Research into Conformity Flashcards
(13 cards)
What did Asch aim to explore in 1951?
Whether people conform to a group even when they know they are wrong, a straightforward task. To advance knowledge in the area by discovering information about the power of a majority
What was Asch’s procedure?
123 male undergraduates were used and they were asked which of the three lines were similar to the target line. They were told it was a study about visual perception. Only one participant was real the rest were confederates. They were tested in groups between 7-9. PPs would be last or second to last to answer
Describe the two trials in Asch’s 1951 study?
Neutral trial : Confederates answered correctly
Critical trial: Confederates gave incorrect answer on purpose. 18 trials, 12 critical and 6 neutral
Why were two different trials used?
To reduce demand characteristics
What were the findings of Asch’s 1951 experiment?
33% conformity
1/4 didn’t conform on ANY critical trials
1/2 conformed on 6 or more trials
Control group had 1% of mistake
Many pps confessed to NSI
What are the strengths of Asch’s experiment?
Lab experiment - high control, standardised, reliable and valid
Neutral trials reduce demand characteristics
Test shows 1% of error without confederates - increasing validityW
What are the weaknesses of Ash’s experiment?
No women- gender bias
Confounding variables - anxiety
Low ecological validty -> artifical setting
All undergrads and american
Deception
What are three points to evaluate Asch’s research?
- Artfical nature
- Culture/Gender bias
- Ethics
What are the three main factors that affect conformity?
- Task difficulty
- Group size
- Unaminity
What happended when task difficulty increased?
When lines where more similar it was hard to judge the correct answer so conformity increased
What happended when group size increased?
Little conformity in 1-2 people
When there was a majority of three conformity increased to 30%
Further group increases didnt increase confomity levels
What was conformity like in groups of 9+?
Decreased as participants believed it was fake (Deman characteristics)
