Asch A03

Question 1

• ‘Child of it’s time’

Answer 1

P- Results are unique to it’s time period
E- Perrin & Spencer (1980) repeated Asch’s study with engineering studuents- only 1 student conformed in 396 trials
E- McCarthyism- no one wanted to stick out to be a communist
L- Findings lack temporal validity and lack population validity outside of 1950

Question 2

• Lack generalisability

Answer 2

P- Sample was biased- 123 male students
E- The sample didn’t include women or anyone outside of the student age range
E- This doesn’t represent anyone else, therefore not generalizable
L- Beta bias, not generalizable, lacks external validity

Question 3

• Ecological validity

Answer 3

P- Lacks ecological validity and mundane realism
E- The study took place in a lab (artificial environment), the task. The task lacks mundane realism.
E- However, Williams (1984) found conformity may be higher than Asch’s experiment suggests
L- Therefore contradicting data and lacks real life applicability