A2 SOCIAL INFLUENCE - Asch's Conformity Key Study Flashcards
What was the aim of Asch’s 1951 experiment?
To investigate how social pressure from a majority could influence individuals to conform, even in a situation where the correct answer was clear.
How many participants were in Asch’s study, and who were they?
123 male US undergraduates
How were groups made up in Asch’s conformity study?
- 1 real participant
- 6-8 confederates
- all make up one group
What was the role of the confederates in the Asch study?
Confederates pretended to be participants and agreed in advance their responses to the line task in 12 of the 18 trials
Describe Asch’s line task.
- pps presented with one card which had one line on it
- the other card had 3 lines and it was obvious which of those lines were the same as the first card
- each pp gave their answer one by one aloud while the test participant was last or second to last to respond
What are the critical trials in Asch’s study?
12 out of the 18 trials were critical - they were the ones where the wrong answer was predetermined by the confederates and would be used to see if the pp would conform.
What was the conformity rate in Asch’s critical trials?
About 32–36% of participants conformed to the majority’s incorrect answer on the critical trials.
How many participants conformed at least once during the critical trials?
75%
What percentage of participants never conformed during the critical trials?
25%
What was the error rate in the control group without confederates?
Less than 1% of participants gave incorrect answers.
What did participants report about their reasoning for conforming?
Most participants knew their answers were incorrect but conformed to fit in or avoid ridicule.
What type of social influence did Asch’s study highlight as a reason for conformity?
Normative social influence – the desire to fit in publicly without changing private beliefs.
What type of conformity did Asch’s study demonstrate?
Compliance – agreeing publicly with the majority while privately disagreeing.
Why is Asch’s study significant for understanding conformity?
It supports the idea that individuals conform to be liked and accepted, even when the majority is clearly wrong.
