Asch (1951) Conformity on an unambiguous task

Question 1

Method

Answer 1

• Laboratory experiment with an independent groups design,
• In groups of 8, participants judged line length; comparing three comparison line to a singular standard line,
• They would judge which comparison line was the same length as the standard line,
• Each group contained one real participant, with seven confederates,
• Real participant always guessed last or penultimately; heard the others’ answers before giving their own,
• Each participant did 18 trials, on 12 of these the confederates all gave the same wrong answer,
• There was also a control group, where the participants judged line length in isolation.

Question 2

Results

Answer 2

• In the control trials, participants gave the wrong answer 0.7% of the time,
• In the critical trials, participants conformed to the majority 37% of the time,
• 75% conformed at least once,
• Afterwards, participants said that they didn’t believe their answers, but didn’t want to look different.

Question 3

Conclusion

Answer 3

• The control condition showed that the task was easy to get right,
• 37% were wrong on the critical trials; they conformed to the majority due to normative social influence.

Question 4

Evaluation

Answer 4

• Was a laboratory experiment; good control of the variables; minimises effects of extraneous variables,
• Easily repeatable study,
• Participants weren’t in a natural situation; lacks ecological validity,
• Whether right or wrong, mattered little to the participants; might have been less likely to conform if there was real-life consequences,
• Participants were deceived; might have been embarrassed when they found out the true nature of the study.