Solomon Asch 1995

Question 1

What was the aim of the study?

Answer 1

To investigate the degree to which individuals would conform to a majority who gave obvious wrong answers

Question 2

What was the procedure of the study?

Answer 2

1. 123 American male student volunteers took part in a study that they were told was about visual perception
2. Individual rps were placed in groups with between 7 and 9 others sat either in a line or around a table who in reality were confederate
3. Task = which comparison like A B or C was same as stimulus line 12 of these were critical trials where rps gave deliberate wrong answers and real rps answered last
4. Control group of 36 rps were tested individually on 20 trials

Question 3

What was the findings?

Answer 3

Control group had an error of 0.04%
On 12 critical trials there was a 32% conformity rate to wrong answers
75% conformed at least once
5% conformed on all wrong answers

Question 4

Evaluation of study?

Answer 4

Accepted paradigm for studying conformity
Only 1 rps tested at once it was time consuming
Situation was unrealistic so lacked mundane realism
Unethical as it involved deciept
Psychological harm as rps were put under stress