Social Influence: Variables Affecting Conformity

Question 1

Name three variables that affect conformity

Answer 1

Group size
Unanimity
Task Difficulty

Question 2

Which variable was investigated by making the lines similar lengths?

Answer 2

Task difficulty

Question 3

Which variable was investigated by having a ‘lone’ confederate give a different, incorrect answer?

Answer 3

Unanimity

Question 4

Which variable was investigated by increasing the number of the confederates?

Answer 4

Group size

Question 5

HOW was task difficulty invesitgated?

Answer 5

By making the comparison lines more similar in length

Question 6

HOW was unanimity investigated?

Answer 6

By having a confederate give a different incorrect answer AND give the correct answer

Question 7

HOW was group size investigated?

Answer 7

By increasing the size of the majority (the number of confederates)

Question 8

When Asch used one real participant and one confederate, what was the conformity rate?

Answer 8

3%

Question 9

When Asch used one real participant and two confederates, what was the conformity rate?

Answer 9

13%

Question 10

When Asch used one real participant and three confederates, what was the conformity rate?

Answer 10

32%

Question 11

What did Asch CONCLUDE about group size and conformity?

Answer 11

The size of the majority does effect conformity, but only to a point

Question 12

What does unanimity mean?

Answer 12

Complete agreement from a group

Question 13

What was the conformity rate in Asch’s original study?

Answer 13

37%

Question 14

What was FOUND when one confederate gave the right answer?

Answer 14

Conformity rates dropped to 5.5%

Question 15

What was FOUND when one confederate gave a different, incorrect answer?

Answer 15

Conformity rates dropped to 9%

Question 16

HOW did Asch investigate task difficulty?

Answer 16

By making the comparison lines more similar in length

Question 17

HOW did Asch investigate unanimity?

Answer 17

By having confederates give a different incorrect answer / the correct answer

Question 18

HOW did Asch investigate group size?

Answer 18

By increasing the majority (the number of confederates)

Question 19

What explanation of conformity is used with explaining conformity during harder tasks?

Answer 19

Informational Social Influence

Question 20

Informational social influence is used to explain conformity during which variable?

Answer 20

Task difficulty (harder tasks)

Question 21

TASK DIFFICULTY: What happens when the right answer becomes less obvious to us?

Answer 21

We lose confidence in our ability

Question 22

GROUP SIZE: When Asch used one participant and one confederate, the conformity rate was 5.5%

True or false

Answer 22

False - 3%

Question 23

GROUP SIZE: When Asch used one participant and three confederates, the conformity rate was 13%

True or false

Answer 23

False - 32%

Question 24

How many confederates were used within Asch’s original experiment?

Answer 24

7-9

Question 25

How many genuine (naïve) participants were used in each group in Asch’s original experiment?

Answer 25

1

Question 26

How many genuine (naïve) participants were used in Asch’s variation experiments?

Answer 26

1

Question 27

AO3: Lucas et al’s study supports which variable affecting conformity?

Answer 27

Task difficulty

Question 28

AO3: Task difficulty as a variable affecting conformity is supported by which study?

Answer 28

Lucas et al

Question 29

AO3: In what ways do Asch’s variations lack external validity?

Answer 29

Gender bias
Culture bias
Low ecological validity

Question 30

AO3: Do Asch’s variations have high or low ecological validity? Why?

Answer 30

Low - lab experiments, and so conducted in an artificial environment

Question 31

AO3: Which study illustrates why Asch’s findings can’t be generalised to females?

Answer 31

Neto 1995

Question 32

“Conformity rates increase as the majority group increases”

This finding is from which variable affecting conformity?

Answer 32

Group size

Question 33

“When there is a dissenter within the majority, conformity decreases”

This finding is from which variable affecting conformity?

Answer 33

Unanimity

Question 34

“When the right answer becomes less obvious, we lose confidence and are more likely to conform”

This finding is from which variable affecting conformity?

Answer 34

Task difficulty