Variables Affecting Conformity

Question 1

Asch aim

Answer 1

Examine the extent to which social pressure from a majority, could affect a person to conform

Question 2

Asch procedure

Answer 2

123 male US undergraduates were seated around a table and asked to look at the length of 3 lines. On 12 of the 18 trials confederates gave false answers

Question 3

Asch findings

Answer 3

On 12 of the critical trials, the average conformity was 33% to the incorrect result
25% of participants never conformed
He interviewed participants and found that they changed their answers to fit public opinion

Question 4

How does group size effect conformity?

Answer 4

When the majority consisted of only 1 or 2 confederates, then conformity was low. When it was 3, conformity shot up to 30%

Question 5

How does unanimity of the confederates effect conformity?

Answer 5

When one of the confederates was instructed to give correct answers, percentage of wrong answers dropped to 5.5%

Question 6

How does difficulty of the task effect conformity?

Answer 6

When line length differences were much shorter, conformity increased

Question 7

Independent behaviour rather than conformity evaluation

Answer 7

66% of participants still stuck to their answers despite the majority expressing a different view, demonstrating independent behaviour.

Question 8

Problems with determining the effect of group size

Answer 8

Bond (2005) suggests that the limited range of majority sizes, no size greater than nine. This suggests we know very little about the effect of larger majority sizes