conformity

Question 1

What is the aim of Asch (1951) study?

Answer 1

to investigate the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could influence a person to conform

even in a non-ambiguous situation

Question 2

What is the method of Asch’s (1951) study?

Answer 2

Laboratory experiment

Question 3

What was the procedure of Asch’s (1951) study?

Answer 3

Participants were asked to match the length of a line with 3 comparison lines

Confederates were instructed to give the wrong answers

Question 4

What were the results of Asch’s (1951) study?

Answer 4

Approximately 32% of the participants conformed

75% of the participants gave the wrong answer at least once

Question 5

What is one strength of Asch’s (1951) study?

Answer 5

The study took place in a laboratory under controlled conditions

Therefore the study could be replicated to check for reliability

Question 6

What is a weakness of Asch’s (1951) study?

3

Answer 6

The study used a biased sample (1)

As all the participants were male (1)

Therefore findings could not be generalised to females as well as males (1)

Question 7

Describe one individual factor that may have influenced conformity in the
Mori and Arai 2010 study (2)

Answer 7

An individual factor is gender. (1) Women conformed and

men did not. (1)

Question 8

Describe one cultural factor that may have influenced conformity in the
Mori and Arai 2010 study (2)

Answer 8

Japan is a collectivist culture (1) where the group is

valued more than the individual, (1) so conformity rates would be higher than in an individualistic culture. (1)

Question 9

Ahmed has just started at a new school. After his first day, he bought the same black and white trainers that most of his classmates were wearing.

Explain Ahmed’s behaviour with reference to:
• majority social influence
• informational social influence
• normative social influence
• compliance

(8)

Answer 9

Majority social influence
Ahmed has been influenced by the behaviour of the majority (1) of people in his class most of whom were wearing the same trainers. (1)

Informational social influence
As this is a new school for Ahmed, he looks to other people (1) to get information about what the correct footwear is (1) because he wants to be seen to be doing the right thing. (1)

Normative social influence
Ahmed wants to fit in with the people at his new school, (1) so he makes sure he is wearing the same trainers as them to be accepted. (1)

Compliance
Ahmed may still prefer his original trainers but chooses to
conform by buying the black and white ones. (2)

Question 10

Steve is sixteen years old and often conforms to the behaviour and opinions of his friends in his Biology class. Steve finds the subject challenging.

Describe one individual factor that may contribute to Steve’s conformity levels when in Biology class. (2)

Answer 10

One individual factor could be age (1) teenagers are more likely to conform
than younger children or older adults (1).

self esteem

personality

gender

Question 11

According to informational social influence why might Steve conform? (2)

Answer 11

Steve assumes that his friends in his biology class are more knowledgeable
(1) than him so he agrees with them to appear to be correct (1)

Question 12

According to normative social influence why might Steve conform? (2)

Answer 12

Steve often agrees with his friends in the biology class to fit in (1) and avoid
ridicule (1)

Question 13

Explain minority influence, using an example. (3)

Answer 13

The minority provides the majority with new ideas, new information which makes them re-examine their views (2). An example of this would be the suffragette movement (1).

The example provided by the candidate could be linked to personal experience or a more contemporary issue, such as voting or smoking or texting whilst driving.

Question 14

Explain majority influence, using an example. (3)

Answer 14

Majority influence is when the behaviour of a large number of people affects the behaviour of a smaller group of people (1). The majority have the power to impose negative or positive sanctions (1). An example of this would be dressing similarly to your friends to avoid rejection (1).

Question 15

What was the aim of Asch’s (1951) study?

Answer 15

To find out if people would conform to others’ incorrect answers even if the correct answer was obvious (1).

To investigate the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could influence a person to conform; even in a non ambiguous situation, when there is a clear right/wrong answer

Question 16

What was the procedure of Asch’s (1951) study?

Answer 16

Participants were asked to match the length of a line with 3 comparison lines (1). Confederates were instructed to give the wrong answers (1).

Question 17

What were the results of Asch’s (1951) study?

Answer 17

75% of participants gave the wrong answer at least once (1).

Question 18

Describe two ways that the Mori and Arai (2010) study attempted to
improve upon the Asch study (4)

Answer 18

For the full 4 marks candidates should describe two ways that Mori and Arai attempted to improve the Asch study.

They used men and women (1), Asch’s study only used men (1) therefore findings can be generalised to the whole population (1)

The participants knew each other (1) in Asch’s study they were strangers (1) which is where most conformity occurs (1)

The participants wore filter glasses (1) whereas in Asch’s study they were depending on confederates’ responses being convincing (1).