Asch - opinions and social pressure

Question 0

Aims

Answer 0

To see how ambiguity would affect conformity

Would people be more or less likely to conform in an ambiguous situation.

Question 1

Context

Answer 1

Jenness - Beans In A Jar

Sherif - Autokinetic effect

BOTH UNAMBIGIOUS

Question 2

Procedures

Answer 2

123 males
1 naive participant and 6-8 confedersates
Shown standard and 3 stimuli lines

18 trials, 12 were “critical”

Additional procedures including different group size

Question 3

Findings

Answer 3

36.8% conformity in critical trials

25% of participants never conformed

Some participants never conformed

Increase in group size had no effect if >3

Truthful participants lowered conformity

Question 4

Conclusions

Answer 4

There is a strong tendancy to conform.

People conform less if they are alone.

Question 5

Methodology

Answer 5

Method - Lab style study

Reliability - Conformity levels have been shown to be less reliable

Validity - conformity has been shown to be affected by other variables. Less valid

Sampling - Only used male students. Gender and culture bias.

Ethics - Used deception. Bad ethics

Question 6

Alternate Evidence

Answer 6

Perrin & Spencer - Repeated the experiment in England, 1/396 people conformed.

Doms & Avermaet - Said Asch’s sample was more reliable than Perrin and Spencer

Neto - Repeated experiment with women

Nicholson - Found 32% conformity in the UK and 38% in the US

Lalancette & Standing - Increased ambiguity but found no conformity. Concluded Asch had found an unpredictable phenomenon.