🔵 Social influence: Asch's research Flashcards
When did Asch conduct his baseline procedure
1951
What were the findings of Asch’s baseline procedure
On average genuine participants conformed 36.8% of the time
25% of the participants never conformed
75% of participants conformed at least once
Describe Asch’s baseline procedure
Asch tested 123 Americans in 18 trials (12 of them being critical) and each of them were put in a group with other participants (who where actually confederates)
During 6 of the trials confederates gave the correct answer (not critical trials)
Each participants saw 2 large white cards on each trial:
The ‘X’ line was on the left side
The line A,B, and C (the comparison lines) were on the right
On each trial the participant had to say which of the comparison lines matched ‘X’
despite one on the lines was clearly the same length as ‘X’ and the other two were different
What were the variables investigated by Asch after conducting his baseline procedure
Group size
Unanimity
Task difficulty
In what year did Asch extend his study to investigate variables that might led to an increase of decrease in conformity
1955
Did group size increase or decrease conformity
It increases conformity
Did unanimity lead to an increase of decrease in conformity
It increases conformity
Did task difficulty lead to an increase or decrease in conformity
It increased conformity
Why did Asch research group size as a variable affecting conformity
Asch wanted to know whether the size of the group was more important that the agreement of the group
What were the findings of Asch’s group size research
He found that conformity increased but only to a point
With three confederates conformity increased to 31.8% but the presence of more confederates made an insignificant difference
There was a curvilinear relationship between group size and conformity
What does conformity only increasing significantly with a group size of two people suggest
It suggests that most people are sensitive of others because two is enough to sway opinions
How was the Asch’s group size research variation different from the Asch’s baseline test
Asch varied the number of confederates from one to 15
Why did Asch research unanimity as a variable affecting conformity
Asch wanted to know whether the size of the group was more important that the agreement of the group
What were the findings of Asch’s unanimity research
Rate of conformity decreased less than ¼ of the level it was when majority was unanimous
In Asch’s unanimity variation, even when the dissenter disagreed with the participant, why did conformity still decrease
This is because the dissenter acted as a model to the participant and allowed them to act more independently
How was the Asch’s unanimity research variation different from the Asch’s baseline test
Asch introduced a confederate who would disagree with the others
What were the two types of Asch’s unanimity research variation
Asch introduced a confederate who would disagree with the others
One would give the correct answer
The other would give an incorrect answer
Why did Asch research task difficulty as a variable affecting conformity
Asch wanted to know whether increasing difficulty of a task would affect the degree of conformity
What were the findings of Asch’s task difficulty research
As task difficulty increased - so did the conformity rates
What did the finding of Asch’s task difficulty research suggest
It suggests that as uncertainty increases the more a person would seek guidance and assume the majority’s views are right
How was the Asch’s group size research variation different from the Asch’s baseline test
Asch increased the difficulty of the line judging task by making the stimulus line and the comparison lines more similar to each other
What did the findings of Asch’s unanimity research variation suggest
It suggests that non-conformity is more common when cracks are perceived in the majority’s unanimous view
And that influence depends on unanimity
What are the evaluation points of Asch’s research
Task and situation were artificial
Limited application of culture and people
Research supporting the effect of task difficulty
Counterpoint to the research supporting the effect of task difficulty
What are the limitations of Asch’s research
Task and situation were artificial
Limited application of culture of people
Counterpoints of the research supporting the effect of task difficulty
What are the strengths of Asch’s research
Research supporting the effect of task difficulty
Describe the research supporting the effect of task difficulty on conformity
Lucas et al (2006) Asked participants, easy and hard maths problems
Then they were given the answer from three other student participants (who were actually confederates)
And the participants and agreed with the wrong answers when the problems were harder
How is the research supporting the effect of task difficulty on conformity a strength
It shows that Asch was correct in his claim that task difficulty is a variable affecting conformity
Who investigated the study supporting the effects of task difficulty on conformity (and what year)
Lucas et al (2006)
Explain the artificial task and situation limiting Asch’s research
Because Asch used a task and situation that was artificial people had demand characteristics because they were in a research study
Also Fiske (2014) stated that ‘Asch’s groups were not very groupy’ suggesting that it doesn’t resemble groups in everyday scenarios
How is the task and situation being artificial a limitation of Asch’s research
It lacks mundane realism because the task was artificial
It lacked ecological validity because it was not done in a natural environment
Who verified that Asch used artificial tasks and situations (and in what year)
Fiske (2014)
Explain the counterpoint of the research supporting the effect task difficulty has on conformity
Lucas et al proved conformity is more complex than Asch suggested
For example participants with higher confidence in their maths ability conformed less than low confidence people
How is the counterpoint of the research supporting the effect task difficulty has on conformity
It shows that individual level factors can influence conformity by interacting with the situation or variables,
Which Lucas et al did not account in his study supporting Asch and the effects of task difficulty
Explain the limited application of culture and people limiting Asch’s research
Asch’s Participants were all American men and other research (conducted by Nero 1995) shows women to be more conformist because they concern about social relationships and being accepted
America is an individualistic culture and studies conducted in collective cultures (by Bond and Smith 1996) found conformity to be higher
How is the limited application of culture and people of Asch’s research a weakness
It only investigates one group of people, hence generalisations of findings can’t be made
Which researcher suggested that women were more likely to be conformist
Neto 1995
Who replicated Asch’s research in more collectivist cultures (like China)
Bind and Smith 1996
