Booklet 1: Conformity

Question 1

What is conformity?

Answer 1

Yielding to group pressure. Conformity occurs when an individuals behaviour and/or beliefs are influenced by real or imagined group pressure. Conformity is also knows as ‘majority influence’ as people are influenced by the majority. It can be seen as a negative thing as it reduces our independence and can have harmful consequences.

Question 2

What are the two types of conformity Kelman (1958) identified?

Answer 2

Compliance and internalisation.

Question 3

What is compliance?

Answer 3

A public display of conformity not private. It is going along with the behaviours of other to gain acceptance and avoid disapproval. For example laughing at a joke.

Question 4

What is internalisation?

Answer 4

The deepest type of conformity as it is public and private. It involves not only going along with the behaviours of others but accepting their point of view and making their beliefs your own. For example, becoming a vegetarian.

Question 5

Summarise Asch’s experiment.

Answer 5

A study of conformity in an unambiguous situation, done in 1955.

Question 6

What was Ashc’s aim?

Answer 6

He wanted to see if people would conform to an incorrect answer if the majority would say it, even when it meant going against their own eyesight.

Question 7

What was asch’s sample?

Answer 7

123 american males.

Question 8

Describe Asch’s method.

Answer 8

The experiment took place in a controlled environment. This means that there were no extraneous variables that could affect his results therefore the levels of conformity can be accurately measured. A sample of 7-9 men were placed in the controlled environment, 1 being naive and the rest confederates. There were all given the same cards with a standard vertical line on one and three lines of varying lengths on another. This means that every participant was looking at the same lines, making it easy to see if the naive participant did conform to the majority.

Question 9

What were asch’s findings.

Answer 9

In the controlled trial with no confederates giving a wrong answer, participants only made mistakes 0.7% of the time. However in critical trials, participants conformed to the majority 37% of the time and 75% of the participants conformed at least once, suggesting they didn’t want to look different.

Question 10

What did Asch conclude?

Answer 10

The conditioned control showed the task was easy to get right. However 37% got the obvious answers wrong on critical trials, showing they conformed to the majority by going along with others behaviours to avoid disapproval.

Question 11

What type and explanation of conformity does Asch’s experiment link with?

Answer 11

Compliance and Normative social influence.

Question 12

What are the three evaluation points for Asch?

Answer 12

Lab experiment, lacked population validity and culture biased.

Question 13

Explain a positive evaluation point for Asch’s research into conformity.

Answer 13

The research method was laboratory, meaning the experiment was carried out in a controlled environment and eliminated extraneous variables that could affect the results. Therefore the independent variable directly influenced the dependent variable.

Question 14

Explain the first negative evaluation point for Asch.

Answer 14

As all the participants were male, american undergraduates the experiment lacked population validity. The results from the experiment could not be generalised from the sample as it was biased and therefore would not apply to the rest of the population e.g. females, other cultures or other ages.

Question 15

Explain the second negative evaluation point for Asch.

Answer 15

The experiment was culture biased, as all the participants were american, meaning the results only apply to the american population, so they aren’t accurate as they don’t give a true representation of the whole population as they can’t be generalised.

Question 16

What are Asch’s two variations?

Answer 16

One confederate doesn’t conform to the majority answer, The task was made more difficult by using lines that are closer together in length.

Question 17

What was the result of Asch’s two variations?

Answer 17

‘One doesn’t conform’ has a lower conformity rate as there is a lesser chance of the naive getting disapproval if there is somebody else to be independent with. ‘More difficult task’ had a higher conformity rate as it is easier to think your wrong.

Question 18

Who carried out the third Asch variation and what was it?

Answer 18

Perrin and Spencer (1981) - All participants were math and science students in the UK.

Question 19

What was the result of Perrin and spencer’s variation?

Answer 19

Lower conformity rate as the participants were more clever and therefore got the simple task right and were confident in their answers.

