A01&3 Aschs Research

Question 1

Procedure of aschs study

Answer 1

Recruited 123 American male students
Each tested individually with a group of 6-8 confederates
On the trial they had to identify the length of a standard line
First few trials confederates gave the correct answer but then all selected the wrong answer
On 12 critical trials confederates gave the wrong answer

Question 2

Findings and conclusions of aschs study

Answer 2

Naïve participants gave wrong answer 36.8% of the time
Shows a high level of conformity called the Asch effect (extent to which people conform to in ambiguous situations)
Individual differences, 25% never gave a wrong answer so 75% conformed at least once
Most said they confirmed to avoid rejection (NSI)

Question 3

Asch variables affecting conformity (1955)

Answer 3

Group size: number of confederates varied between 1 and 15
Unanimity: Asch introduced a truthful confederate or one who was dissenting but inaccurate
Task difficulty: Asch made the line judging task harder by making the stimulus line and the comparison lines more similar

Question 4

Asch variables findings and conclusions

Answer 4

Group size: with 2 confederates conformity was 13.6% with 3 it rose to 31.8%
Unanimity: presence of a dissenting confederate reduced conformity on average 25% gave the wrong answer, enabled ppts to think independently
Task difficulty: conformity increase when the task was more difficult so ISI plays a greater role when the task becomes harder

Question 5

Limitation of asch

Answer 5

P- aschs findings may be a ‘child of the times’
E- perrin and spencer found just one conforming response in 396 trials, ppts felt more confident measuring lines than Aschs original sample
E- the 1950’s we’re a conformist time in American and people might be less likely to conform in subsequent decades
L- the Asch effect is not consistent over time, not an enduring feature of human behaviour

Question 6

Limitation for Asch

Answer 6

P- the situation and task were artificial
E-ppts knew they were in a study so may have just responded to demand characteristics
E-the line task was trivial so there was no reason not to conform, also the naïve ppts were in a group but not like groups found in everyday life
L-findings do not generalise to everyday situations where consequences of conformity are important

Question 7

Limitation for Asch

Answer 7

P-findings only apply to certain groups
E-only men were tested by Asch, Neto suggested that women might be more conformist, possibly as they’re more concerned about social relationships
E-ppts were from the USA an individualistic culture. Smith and Bond suggest that conformity rates are higher in collectivist cultures
L-suggests that conformity levels are sometimes even higher than Asch found, findings may be limited to American men

Question 8

Limitation for Asch

Answer 8

P-findings only apply to certain situations
E-williams and sogon found conformity was higher when the majority were friends rather than strangers
E-ppts answered out loud and we’re with a group of strangers they wanted to impress conformity could be higher than usual
L-therefore the Asch effect varies depending on circumstances

Question 9

Limitation for Asch

Answer 9

P-ethical issues associated with Aschs research
E-naïve ppts we’re deceived, they thought the others in the procedure were genuine
E-the main benefit was highlighting people’s susceptibility to group conformity and the variables affecting it
L-but this ethical cost should be weighed against the benefits of the study