Variables affecting conformity (ASCH's RESEARCH) Flashcards
How many participants and confederates ?
all confederates, the 1 would be one of the (123 male) student volunteers
what were the participants asked to do when seated around a table?
Look at 3 different line lengths and took turns to call out 3 lines they tho were the same length as a ‘standard’ line with the real pp always answering 2nd to last.
Asch was interested in whether the ‘real’ pp would stick to what they believed to be right or cave in to the pressure of the majority and go along with its decision.
How many times were the confederates instructed to give the same incorrect answer?
on 12/18 trials confederates were instructed to give the same incorrect answer
FINDINGS: What was the average conformity rate?
33%
When interviewed after what was the reason pp’s mostly conformed?
Conformed to avoid rejection (when interviewed afterwards)
What are the 3 variables affecting conformity?
Group size
The unanimity of the majority
Task difficulty
EVALUATION: Asch’s research may be a ‘child of its time’
Research took place in a period of US history when conformity was high
McCarthysim -anti-Communist period when people were to go against the majority so more likely to conform.
Perrin and Spencer
Used students studying science and engineering repeating his study but only obtained one conforming response out of 396 trials.
Subsequent study -used youths on probation as pps and probation officers as confederates.
This time found similar levels of conformity to those found by Asch.
This confirms conformity is more likely if the perceived costs of not conforming are high .
problems with determining the effect of group size
Bond
studies have used only used a limited range of majority sizes. Bond points out that no stufy other than Asch have used a majority size greater than 9.
This suggests we know very little about the effect of larger majority sizes on conformity levels.
