Social Influence: Variables Affecting Conformity Flashcards
Name three variables that affect conformity
Group size
Unanimity
Task Difficulty
Which variable was investigated by making the lines similar lengths?
Task difficulty
Which variable was investigated by having a ‘lone’ confederate give a different, incorrect answer?
Unanimity
Which variable was investigated by increasing the number of the confederates?
Group size
HOW was task difficulty investigated?
By making the comparison lines more similar in length
HOW was unanimity investigated?
By having a confederate give a different incorrect answer AND give the correct answer
HOW was group size investigated?
By increasing the size of the majority (the number of confederates)
When Asch used one real participant and one confederate, what was the conformity rate?
3%
When Asch used one real participant and two confederates, what was the conformity rate?
13%
When Asch used one real participant and three confederates, what was the conformity rate?
32%
What did Asch CONCLUDE about group size and conformity?
The size of the majority does effect conformity, but only to a point
What does unanimity mean?
Complete agreement from a group
What was the conformity rate in Asch’s original study?
37%
What was FOUND when one confederate gave the right answer?
Conformity rates dropped to 5.5%
What was FOUND when one confederate gave a different, incorrect answer?
Conformity rates dropped to 9%
HOW did Asch investigate task difficulty?
By making the comparison lines more similar in length
HOW did Asch investigate unanimity?
By having confederates give a different incorrect answer / the correct answer
HOW did Asch investigate group size?
By increasing the majority (the number of confederates)
What explanation of conformity is used with explaining conformity during harder tasks?
Informational Social Influence
Informational social influence is used to explain conformity during which variable?
Task difficulty (harder tasks)
TASK DIFFICULTY: What happens when the right answer becomes less obvious to us?
We lose confidence in our ability
GROUP SIZE: When Asch used one participant and one confederate, the conformity rate was 5.5%
True or false
False - 3%
GROUP SIZE: When Asch used one participant and three confederates, the conformity rate was 13%
True or false
False - 32%
How many confederates were used within Asch’s original experiment?
7-9
With 7-9 confederates in each group, how many genuine (naïve) participants were used in Asch’s original experiment?
1
How many genuine (naïve) participants were used in Asch’s variation experiments?
1
AO3: Lucas et al’s study supports which variable affecting conformity?
Task difficulty
AO3: Task difficulty as a variable affecting conformity is supported by which study?
Lucas et al
AO3: In what ways do Asch’s variations lack external validity?
Gender bias
Culture bias
Low ecological validity
AO3: Do Asch’s variations have high or low ecological validity? Why?
Low - lab experiments, and so conducted in an artificial environment
AO3: Which study illustrates why Asch’s findings can’t be generalised to females?
Neto 1995
AO3: Which study illustrates why Asch’s findings can’t be generalised to non-Western cultures
Bond and Smith 1996
“Conformity rates increase as the majority group increases”
This finding is from which variable affecting conformity?
Group size
“When there is a dissenter within the majority, conformity decreases”
This finding is from which variable affecting conformity?
Unanimity
“When the right answer becomes less obvious, we lose confidence and are more likely to conform”
This finding is from which variable affecting conformity?
Task difficulty
What are external explanations of obedience whereby features of an environment affect obedience levels?
Situational variables
In Milgram’s experiment, what did wearing a grey lab coat give the researcher?
An air of authority
When the researcher was taken over by an ordinary member of the public, what did obedience drop to?
Dropped to 20%
In Milgram’s variation, explain how wearing everyday clothes affect obedience?
When not in uniform the perceived legitimate authority of the experimenter was reduced
In Milgram’s variation, what does uniform act as?
A strong visual authority symbol and a cue to act in an obedient manner
Where was Milgram’s original study conducted?
Yale University
In Milgram’s experiment, how did he vary location?
Changed location to a run down office
Im Milgram’s experiment, what happened to obedience levels drop to when he changed the location to a run down office?
48%
In Bickman’s research, what did the confederates ask the passers by to do?
Give money to pay for parking or pick up litter
In Bickman’s research, how did the ppts behaviour change following the instruction of the confederate?
It was found that participants were twice as likely to follow the instructions of the confederate wearing a security guard uniform than the businessman
Why is using a male only sample a limitation of Milgram’s research into situational variables
It is difficult to generalise the findings to females, as they may have obeyed differently to the variables affecting obedience
Why may Milgram’s into situational variables have gender bias?
A male only sample was used
How did obedience differ in males and females in Sheridan and Kings research?
When ordered to give electric shocks to a puppy, females obeyed 100% of the time, compared to 54% of male participants
What other factors can affect obedience other than situational variables?
Dispositional factors
How can dispositional factors affect obedience?
This would argue that obedience is due to internal characteristics of the person e.g. their personality
