4 - asch ao3

Question 1

explain how perrin and spender (1980) repetition of asch’s study with uk engineering students is a weakness of asch’s study by showing that it lacks temporal validity

Answer 1

only one student conformed in a total of 396 trials. this could be because they felt more confident in measuring lines. it could also be argued that society had changed a great deal from the 1950s (less conformist). means asch effect is not consistent across all situations or time.

Question 2

describe how the artificial task and situation is a weakness of asch’s study

Answer 2

participants knew they were in a research study and may have simply gone along with the demands of the situation (demand characteristics). the task was also relatively trivial so there was no reason not to conform.

Question 3

describe how fiske (2014) criticism of asch’s groups is a weakness of asch’s study

Answer 3

not a natural group setting therefore this is a limitation to the study. participants were not acting in a natural way. there were no social consequences for either conforming or not.