1.2 - Conformity to Social Roles

Question 1

What was asch investigating?

Answer 1

• variables affecting conformity including group size, unanimity and task difficulty
• task was unambiguous
• he found that one of the participants called out the majority wrong answer and 3/4 conformed at least once
• the participants appeared to be displaying compliance i.e. although they went along with the majority view they still believe they were correct

Question 2

What was the method for asch’s research?

Answer 2

• 123 male undergraduate participants took part in a visual test
• placed in groups of 6-7 confederates and one real participant
• asked to match a comparison line with “ A, B , C “ to a standard line on another card
• the participate was always next to last to give their answer
• 18 trials , 12 critical triad where the confederates gave identical wrong answers

Question 3

What were Asch’s findings?

Answer 3

• on the 12 critical trials 32-36.8% conformity rate to the incorrect answer
agreed with the confederates wrong answer
• 75% conformed at least once
• 25% never conformed
• 5% conformed on every incorrect answer

Question 4

What are ash’s conclusions?

Answer 4

• high level of conformity- Aschs effect , conform even in a unambiguous situation
• considerable individual differences
• most participants confirmed to avoid rejection and continued privately to trust their own opinions = compliance

Question 5

Why did ash’s study lack ecological validity?

Answer 5

• conducted in a lab environment using an artificial task and an unlikely scenario
• confederates were strangers to the participants and in real life situations we conform with friends
• William and sogen found that conformity rates were higher with people that you know