Social influence - Variables affecting conformity Flashcards
What did Asch’s study investigate?
conformity and majority influence
Who participated in Asch’s line study?
123 male American undergraduates split into groups of 6 (5 confederates and 1 true participant)
What was Asch’s procedure?
The participants were asked to select the line from the 3 comparison lines that matched the length of the standard line. The true participant was the last or penultimate person to answer.
What were the results of Asch’s study?
36.8% conformed
25% never conformed
75% conformed at least once
What are the main variables affecting conformity?
Group size
Unanimity
Task difficulty
What did Asch find out about group size?
An individual is more likely to conform when in a larger group - conformity did not increase after group size increased to 4, showing that 4 is the optimal group size
What did Asch find out about unanimity?
An individual is more likely to conform when the group is unanimous.
When supported by a disaffected confederate who gave the correct answer conformity fell from 32% to 5.5% however when the confederate gave different answers conformity only fell from 32% to 9%.
What did Asch find out about task difficulty?
Individuals are more likely to conform if a task is difficult
(Aided by informational social influence)
What are the strengths of Asch’s study?
- HIGH INTERNAL VALIDITY Valid cause and effect established - LAB EXPERIMENT Controlled environment so confounding variables were controlled and replicable to test results - SUPPORTS INFORMATIONAL INFLUENCE Conformed to have the right answer
What are the weaknesses of Asch’s study?
- LACKS ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY Doesn't reflect the complexity of conformity - LACKS POPULATION VALIDITY Sample issues, only American undergraduate men - ETHICAL ISSUES Deception and lack of informed consent LACKS EXTERNAL VALIDITY Can't be generalised to all time periods
