was not physically close to them. Obedience is usually lower when the authority figure is more distant, making it easier for them to ignore his instruction and leave.

They may also have been influenced by social support. Because they were together, each student had the support of the other, which may have increased their confidence to disobey. This is similar to findings from obedience research showing that resistance is more likely when someone feels supported by others.

A further reason is the lack of legitimacy of authority in that setting. Mr Boat is their teacher, but this took place in a supermarket rather than in school, where his authority is weaker. As a result, his command may not have seemed fully legitimate, so Natasha and Tanya were less likely to obey.

Examiner Comment: Examiner Comment: Students should select two or three factors that are clearly signposted in the scenario, such as social support, legitimacy of authority and proximity, rather than using factors that are not directly relevant, such as dispositional explanations like locus of control. For this type of question, students should focus on explaining two or three relevant factors clearly and in sufficient depth.