Conformity

Question 1

What is conformity?

Answer 1

A change in a persons behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imaged pressure from a person/group.

Question 2

What was the procedure of Asch experiment?

Answer 2

123 American Males, line test (had to pick which line out of 3 matched the one given). P’s tested in groups of 6-8 and was always 2nd to last. All fake except one real- gave incorrect answers.

Question 3

What were the variations of Asch experiment?

Answer 3

Group size, unanimity and task difficulty.

Question 4

Baseline findings of Asch experiment?

Answer 4

The genuine participant agreed with confederates incorrect answer 36.8% of the time.
25% never gave a wrong answer, though.

Question 5

Explain how group size affected Asch experiment?

Answer 5

Varied no. of confederates from 2-16. Conformity increased with group size but only to a point (too many is unbelievable).

Question 6

Explain how unanimity affected Asch experiment?

Answer 6

Introduced confederate who disagreed with others.
Genuine participant conformed less in the condition with a dissenter.

Question 7

Explain how Task difficulty affected Asch research?

Answer 7

Made the lines closer (so the task was more difficult).
Conformity increased.

Question 8

What are some strengths of Asch research?

Answer 8

Controlled experiment.
Support from other studies for task difficulty (Lucas, 2006- hard and easy maths questions)

Question 9

What are some weaknesses of Asch experiment?

Answer 9

Social desirability bias, ethical issues, artificial environment (low mundane realism), demand characteristics.

Question 10

What are the three TYPES of conformity?

Answer 10

Internalisation, Identification and Compliance.

Question 11

What is identification?

Answer 11

Acting in the same way as the group because you want to be a part of it (they have some characteristics you like).

Question 12

What is internalisation?

Answer 12

A deep type of conformity where you take on the majority view because you accept it.

Question 13

What is compliance?

Answer 13

A superficial type of conformity where you accept the view but you don’t internally believe it.

Question 14

What are the two explanations for conformity?

Answer 14

Informational Social Influence, Normative Social Influence

Question 15

What is Normative Social Influence?

Answer 15

The idea that people conform to a group for the need to be accepted and liked (social beings)

Question 16

What is Informational Social Influence?

Answer 16

The idea people conform because they believe that is the right answer and we want to be correct or we think they are correct.

Question 17

What was the procedure of Zimbardo’s experiment- conformity to social roles?

Answer 17

Set up mock prison in Stanford University. 21 male student volunteers. Randomly assigned role of prisoner or guard.

Question 18

What was the findings of Zimbardo’s experiment- conformity to social roles?

Answer 18

Guards treated prisoners poorly, after two days they rebelled.
Some went on hunger strike, had manic episodes. Ended at day 6 instead of 15.

Question 19

What are some strengths of Zimbardo?

Answer 19

Made sure participants involved were vetted for their emotional stability.
Practical applications for prison systems etc.

Question 20

What are some limitations of Zimbardo?

Answer 20

Ethics, demand characteristics, lack of replication, male sample, small sample, lack of realism.