3- Asch

Question 1

What year was Asch experiment

Answer 1

1951

Question 2

Aim of Asch

Answer 2

to examine extent to which social pressure to conform from unanimous majority affects conformity in unambiguous situation

Question 3

Asch sample

Answer 3

-123 male undergraduate students
-believed taking part in vision test

Question 4

Asch method

Answer 4

-one real participant in room with 6-8 confederates who agreed answers in advance
-line judgement task
-real participant deceived
-real participant seated second from last each time
-images of lines
-in turn each person had to say out loud which line (ABC) most like target line
-each answer always obvious

Question 5

How many critical trials in Asch

Answer 5

-12 where confederates gave same incorrect answer

Question 6

Results Asch- Avarage % conformed to incorrect answers

Answer 6

-real participants conformed to incorrect answers 32% of ciritical trials

Question 7

Results Asch- How many participants conformed at least once

Answer 7

-74% conformed at least once

Question 8

Results Asch- How many never conformed

Answer 8

-26% never conformed

Question 9

Asch conclusion

Answer 9

-interview after
-knew answers incorrect but went along with group to fit in and avoid being ridiculed
-normative social influence

Question 10

Asch original research limitation- artificial

Answer 10

-artificial situation
-participants knew they were in study, demand characteristics
-task was trivial, no reason not to conform
-does not resemble groups we experience in real life
-not generalisable

Question 11

Asch original research limitation- application

Answer 11

-limited application as participants USA men
-USA individualist, people more concerned with themselves
-Research like Smith and Bond 1966 found conformity rates higher in collectivist cultures such as China

Question 12

Asch original research counter for ethicsl issue

Answer 12

-arguably knowledge gained from research outweighed the ethical conduct breached

Question 13

How did having 1 or 2 confederates affect Aschs study VARIATION

Answer 13

conformity lower than original 29%

Question 14

Effect of participant having the support of one other confederate VARIATION

Answer 14

-conformity much lower when unamity broken
-5% conformed

Question 15

Effect of making task more difficult VARIATION

Answer 15

-conformity higher