Social Influence- Conformity: Asch's research Flashcards
Group size -
Asch increased the size of the group by adding more confederates, thus increasing the size of the majority. Conformity increased with group size, but only up to a point, levelling off when the majority was greater than three.
Unanimity -
The extent to which all the members of a group agree. In Asch’s studies, the majority was unanimous when all the confederates selected the same comparison line. This produced the greatest degree of conformity in the naïve participants.
Task difficulty -
Asch’s line-judging task is more difficult when it becomes harder to work out the correct answer. Conformity increases because naïve participants assume that the majority is more likely to be right.
What was the procedure of Asch’s conformity study?
Solomon Asch tested conformity by showing participants two large white cards: one with a ‘standard line’ and the other with three ‘comparison lines.’ One line matched the standard, while the other two were clearly wrong. Participants were asked to identify the matching line.
Who were the participants in Asch’s study?
The participants were 123 American male undergraduates. Each naive participant was tested individually with a group of six to eight confederates who were instructed to give wrong answers on certain trials.
How many trials did each participant complete, and what were the critical trials?
Each participant completed 18 trials, with 12 being ‘critical trials’ where the confederates gave the wrong answer.
What were the findings of Asch’s study?
Naive participants gave the wrong answer 36.8% of the time. 75% of participants conformed at least once, while 25% did not conform at all. This result is called the Asch effect.
What did Asch investigate in his variations?
Asch investigated how group size, unanimity, and task difficulty affected conformity.
What did Asch find about group size and conformity?
Conformity rose to 31.8% with three confederates, but adding more confederates made little difference. This suggests a majority of three is sufficient to exert influence.
What did participants say about their reasons for conforming?
During interviews, most participants said they conformed to avoid rejection, indicating normative social influence.
What did Asch find about unanimity and conformity?
When a dissenting confederate was introduced, conformity dropped by a quarter. This shows that unanimity is important for majority influence.
What did Asch find about task difficulty and conformity?
When the task was made harder by making the lines more similar in length, conformity increased. This suggests informational social influence plays a greater role in ambiguous situations.
What did Perrin and Spencer (1980) find when replicating Asch’s study?
They found only one instance of conformity in 396 trials with UK engineering students. This suggests the Asch effect may not be consistent across time or cultures.
Why is Asch’s study considered a ‘child of its time’?
The 1950s were a more conformist era in America, and society has changed since then. This limits the generalizability of Asch’s findings to modern times.
What is a limitation of Asch’s study regarding the task and situation?
The task was artificial and trivial, and the group setting did not resemble real-life groups. Participants may have conformed due to demand characteristics, limiting the study’s ecological validity.
What is a limitation of Asch’s study regarding the sample?
Only American men were tested. Women and people from collectivist cultures may show different conformity rates, limiting the generalizability of the findings.
Why might conformity be higher in a group of friends than strangers?
Conformity might be higher with friends because individuals are more concerned about social approval and maintaining relationships within their social group.
What ethical issues are present in Asch’s study?
Participants were deceived about the true nature of the study, as they believed the confederates were genuine participants. This raises ethical concerns about deception.
What are the benefits of Asch’s study despite ethical issues?
The study provided valuable insights into social influence and conformity, contributing to our understanding of group behavior. The benefits may outweigh the ethical costs depending on the perspective.
Why is the Asch effect considered inconsistent across situations?
Conformity levels vary depending on factors like group composition, task difficulty, and cultural context, making the Asch effect situation-specific rather than a universal behavior.
What does Asch’s research suggest about the role of unanimity in conformity?
Unanimity is crucial for majority influence. The presence of a dissenter reduces conformity, allowing individuals to act more independently.
How does task difficulty influence conformity according to Asch?
Conformity increases with task difficulty because individuals rely more on informational social influence in ambiguous situations, assuming others are correct.
What does Asch’s research reveal about individual differences in conformity?
Not everyone conforms equally. Factors like confidence, expertise, and cultural background influence how individuals respond to group pressure.
