Lesson 4- Variables Affecting Conformity (Asch)

Question 1

What are the 3 variables affecting Conformity?

Answer 1

1) Group Size
2) Unanimity of Majority
3) Task Difficulty

Question 2

How did Asch manipulate Group Size & what did he find?

Answer 2

👨 👩 👨 👩 size- less than 3- little conformity BUT 👨 👩 👨 👩 size- 3 or more- conformity rate 30%- very little increase after- group size important up to a point

Question 3

How did Asch manipulate Unanimity of Majority & what did he find?

Answer 3

when confederate- correct answer- conformity dropped from 33% to 5.5% AND when confederate- different ✖️ answer- rate dropped to 9%

Question 4

How did Asch manipulate Task Difficulty & what did he find?

Answer 4

line length differences made much smaller- harder- conformity increased
Lucas et al (2006)- ➕➖✖️➗- detail research- self efficacy- confidence of person in task determines conformity (looking to others)

Question 5

What are the evaluation points of Asch’s study and the variables affecting conformity?

Answer 5

👎- LACKS TEMPORAL ⏰ VALIDITY- Perrin and Spencer (1980)- repeated Asch Study- engineering students- 🇬🇧- 1 student conformed (33% conformed with Asch)- shows conformity ✖️ always occur
BUT engineering students … ⬆️ confident with lines- educated
AND 1950s- conformist decade in 🇺🇸- norm to conform
… society changed since- people ⬇️ conformist today- … LACKS TEMPORAL VALIDITY (TIME) ⏰
👎- ETHICAL ISSUES- deception- use of confederates- pps ✖️ know- could lead to psychological harm (confusion, stress)
BUT Asch debriefed (after) participants- psychological harm temporary- pps told after why
👎- LACKS POPULATION 👨 👩 VALIDITY- findings ✖️ applied to other cultures or 👩 … CULTURE BIAS AND GENDER (BETA) BIAS
Asch- pps all 👨- ✖️👩- women ⬆️ conformist- ⬆️ concern for social relationships
➖- Asch- men from 🇺🇸- individualistic culture (capitalist society)- concerned- themselves (own opinion) rather than group (conformity ⬇️) WHEREAS Asch study (China 🇨🇳)- collectivist culture (communist society)- conformity rates ⬆️- social group ⬆️ important than individual
👎- LACKS ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY- (real life situations)- pps not in natural situation
- pps may have showed demand characteristics (guessed aim- study & … pps acted- please experimenter)