Variables affecting conformity Flashcards
what are the three variables that affect conformity?
Group size, unanimity and task difficulty
What was the aim of Asch’s(1956) line study?
To investigate conformity and majority influence
How many ppts took place in Asch (1956) line study?
123 American male undergraduate students
What were the group sizes in Asch’s line study (1956)
Group sizes of 6-8
How many naïve ppts were in each group?
1
What is a naïve ppt?
A ppt that doesn’t know the experiment is taking place
What is a confederate?
A confederate is a ppt within the study that knows the experiment is taking place
What was the procedure of Asch’s (1956) line study?
• Participants and confederates were presented with 4 lines; 3
comparison lines and 1 control line
• They asked to state which of three lines was the same length as a
control line
• The naïve participant always answered last
• Confederates would give the same incorrect answer for 12 out of 18
trials
• Asch observed how often the participant would give the same
incorrect answer as the confederates versus the correct answer
What were the findings of Asch’s (1956) line study
25% never conformed
75% conformed at least once
5% conformed at all times
Name 2 strengths of Asch’s (1956) line study
High internal validity - There was strict control over extraneous variables,
such as timing of assessment and the type of task used. The participants
did the experiment before without confederates to see if they actually
knew the correct answer, thus removing the confounding variable of a
lack of knowledge. This suggests that valid and reliable ‘cause and effect’
relationships can be established, as well as valid conclusions.
Lab experiment - Extraneous and confounding variables are strictly
controlled, meaning that replication of the experiment is easy. Successful
replication increases the reliability of the findings because it reduces the
likelihood that the observed findings were a ‘one-off’.
Name 2 weaknesses of Asch’s (1956) line study
Lacks population validity due to sampling issues - For example, the
Lacks ecological validity - it was based on peoples’ perception of lines
and so the findings cannot be generalised to real life as it does not reflect
the complexity of real life conformity i.e. where there are many other
confounding variables and majorities exert influence irrespective of being
a large group.
participants were only American male undergraduates, and so the study
was subject to gender bias, where it is assumed that findings from male
participants can be generalised to females
How does groups size affect conformity? (Example paragraph)
Point: An individual is more likely to conform when in a larger group.
Evidence: There was low conformity with group size of confederates were
less than 3 - any more than 3 and the conformity rose by 30%
Explanation: a person is more likely to conform if all members of the
group are in agreement and give the same answer, because it will
increase their confidence in correctness of the group, and decrease their
confidence in their own answer. Conformity does not seem to increase in
groups larger than four so this is considered the optimal group size.
Link: This shows that the majority must be at least 3 to exert an influence,
but an overwhelming majority is not needed in all instances to bring about
conformity
How does unanimity affect conformity? (Example paragraph)
Point: An individual is more likely to conform when the group is
unanimous i.e. all give the same answer, as opposed to them all giving
different answers.
Evidence: When joined by another participant or disaffected confederate
who gave the correct answer, conformity fell from 32% to 5.5%. If different
answers are given, it falls from 32% to 9%.
Explanation: the more unanimous the group is, the more confidence the
participant will have that they are all correct, and therefore the
participant’s answer is more likely to be incorrect
Link: Unanimity is vital in establishing a consistent majority view, which is
particularly important by providing normative social influence through
preventing any conflicting views arising.
How does task difficulty affect conformity? (Example paragraph)
Point: An individual is more likely to conform when the group is
unanimous i.e. all give the same answer, as opposed to them all giving
different answers.
Evidence: When joined by another participant or disaffected confederate
who gave the correct answer, conformity fell from 32% to 5.5%. If different
answers are given, it falls from 32% to 9%.
Explanation: the more unanimous the group is, the more confidence the
participant will have that they are all correct, and therefore the
participant’s answer is more likely to be incorrect
Link: Unanimity is vital in establishing a consistent majority view, which is
particularly important by providing normative social influence through
preventing any conflicting views arising.
