This term in Year 10 Psychology, we have explored the topic of Social Influence – how people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions are shaped by those around them. This includes behaviours like conforming to a group, following authority, or deciding whether to help in emergency and non-emergency situations. Understanding social influence helps students make sense of group behavior, societal norms, and how they can make informed decisions in social situations.

The lessons were not just informative but also incredibly enjoyable, as students experienced the theories firsthand through their own mini-experiments. For example, while studying the bystander effect, students observed how being in a group influences responsibility. When a student ‘dropped’ a folder of papers in a crowded hallway, few offered help, walking by sheepishly, but in a one-on-one scenario, students were quick to assist. Why is this? Similarly, normative social influence came to life when students adjusted their answers on mini-whiteboards to match the rest of the class, even when they initially knew the correct response. Why put the wrong answer? It was especially amusing when the students discovered they had been observed as part of a psychological study too – they couldn’t help but laugh at how naturally they had demonstrated the theories in real life, all while being genuinely intrigued by the experience!

A highlight of the term was creating video interviews inspired by the 2011 Tottenham riots. Students acted out roles as looters, bystanders, and others, reflecting on their involvement in the riots, based on real reports that had been made. This activity vividly illustrated crowd mentality and the mix of situational and personality-driven reasons behind such behaviours.

Finally, Year 13 students had their own exciting challenge: teaching Year 8 students a psychology topic that they had learned just the day before as A-Level students. Explaining complex theories in simpler terms and answering questions helped the older students consolidate their knowledge while inspiring the younger ones. Many Year 8s reported newfound interest in psychology, excitedly sharing how much they enjoyed learning from the Sixth Formers. This has, again, been a testament to the power of active, collaborative learning!