Asch

Question 1

Context of Asch

Answer 1

Asch was interested in conformity between groups of people, prior to his study their had been two major studies into conformity, both ambiguous
Auto-kinetic effect, Sherif tested participants approach towards an optical illusion, this was a light which could be seen moving closer or away

Sweets in a jar-

Question 2

Alternative evidence of Asch

Answer 2

Jenness 1932 ambiguous research, participants were asked how many beans were in a jar, they were then taken to groups and asked to create a group norm

Sherif 1935 The auto-kinetic effect is a spot of light that, illuminating a dark space as an optical illusion it appears to move, to participants were asked to describe the movement, alone and once again in a group, they tended to cover the same estimates. Another ambiguous research which meant that they cannot accurately guess and they were unsure so came to agreement.

Perrin and Spencer 1980- conducted the same study in England on Engineers, 1 out of 386 people conformed suggesting that Asch’s study lacked reliability maybe due to experimental control variables, lacking of ecological validity as perrin and spencers research was conducted 24 years later, it suggests Asch’s study was a ‘snapshot’ in time

Asch believed that his study was better than Sherif and Jenness’ as they had created ambiguous research it wasn’t valid at researching conformity in groups.

Question 3

Procedure of Asch

Answer 3

123 male undergraduate participants
$3 reward for taking part in an experiment regarding the psychology of seeing
8-6 stooges and a ‘naïve’ participant
Asked to measure a standard line against three comparison lines, one of which were the same line of the experiment.
The first two trials were ‘control’ trials where the stooges answered all correctly
There were 18 trials and in 12 of them the stooges answered incorrect, called the ‘critical’ trials.
If the participants guessed the experimental aims, the study was stopped.
At the end of the experiment Asch, told the participants of the experimental aim.

Question 4

Findings and Conclusions of Asch

Answer 4

36.8% of participants conformed in the critical trials
75% of participants conformed at least once
25% of participants never conformed
When there was a modification to the study and there was only one stooge 13.6% of participants conformed
Where there were three stooges 31.8% of participants conformed
When there was a accurate dissenter 10% of the conformance rate dropped
Similarly when there was a inaccurate dissenter 10% of the conformance rate dropped

Question 5

Evaluation of the methodology of Asch

Answer 5

Laboratory study has a strength of being controllable, so Asch could measure the cause and effect of conformity through making the stooge’s answer falsely.
The weakness of the laboratory study meant that it was no ecologically valid because it is not representative to real life.
Ethical Issues there were no informed consent to the experiment and participants did not know the real aim of the study, they were deceived. They were not given the right to withdraw, and became anxious to their perception of the lines, this meant that they also were not protected from harm.
Asch noted that he couldn’t give them informed consent because they would have had demand characteristics.
Reliability the standardised procedure of the study meant that it could be replicated
Validity
Sample Bias
Sampling