Asch & Factors Affecting Conformity Flashcards
What was the aim of Asch’s (1951, 1955) study on conformity?
To assess how much people conform to the opinion of others in a situation where the correct answer is obvious (unambiguous).
What was the procedure of Asch’s study?
Participants were shown two large white cards: one with a standard line and another with three comparison lines. They had to state which comparison line matched the standard.
Who were the participants in Asch’s study?
123 American male undergraduates.
How did Asch create social pressure in the experiment?
Each naive participant was tested in a group with 6-8 confederates who deliberately gave the same incorrect answers on 12 out of 18 trials (critical trials).
What were the findings of Asch’s study?
Participants gave a wrong answer 36.8% of the time.
* 75% conformed at least once.
* 25% never conformed.
What is the Asch effect?
The extent to which participants conform even when the situation is unambiguous.
Why did most participants say they conformed in Asch’s study?
To avoid rejection (Normative Social Influence - NSI).
How did group size affect conformity in Asch’s study?
With 3 confederates, conformity rose to 31.8%.
* Adding more confederates made little difference.
* This suggests a small majority is enough for influence, but a very large majority isn’t needed.
How did unanimity affect conformity in Asch’s study?
Introducing a dissenting confederate reduced conformity by 25%.
* This suggests that when the majority is not unanimous, people feel more independent.
How did task difficulty affect conformity in Asch’s study?
When the task was made harder (lines were more similar in length), conformity increased.
* This supports Informational Social Influence (ISI)—people look to others for guidance when uncertain.
How did Perrin and Spencer (1980) challenge Asch’s findings?
Repeated the study with UK engineering students.
* Only 1 student conformed out of 396 trials.
* Suggests that in the 1950s, people were more conformist due to social norms.
Why is this a limitation of Asch’s study?
It suggests that the Asch effect is not consistent across time or situations.
Why does the artificial nature of Asch’s study limit its validity?
Participants may have conformed due to demand characteristics.
* The task of matching lines was trivial, so conformity may not be the same in real-life situations.
* According to Fiske (2014), Asch’s groups were not “very groupy”, meaning they didn’t reflect real social groups.
Why does Asch’s study have limited application?
Only men were tested.
* Neto (1995) suggested women may be more conformist due to social relationships.
* The study was conducted in the USA, an individualist culture.
* Bond and Smith (1996) found higher conformity in collectivist cultures (e.g., China), where group needs are prioritised.
How did Williams and Sogon (1984) challenge Asch’s study?
They found that conformity was higher when participants were with friends, suggesting that group dynamics affect conformity levels.
What ethical issue was present in Asch’s study?
Deception: Participants were misled into believing the confederates were real participants.
Why might the benefits of Asch’s study outweigh the ethical concerns?
The study provided valuable insights into social influence.
* The ethical cost may be justified by its contributions to psychology.
