Asch's study - Conformity Flashcards
Group size
Asch increased the size of the group by adding in more confederates
what did Asch vary the group size between?
1 - 15
When there were 3 confederates, what did conformity rise to?
31.8%
What happened when more than 3 confederates were added?
The conformity rate levelled off
Unanimity
The extent to which all members of the group agree
Did the genuine participant conform less when a dissenter was introduced?
Yes
What did the dissenter allow the naive participant to do?
Behave more independently
Task difficulty
Asch’s task is more difficult when it becomes harder to work out the answer
Did conformity increase when the task got more difficult?
Yes
Why did conformity increase when the task was harder?
Due to ISI and the want to be right
How many people took part in Asch’s study?
123 American males
How many participants were in each group being tested?
6-8
How often did participants agree with confederates’ wrong answers?
36.8% of the time
What percentage of participants never gave a wrong answer?
25%
What are the 2 limitations Asch’s study?
Artificial task and situation:
- Participants may have guessed they were in a study and shown demand characteristics
Limited application:
- The participants were all white American men
The findings can’t be generalised to different people with other characteristics
