Lesson 10 Obedience and Dessent

Lesson 10: Factors Affecting Obedience and Dissent – Pearson Edexcel International A Level Psychology

A complete, ready-to-teach 60-minute lesson designed for Pearson Edexcel International A Level Psychology (Social Psychology).

This resource is particularly suitable for teachers who are new to teaching psychology, non-specialist teachers, or experienced teachers looking for carefully structured, time-saving materials.

The lesson explores how personality, gender, situational factors and culture may influence obedience and resistance to authority. Students revisit Milgram’s obedience research, examine evidence for individual and situational differences, and consider why some people obey authority figures while others resist.

Throughout the lesson, students develop their ability to apply psychological explanations, interpret research findings and construct effective examination answers.

What’s included?

• Detailed Teacher Guide: Step-by-step teaching instructions, suggested timings, clear explanations of psychological concepts and research, answers to every activity, common misconceptions and examination guidance.
• Student Workbook: Structured retrieval practice, guided notes, application activities, research-based questions, evaluation tasks and examination practice, with generous space for students to write their answers.
• PowerPoint Presentation: 21 editable, classroom-ready slides following the student workbook, with questions immediately followed by model-answer slides to support discussion and examination technique.

Learning objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Explain how personality may influence obedience and resistance.
• Describe and assess evidence concerning gender differences in obedience.
• Explain how situational factors can affect obedience, using Milgram’s research.
• Discuss the influence of culture on obedience.
• Apply and evaluate psychological evidence in examination-style responses.

Why choose this resource?

All three resources have been carefully designed to work together, with matching activities presented in the same sequence.

The detailed teacher guidance and PowerPoint model answers make this lesson particularly valuable for teachers who have not previously taught psychology or are teaching outside their specialism.

The accessible student workbook uses Helvetica 12-point text, clear formatting and structured writing space to support students with different learning needs.

Examination-style questions and model answers help students understand how to develop explanations, apply evidence and earn marks.

Download, teach and guide students confidently through the lesson, with explanations, activities and suggested answers provided throughout.