Asch And Variations

Question 1

Aim of asch?

Answer 1

To discover whether the power of a group was strong enough to make a person give an obviously incorrect answer to an easy task

Question 2

Procedure of asch?

8 point

Answer 2

Used non ambiguous task

Ps were male American undergrads

Showed pair of cards to groups of people around a table

One card had test line and other card 3 lines of differing lengths

Asked to state out loud which line was same length as target line

Answer always obvious

Naive p in group with 6 confederates and all confederates answered first but one

Confederates gave the same wrong answer on 12/18 trials

Question 3

Findings of asch?

Answer 3

On 32% of critical trials (where confeds gave wrong answer) ps conformed to the majority

74% of naive ps conformed at least once

26% never conformed but experienced tension and doubt

Question 4

Conclusion of asch

Answer 4

Demonstrated power of group pressure so strong it could make ps give wrong answer to easy task

Compliance

Question 5

A03 of asch

Ecological validity criticism

Answer 5

Very influential in showing power of group pressure

BUT

Task was trivial and judging line length not important to ps beliefs so lacks EV.

So aschs findings may no generalise to behaviour in the real world

Question 6

A03

Strength hint statements

Answer 6

Crutchfield : students showed conformity agreeing to obviously incorrect statements which wouldn’t of agreed with usually such as…

• life expectancy of Americans only 25
• freedom of speech is a privilege not a right

Study less artificial and found similar results so suggests asch does have EV

Question 7

A03 asch

Temporal validity
Support comes from??? But ????

Answer 7

Lacks temporal validity as done in 1950s when in us was McCarthyism in Cold War.

Conservative and against anyone with left wing views. So findings may not be relevant today

SUPPORT COMES FROM

Perrin and spencer repeated asch procedure with British students and found only 1/396 conforming responses. Suggests they do lack temporal validity

BUT

Used maths chemistry and engineering students so possible knowledge from course equipped them to resist conformity

Question 8

A03 criticism

Population validity

Answer 8

Lacks population validity

All male sample / androcentric sample so may not generalise to women. Found women conformed more than men, especially if task was male orientated or male experimenter

Also ethnocentric America is an individualistic society so may not generalise to collectivist societies. Collectivist societies show higher levels of conformity

Question 9

A03 unethical of asch

Answer 9

Breaks ethical guidelines

Ps deceived as told study about line perception but really about social influence

Told confederates real ps

Not protected from stress and embarrassment (psychological harm)

Question 10

What are the factors that INCREASE conformity?

3

Answer 10

• unanimous majority
• difficult task
• being deserted by a partner who had previously given correct answers

Question 11

Factors DECREASING conformity levels?

3 points

Answer 11

• non unanimous majority
• majority of only 2 people
• writing responses rather than calling out loud

Question 12

Factors that affect whether people conform in Aschs procedure

Explain a non unanimous majority

Answer 12

Conformity dropped dramatically when one other person dissented from majority and supported naive p

Studies shows dissenter only had to give different answer to majority, doesn’t have to be correct

One dissenter reduced conformity levels to 5%

Question 13

Factors that affect whether people conform in Aschs procedure

The size of the majority

4 points (all include numbers percentages etc)

Answer 13

When majority of 2 - conformity dropped to 12.8%

Majority of 3 - Optimum conformity rates of 32%

Increasing majority beyond 3 - didn’t increase conformity levels as suggested people become suspicious if majority above 3/4

1 confederate - no conformity

Question 14

Factors that affect whether people conform in Aschs procedure

Difficulty of the task

Answer 14

When task made more difficult levels of conformity increased.

When asch changed line length so closer, made task more difficult so conformity increased due to informational social influence

Question 15

Factors that affect whether people conform in Aschs procedure

Cultural differences

Answer 15

Reviewed 31 studies of conformity carried out in different countries

Found collectivist cultures such as Africa and Asia conformed more than individualistic societies like Britain and the USA.

Because collectivist societies focus on what’s best for group but individualistic societies focus on what’s best for individual