Asch's study into conformity Flashcards
what is conformity?
Conformity is a type of social influence involving a change in belief or behavior in order to fit in with a group.
What is the aim of Asch’s study?
To investigate the effect of group pressure on an individual’s opinion in situations where the answer is obvious.
What is the sample of Asch’s study?
123 American males who did not know the name of the study.
Briefly explain the procedure of Asch’s study
The males sat in a group of 6-8 confederates. They were all shown two large cards, one with a standard line and the other with 3 comparison lines. Pps took turns to call out which of the 3 lines they thought was the same as the standard line. The confederates were instructed to give the same incorrect answer so the real pps always answered second to last.
What were the findings of Asch’s study?
On some of the trials the pps gave the same answer 37% of the time which meant that 70% of the pps conformed at least once.
What was Asch’s conclusion?
Asch concluded that individuals are influenced by group pressure even when the answer is obvious.
Give one strength of Asch’s study
One strength of Asch’s study is that it has high reliability and high control over extraneous variables due to it being a lab experiment. Asch controlled variables such as making the confederate answer first. This increases the validity of the study into conformity.
Give one weakness of Asch’s study
