Conformity: Asch’s Research

Question 1

Outline Asch’s procedure

Answer 1

• showed ppts to large white cards at a time
• on one card was a standard line and on the other were three comparison lines
• ppts were asked which os the three lines matched the standard line
• sample - 123 American male undergraduates
• each ppt tested individually with6-8 confeds
• each ppt took part in 18 trials, 12 of which were critical trials where the confed gave the wrong answer

Question 2

What were the findings of Aschs study

Answer 2

• ppts gave the wrong answer 36.8% of the time
• 75% ppt of participants conformed at least once
• the term ‘asch effect’ is used to describe this result
• when ppts were interviewed afterwards they said they conformed to avoid social rejection (NSI)

Question 3

What were the three variations to Asch’s study

Answer 3

• group size
• unanimity
• task difficulty

Question 4

Outline ‘group size’ as one of Asch’s variations

Answer 4

• with 3 confed’s conformity to the wrong answer rose to 31.8%
• but the addition of more confeds made little difference

Question 5

Outline ‘unanimity’ as one of Asch’s variations

Answer 5

• asch introduced a confed who disagreed with the others
• sometimes the new confed gave the right answer and sometimes he gave the wrong answer
• the presence of a dissenting confed meant conformity was reduced by a 1/4 from the level it was when the group was unanimous

Question 6

Outline ‘task difficulty’ as one of Asch’s variations

Answer 6

• made the stimulus and comparison lines more similar in length
• asch found conformity increased as a result
• this suggests ISI plays an important role when task difficulty is increased

Question 7

What are the three evaluation points for Asch’s research

Answer 7

• outdated
• artificial situation and task
• limited application of findings

Question 8

Outline ‘outdated’ as an evaluation point for Aschs study

Answer 8

• Perrin and spencer - replicated aschs study with engineering students in the UK
• only 1 student conformed in 396 trials
• potentially engineering students are more confident about measuring lines so less conformist
• also, 1950’s when Asch carried out his research - was an especially conformist time in America

Question 9

Outline ‘artificial situation and task’ as an evaluation point for Aschs study

Answer 9

• ppts knew they were in a research study- so may have displayed demand characteristics
• task of identifying lines was also quite trivial so there was no real reason to conform
• also, according to Fiske ‘Aschs groups were not very groupy’, the groups did not reflect real life groups

Question 10

Outline ‘limited application of findings’ as an evaluation point for Aschs study

Answer 10

• only men were tested, research suggests women might be more conformist possibly because they are more concerned about social relationships than men (Neto)
• ppts in aschs study were from America (individualist culture), researchers have found in collectivist cultures, conformity is higher
• this makes sense because such cultures are more orientated to group needs (Bond and smith)