Studies in Conformity (Social Influence) Flashcards
Sherif’s study (1935) in conformity and the auto kinetic effect: Method
A Laboratory experiment with a repeated measure design.
It used a visual illusion called the autokinetic effect where a stationary spot of light, viewed in a dark room, appeared to move.
Participants were told that the light would move and had to estimate how far it had moved.
participants would first make individual estimates before being put into groups of 3 people where they made estimates with others present. Finally, they were retested individually
Sherif’s study (1935) in conformity and the auto kinetic effect: Results
Participants developed their own stable estimates (personal norms) which varied widely between participants.
Once in a group, the estimates tended to converge and become more alike.
when they were retested alone, their estimates were more like the group estimates than their original estimates.
Sherif’s study (1935) in conformity and the auto kinetic effect: Conclusion
Participants were influenced by the estimates of others and a group norm developed.
Participants used information from others to help them.
This is informational social influence as participants conformed because they wanted to be correct.
Sherif’s study (1935) in conformity and the auto kinetic effect: Evaluation positives
Being a laboratory experiment, there was strict control of the variables, so, the results are unlikely to have been affected by a third variable, meaning that it is possible to establish cause and effect. The method could be replicated.
Repeated measure design meant that participant variables that could have affected results were kept constant.
Sherif’s study (1935) in conformity and the auto kinetic effect: Evaluation negatives
The method is flawed because participants were being asked to judge the movement of something that wasn’t moving.
It created an artificial situation, meaning that it lacked ecological validity.
Limited sample: all participants were male so the results cannot be used to generalise everyone.
An ethical problem with the study is that it uses deception
Asch’s study (1951) on conformity on an unambiguous task: Method
In a laboratory experiment with an independent group design, groups of 8 judged line lengths by saying out loud which comparison line (1,2 or 3) matched the standard line.
Each group contained only one real participant and the rest were confederates. The real participant always went last or last but one.
Each participant did 18 trials, 12 of these (the critical trials) were when the confederates all gave the same wrong answer. There was also a control group where participants were in isolation.
Asch’s study (1951) on conformity on an unambiguous task: Results
In the control trials, participants gave wrong answers 0.7% of the time.
In the clinical trials, participants conformed to the incorrect majority 37% of the time.
75% conformed at least once
Asch’s study (1951) on conformity on an unambiguous task: Conclusion
The control condition showed that the task was easy to get right.
However, 37% were wrong on the clinical trials- they conformed to the majority due to normative social influence (they didn’t want to be seen as wrong despite feeling as though they themselves were correct).
Asch’s study (1951) on conformity on an unambiguous task: Evaluation postives
Being a laboratory experiment, there was good control of the variables, minimising the effects of extraneous variables.
Strict control of the study makes it easily repeatable
Asch’s study (1951) on conformity on an unambiguous task: Evaluation negatives
The participants were not in a natural situation so the study lacks ecological validity. Wether they were right or wrong didn’t matter to the participants and they may have been more likely to conform if there were real life consequences.
There is an ethical problem as participants were deceived and may have felt embarrassed upon discovering the true nature of the experiment.
All participants were male
Asch’s study (1951) and Sherif’s study (1935): Factors influencing participants
-sometimes we are influenced by dispositional factors- due to the persons internal characteristics
-we are also influenced by the social situation that we’re in
Replications of Asch’s study
different group sizes, conformity remained the same
unanimity/social support, conformity decreases
task difficulty, conformity increased with difficulty
