Mori And Arai (2010) Mandatory

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To replicate Asch’s study on conformity without confederates to eliminate the effect that poor and inconsistent acting could have on results.

Question 2

Procedure

Answer 2

Mori and Arai replicated Asch’s line comparison task with 104 participants tested in groups of four at a time. In each group three participants wore identical glasses, with one participant wearing a different set causing them to observe a different comparison line. As in Asch’s study the participant stated their answers publicly. Unlike Asch’s study participants were male and female.

Question 3

Results

Answer 3

For women only, the new findings closely matched the Asch research, with the minority participant being swayed by the majority an average of 4.41 times out of 12 key trials compared with 3:44 times in the original. However, the male participants in the new study were not swayed by the majority view.

Question 4

Analysis

Answer 4

There are many possible reasons why men in the new study were not swayed such as cultural difference and generational changes as the current study was in Japan.

Further, females are more likely to conform as they are more concerned with social relationships.

Question 5

Evaluation: Strengths
(4)

Answer 5

A large sample and so results can be generalised to the entire population.

This study was conducted quite recently and so is a good representation of current conformity.

The study included both males and females and so relates positively to mundane realism as it reflects real life situations. Further using both genders allows for the results to be generalised.

The lack of confederates meant responses were genuine and so the minority participant had no indicator that the majority participant were purposely given different answers.

Question 6

Evaluation: weaknesses
(3)

Answer 6

The fact that the study was conducted in Japan, this is a collectivist culture which does not generalise to a wider population or individualist cultures.

Cant be generalised to other age groups or backgrounds as it focuses on undergraduate students.

Mori and Arai used the same task as Asch where they made participants estimate the size of lines, this makes the experiment lack mundane realism as its not a very realistic activity