Conformity study (Asch)

Question 1

What was the aim of the Asch study (1951-56)?

Answer 1

• Investigate the extent social pressure from a majority group affects conformity levels

Question 2

What was the procedure in Asch?

Answer 2

• 123 participants used in 12 critical trials
• Several participants were shown a picture of a line
• They were asked to pick 1 out of 3 lines that was the same in length as the 4th line
• The answer was easy, but all but 1 participant were confederates
• Confederates would call the wrong answer & the 1 non-confederate response would be analysed

Question 3

What were the results of the Asch study?

What was the conclusion?

Answer 3

• 12 critical trials:
• 37% conformity rate to wrong answers
• 75% of pt’s conformed to at least 1 incorrect answer
• 25% remained completely independent
• 5% conformed to every answer in 12 trials
• The majority has a significant effect on the minority, even in obvious situations

Question 4

When participants were debriefed & said they didn’t want to stand out giving the correct answer what explanation of conformity does this show?

When participants doubted their own judgement so agreed with the majority what explanation of conformity does this show?

Answer 4

• Normative (emotional) social influence
• Informational (cognitive) social influence

Question 5

What is meant by a confederate?
How many pt’s were used in the Asch study?
What percentage never conformed to the majority?

Answer 5

• Actor who acts as a participant to purposefully alter the results
• 123 pts
• 25%

Question 6

By using different variables in the study what did Asch want to show?

Answer 6

• By systematically changing 1 variable within the original procedure Asch was able to identify factors that make people more/less likely to conform

Question 7

What were the 3 variables he changed?

Answer 7

1. Difficulty of the task
2. Size of the majority
3. Unanimity

Question 8

Describe difficulty of the task variable?
Did conformity increase/decrease because of this?
What about an easier task?
Research support Lucas (2006)?

Answer 8

• Lines are close together then its less clear what the answer is
• Conformity increases
• Conformity decreases
• Lucas (2006): more likely to conform when the maths tasks were difficult

Question 9

Describe size of the majority as a variable?
Does conformity increase/decrease with a large/small group?
Research alternative Bond (2005)?

Answer 9

• A groups size of 3 led to conformity but adding more confederates made little difference whether/not pt’s conformed
• Small group: more likely to conform
• Large group: no more likely to conform
• Bond (2005): Conformity more likely when pt’s make public responses vs private
  (size of majority not important)

Question 10

Describe Unanimity as a variable?
Does conformity increase/decrease with a unanimous/disturbed unanimity?
Research support Moscovici (1969)?

Answer 10

• Asch introduced a confederate who dissented from the majority, giving the correct answer
• Unanimous verdict: conformity high
• Disturbed unanimity: conformity is low
• Moscovici (1969): Minority groups can influence the majority, so long as minority is consistent in their behaviour

Question 11

In all of the variables what was the conformity rate in the original study without the alteration of these variables?

Answer 11

• 37%

Question 12

AO3 Asch study
Low generalisability?
P (low temporal validity)
E (Androcentric)
E (Ethnocentric)

Answer 12

P - Generalisability could be considered low, high levels of conformity could be due to the era (1950s). Modern day repeats show less conformity - study lacks temporal validity (of its time)
E - Pt’s were 123 males, hard to generalise to females as the sample is unrepresentative of the general population, so is androcentric
E - Study conducted in the U.S. so we cannot generalise to all societies & cultures, lacking universality meaning study is ethnocentric
L - Suggests Asch’s research cannot be generalised to today’s society

Question 13

AO3 Asch study
High reliability?

Answer 13

P - High reliability because study involved standardised procedures
E - e.g. all pt’s sat round a table with 7 confederates, all pt’s gave their answer last & all pt’s heard the confederates give the wrong answer on 12/18 trials
E - Clearly the study used standardised procedures for accurate research findings on conformity involving a social group
L - Study has consistency of findings, resulting in high reliability

Question 14

AO3 Asch study
Practical applications?

Answer 14

P - Asch study has led to practical applications in real life
E - Jurors are now warned about conformity during Jury service so they do not feel excessive pressure by other Jurors to give a specific verdict
E - Shows Asch study can have practical applicability in the legal system resulting in a just legal system fairly determines people’s sentences
L - Asch results have been used successfully in everyday life situations to explain conformity

Question 15

AO3 Asch study
Low ecological validity?

Answer 15

P - Asch study was a lab experiment and therefore has low ecological validity
E - Because the study took place in a lab (artificial environment) we must be careful when generalising to the real world
E - The task was too artificial so it does not reflect real-life situations involving conformity
L - Implies Asch’s results cannot fully be generalisable to each real life situation of conformity, because his results were sourced from an artificial environment, which is not representative of a usual conformity scenario/behaviour

Question 16

AO3 Asch study
Breach of Ethical guidelines?

Answer 16

P - Asch study can be argued to have breached ethical guidelines
E - Male pt’s were deceived as they did not know the true aim of the study, being told it was about visual perception
E - So, experimenter did not receive informed consent
L - Implies Asch study may not be credible within Psychology, as it breached ethical guidelines