Variables Affecting Conformity

Question 1

Strength:RTS

Answer 1

Lucas et al, asked students to solve easy and hard maths problems, ppts given three answers from other ‘students’, ppts confirmed and looked at the answer sheet more often on harder problems, supports research into variables as suggests as task difficulty increases so does conformity

Question 2

Weakness: criticism of RTS

Answer 2

conformity more complex than asch suggested, ppts with high confidence in maths abilities conformed less, shows that an individual level factor can influence conformity and interact with situational variables, limits asch research as did not research role of individual factors

Question 3

Weakness: Asch research gender bias

Answer 3

Only males were tested, difficult to generalise findings to females as they might be more conformist due to being more concerned with social relationships than males (NETO), more concerned with being liked by their peers, weakens external validity

Question 4

Weakness: Asch research culture bias

Answer 4

Conducted in America, individualistic culture, difficult to generalise findings to collectivist cultures, in china social group more important than individual, more likely to conform to be liked by the group, shown in Bond and Smith conformity study, weakens external validity