Question 20

Briefly describe Jenness’ study?

Answer 20

A study of conformity in an ambiguous situation, carried out in 1932.

Question 21

What was Jenness’ aim?

Answer 21

To investigate the effects of group discussions on individual answers with an ambiguous task.

Question 22

What was Jenness’ method?

Answer 22

Participants were individually asked to estimate the number of jelly beans in a jar. They were then asked to discuss their estimates with a group of participants and collaborate to decide on a group estimate. After this, they had to give a final individual estimate on their own.

Question 23

What were Jenness’ findings?

Answer 23

When individuals had to make their final estimates, they estimated closer to the group estimate than there beginning individual estimate. The average change of opinion was greater amongst females.

Question 24

What was Jenness’ conclusion?

Answer 24

The judgements of individuals are affected by majority influence, especially in situations where the correct answer is ambiguous or uncertain.

Question 25

What are the evaluation points for Jenness’ study?

Answer 25

Lab experiment, lacks temporal validity and generalised sample.

Question 26

Explain the positive evaluation points for Jenness.

Answer 26

It is a lab experiment and therefore is reliable as the results show the independent variable directly affected the dependent variable as there are no extraneous variables. Secondly the sample used was men and women and this means it has high population validity and therefore can be generalised.

Question 27

What are the negative evaluation points for jenness.

Answer 27

It is a lab experiment so therefore is an artificial environment and so may not give a true representation of conformity behaviour in a real life situation. Secondly the experiment lacks temporal validity as the findings that women are more conforming is historically bias as 1932 was a time where women were less independent and were taught to follow rules.

Question 28

Explain the general ethics A02 for conformity research.

Answer 28

When participants take part they shouldn’t experience any psychological harm, therefore you should arrive and leave in the same condition, both physically and mentally. They should avoid deception and be given full information about the aim prior to taking part.

Question 29

Explain the general method A02 for conformity research.

Answer 29

Both Asch and Jenness carried out their studies in artificial situations so they lacked ecological validity as we can’t be sure people would act like that in a real life and therefore the results cannot be generalised.

Question 30

What are the three explanations of conformity?

Answer 30

Normative social influence, Informational social influence and Cognitive dissonance.

Question 31

Explain Normative social influence.

Answer 31

The need to be accepted and be liked by others as rejection is painful. People therefore agree with people when they don’t agree, this is normally the case when you want to be accepted by a similar group or a higher status. COMPLIANCE is likely to occur when people feel the pressure of NSI.

Question 32

Explain informational social influence.

Answer 32

The basic need to feel that our ideas and beliefs are correct, so we seek other peoples opinions to help our own if we are unsure. This is more likely to happen in unfamiliar situations e.g at a polling station/a vote. This can lead to INTERNALISATION.

Question 33

Explain cognitive dissonance.

Answer 33

The unpleasant feeling of anxiety created by simultaneously holding two contidictory thoughts, stress levels are lowered if you conform. An example of this is in Asch’s study when the participants know the answers but didn’t want to stand out.

Question 34

Which study links with normative social influence?

Answer 34

Asch- as the participants are agreeing even when they don’t agree, so they are accepted by the others.

Question 35

Which study links with informational social influence?

Answer 35

Jenness- as the participants form there estimates based on others.

Question 36

What are the A02 point for explanations?

Answer 36

Evidence can support it, NSI can be negative, not possible to classify every example.

Question 37

Explain the positive A02 point for explanations.

Answer 37

Evidence for NSI and ISI can be seen in research by Ashc and Jenness as well as real life examples.

Question 38

Explain the negative A02 points of explanations.

Answer 38

Normative Social influence can be seen as negative as it can lead to negative group behaviour such as bullying. However research into the effects of NSI can counter this.
Secondly its not always possible to classify every example of conformity as either NSI or ISI. Sometimes people wish to fit in a group as well as looking for information on how to behave e.g. a new job.