Conformity

Question 1

What is conformity

Answer 1

Form of social influence.

A person’s behavior/thinking changes as a result of group pressure.

Question 2

Asch’s study:

Aim

Answer 2

he set out a study to investigate how people respond to group pressure.
He wanted to study conformity
Correct answer was obvious

Question 3

Asch’s study:

Method:

Answer 3

P’s:123 American male students: didn’t know about study
Confederates: acted as students taking part in study
Each participant:
-tested groups 6-8 confederates
-thought confederates were real p’s
-participant near end of table

Question 4

Asch’s study:

Method:

Answer 4

-men were shown two cards:
One with one line
Other one with three comparison lines
-each time man on left was asked whether line A/B/C matched line X
-18 trials in total
-first trials: confederates gave correct answers
-12 trials: confederates said wrong answers on purpose

Question 5

Asch’s study:

Results:

Answer 5

12 trials: p’s gave a wrong answer 36.8% of the time(conformed)
25% p’s never conformed
75% p’s conformed at least once

Question 6

Asch’s study:

Conclusion:

Answer 6

People are influenced by group pressure even when task is easy: Asch effect
High level independence: people can resist pressure to conform

Question 7

Social FACTORS affecting conformity

Answer 7

• group size
• anonymity
• task difficulty

Question 8

Group size:

Answer 8

More people=more pressure to conform to group opinion

Question 9

Anonymity:

Answer 9

Group members are anonymous=less group pressure(less conformity)

Question 10

Task difficulty:

Answer 10

As task difficulty increases=conformity increases

This is bc answer is less obvious

Question 11

Dispositional FACTORS affecting conformity:

Answer 11

• personality

- expertise

Question 12

Personality:

Answer 12

Characteristic in personality affecting: LOCUS OF CONTROL

• Internal locus of control: they in charge of what happens to them
• External locus of control: they don’t influence what happens to them. Most likely to conform bc they are influenced by others

Question 13

Evaluation: strength

Answer 13

There’s a big sample:

More representative of target population

Question 14

Evaluation: weakness

Answer 14

Only men were p’s.
Men conform in a different way than women.
NOT RELIABLE

Question 15

Evaluation:weakness

Answer 15

Artificial task.

Not every day situation as you aren’t usually with strangers