Social Influence - Asch And Variables Affecting Conformity

Question 1

Aim: what was Asch investigating?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Method: what type of research did Asch conduct?

Answer 2

The group were shown two cards, one with a standard line and another with their comparison lines. Participants had to state which line was the matching one. The naïve participant answered second to last.

Question 3

Sample: how many did Asch test?

Answer 3

Only 1 naïve participant, 6-8 were actors.

Question 4

What was Asch’s procedure?

Answer 4

Tested 123 male undergraduate student, USA, lab experiment.

The participant thought they were taking part in a vision test – false aim.

The participant answered second to last.
There were 18 trials.
12 of these were critical trials.
Critical means trials that were essential to the study. The first six were to make the naïve participant feel like the other participants were correct, making him more likely to conform in the other 12 trials.

Question 5

What was Asch’s findings?

Answer 5

Naïve participant gave the wrong answer 36.8% of the time. This is the conformity rate. 25 % participants didn’t conform at all meaning that 75% conformed at least once. This is known as the Asch effect.

Question 6

What was Asch’s conclusion?

Answer 6

People do conform in order to fit in and not be rejected by the group. This type of conformity is identification.

Question 7

Group size: what did Asch want to test?

Answer 7

If the conformity within the group changes when there’s more people.

Question 8

Group size - Procedure: what was the range of confederates?

Answer 8

6-8 participants with one being naïve.

Question 9

Group size - Findings: what was the lowest number of confederates to bring about highest conformity rates.

Answer 9

Three.

Question 10

Unanimity: what did Asch want to test?

Answer 10

If a dissenter would impact the naïve participant.

Question 11

Unanimity - Procedure: how did he test if a dissenter would impact the naïve participant?

Answer 11

He added a dissenter.

Question 12

Unanimity - Findings: what was the impact on conformity?

Answer 12

The naïve participant conformed less.

Question 13

Task difficulty - Procedure: how did he test the task’s level of difficulty?

Answer 13

He made the lines closer together, making it more difficult to see the difference.

Question 14

Task difficulty - Findings: what was the impact on conformity?

Answer 14

It made the participant conform more as he had more self-doubt.

Question 15

Task difficulty - conclusion: what explains the impact of conformity?

Answer 15

The naïve participant didn’t trust their own judgement and went along with the rest of the group.

Question 16

Asch’s (1951) study into conformity provides research support for which explanation for conformity?

Answer 16

Normative social influence

Question 17

What changed about Asch’s further demonstration in 1955?

Answer 17

He removed the pressure to publicly conform as he asked participants to write their answers down on paper. The conformity rates fell to 12.5% as the fear of rejection was a lot less.

Question 18

Jenness (1932) provides research support for which explanation of conformity?

Answer 18

Informational social influence.

Question 19

What was Jenness’ (1932) experiment which supports the role of ISI?

Answer 19

Participants were asked to make independent judgements about the number of beans they thought were in a jar and then discusses their estimates in a group. Participants then made a second estimate, which was private. Jenness found that the second number was closer to the group’s estimate and typically the females conformed more. This shows that internalisation of group beliefs will occur especially in ambiguous and uncertain circumstances.