Key Research: Asch (1955)

Question 1

What is the aim of Asch’s research?

Answer 1

To investigate the extent to which social pressures from a majority group could affect a person to conform

Question 2

What was the procedure of Asch’s research?

Answer 2

• 7 male college students
• 2 white cards, one has 3 lines and the other has 1 line.
• P’s said out loud out of the 3 lines which matched to the 1 one the other paper.
• One NAIVE participant was with 6 confederates who said the obvious wrong answer

Question 3

What were the findings?

Answer 3

• 35 participants didn’t make a single error
• a total of 0.7% errors were made
• 75% were incorrect, 25% were correct

Question 4

What was the conclusion of the research?

Answer 4

People conform for 2 main reasons: they want to fit in, or they believe a group is better informed than they are

Question 5

What is the evaluation point for methodology (sample, research method, validity, reliability)

Answer 5

• used only males which can be criticised for being androcentric
• can be corroded for being gender biased and ethnocentric

Question 6

What is the evaluations point for application (ecological validity , usefulness, ethics, debate)

Answer 6

• broke ethical guidelines (deception, no fully informed consent)
• task was artificial (lacks mundane realism, low ecological validity)
• internal validity (same conditions) high standardisation

Question 7

What was the alternative research Mori and Arai about?

Answer 7

Used both genders and in different countries

• 2 groups and had only 1 deceptive classes
• females were included