Lesson 3: Key Stdies In Conformity

Question 1

Jennes study.

Answer 1

• examine whether individuals will change their opinion in ambiguous situation, in response to group discussion
• glass bottle filled will 811 jelly beans
• 26 students guessed individually then in groups of 3
• nearly all students changed their response after discussion in groups
• males: by 256 beans, females: 382 beans
• changed their initial estimate due to ISI (need to be right)

Question 2

Asch’s study.

Answer 2

• investigate extent to which social pressure from majority group would effect person to conform
• used 123 male undergraduates in groups of 6-8 to participate in vision test
• put one naive pp with 8 confederates
• Each person had to state aloud which line, ABC was most like target line
• real pp sat on the end
• 18 trials
• 12 critical trails (confederates gave wrong answers)
• around 35% pp conformed in critical trials
• 75% conformed at least once, 25% never
• asch interviewed pp and they said they knew answer was wrong but went along with it in order not to get ridiculed (NSI)

Question 3

EVAL of aschs study:

Answer 3

B: Lacks temporal validity (1980)
B: lacks ecological validity
B: Ethical issues
B: lacks population validity