Social Psychology - conformity

Question 0

Why did people conform in Asch’s study?

Answer 0

Distortion of perception
Distortion of judgement
Distortion of action

Question 1

Asch’s study

Answer 1

Male US students 12/18 critical trials; 36.8% produced conforming response, 25% never conformed

Question 2

Asch’s variations

Answer 2

Easier task - lower conformity level
High self-efficacy - less conformity
Majority of 3 led to optimum conformity
Unanimity - 1 dissenter, conformity 5.5%, or 9% if gave different wrong answer

Question 3

Berns et al.

Answer 3

Conformity produced activity in regions of brain devoted to perception, independence of judgement produced activity in area involved in emotion

Question 4

Validity of Asch’s study

Answer 4

Insignificant task and with strangers

Williams and Sogon - higher conformity with people participants knew

Question 5

Ethics of Asch’s study

Answer 5

Deception, lack of informed consent, stress - overcome through debriefing

Question 6

Perrin and Spencer

Answer 6

Repeated Asch’s study with engineering students, 1 conforming response
Youth on probation and officers, high conformity (perceived costs high)

Question 7

Unconvincing confederates?

Answer 7

Mori and Arai: glasses with special polarising filters. Same stimuli but 1 saw it differently. Results matched original

Question 8

Conformity or independence?

Answer 8

More independence (two-thirds) stuck to opinion. Tendency to stick to what we believe

Question 9

Culture and conformity: A meta-analysis

Answer 9

Collectivist culture - higher levels of conformity. Impact of culture greatest. Conformity in US declined with date

Question 10

Normative influence and smoking

Answer 10

Campaign aimed at 12-17 year olds in USA.
10% took up smoking, exposed to message most children in age group did not smoke
No campaign 17% took up smoking

Question 11

Normative influence and conservation behaviour

Answer 11

Schultz et al: 132 hotels, 794 rooms
Randomly assigned to experiment/ control condition
Control: benefits of reusing towel 
Experimental: '75% choose to reuse'
Normative info. reduced use by 25%