Social influence : key studies (asch)

Question 1

What was the aim of asch’s study?

Answer 1

-to discover if participants will conform to a group even of the answer is obvious

Question 2

What was the sample of asch’s study?

Answer 2

-123 us male volunteers

Question 3

What was the procedure of asch’s study?

Answer 3

-participants sit in a room with 6-8 confederates
-participant is given a line length judging task
-3 of the comparison lines are the same length as the stimulus line

Question 4

What did asch find from the study?

Answer 4

-naive participants agreed with confederates incorrect answered on 37% of trials
-75% conformed at least one
-5% conformed every time
-most said they conformed to avoid rejection

Question 5

What did asch’s study conclude?

Answer 5

-people conform to fit in (evidence for compliance)

Question 6

What are some strengths to asch’s study?

Answer 6

-highly controlled lab study
-face validity (control group had less than 1% error)

Question 7

What’s a negative to asch’s study?

Answer 7

-can’t be generalised (study done on us men)

Question 8

What was the procedure to asch’s variations?

Answer 8

-line lengths and comparison lines made more similar
-number of confederates varied from 1-5
-unanimity of majority giving the correct answer (reduced conformity)