Evaluation of Conformity Explanations

Question 1

Evaluate research support for ISI

Answer 1

Lucas (2006) asked students maths questions, which varied in difficulty.
Conformity increased for harder questions and decreased for easier questions.

Study illustrates people conform when they feel they don’t know the answer, as predicted by ISI.
We look to other people + assume they know better so are right.

Question 2

Evaluate individual differences in NSI

Answer 2

NSI doesn’t affect everyone equally.
Example: People less concerned with social approval = less affected by NSI.
Some peeps more concerned about social approval = nAffiliators.

McGhee + Teevan (1970) found studs. in need of affiliation conformed more.
This shows there are individual differences in how peeps affected by NSI.

Question 3

Evaluate how ISI and NSI work together.

Answer 3

Usually both processes are involved, rather than 1 or the other.

Asch experiment - conformity reduced with 1 dissenting participant.
Dissenter may reduce influence of NSI bc offers social support.
Dissenter may reduce influence of ISI bc offers alternative source of info.
This shows we can’t surely tell whether ISI or NSI is in effect - true in lab studies + even more true in RL situations.
This casts doubt on whether ISI and NSI work independently.

Question 4

Evaluate individual differences in ISI

Answer 4

ISI doesn’t affect everyone equally.
Asch (1955) found students conformed less (30%) than other participants (40%).

Perrin and Spencer (1980) studied science+engineering studs. and found very little conformity.

Question 5

Evaluate research support for NSI

Answer 5

Asch (1950) found participants went with wrong answer only bc others did.
He asked them why.
They said they felt self-conscious and worried about disapproval.

Asch asked PPs to write answer instead of saying out loud - conformity fell to 13%.