Asch's study on conformity and factors affecting conformity Flashcards
What was the aim of Asch’s study on conformity?
To investigate conformity and majority influence.
Describe the participant setup in Asch’s study.
The study involved 123 male American undergraduates in groups of 6, consisting of 1 true participant and 5 confederates (people who were in on the experiment).
What was the procedure used in Asch’s study?
Participants were shown a line and three comparison lines. They were asked to identify which of the three lines matched the length of the original line. Confederates gave predetermined incorrect answers on 12 out of 18 trials.
What were the findings of Asch’s conformity study?
36.8% of participants conformed at least once; 75% conformed at least once, while 25% never conformed.
What percentage of responses were incorrect due to conformity in Asch’s study?
36.8% of responses given by participants were incorrect, due to the influence of group conformity.
How does the size of the majority affect conformity according to Asch’s study?
People are more likely to conform as the group size increases, with conformity peaking when the majority includes about 3 or more people.
Provide evidence from Asch’s study on the impact of group size on conformity.
With only one confederate, conformity was low; with two confederates, it was around 13%; and with three confederates, conformity rose to 32%.
Why does a larger group size lead to more conformity?
A larger group increases the perception that the group’s answer is correct, making individuals more likely to doubt their own answer.
What role does unanimity of the majority play in conformity?
Conformity decreases when there is at least one person in the group who disagrees with the majority.
How does the presence of a dissenting confederate affect conformity?
When one confederate disagreed with the group, conformity dropped significantly from 32% to 5.5%.
Why does unanimity affect the level of conformity?
A lack of unanimity provides social support, making individuals feel more confident in their own answers rather than conforming to the majority.
How does task difficulty impact conformity?
People are more likely to conform when the task is difficult or ambiguous, as they are uncertain of the correct answer.
What evidence supports the effect of task difficulty on conformity?
Conformity increases when the task is harder, such as when the lines in Asch’s study were more similar in length.
Why does task difficulty increase conformity?
Higher difficulty creates greater uncertainty, making individuals more likely to rely on the group for the correct answer (informational social influence).
What is informational social influence and how does it relate to task difficulty?
Informational social influence occurs when people conform because they believe others have more knowledge. This influence is stronger when the task is ambiguous or difficult.
