Variables affecting conformity

Question 1

Who conducted research into variables affecting conformity?

Answer 1

Asch

Question 2

How many participants were there in Asch’s study?

Answer 2

123

Question 3

What gender were all of Asch’s participants?

Answer 3

Male

Question 4

What nationality were all of Asch’s participants?

Answer 4

American

Question 5

What task were Asch’s participants asked to do?

Answer 5

Verbally state which of 3 comparison lines was the same as a standard line

Question 6

Per each of Asch’s groups, how many were real participants?

Answer 6

1

Question 7

Per each of Asch’s groups, what were the majority of ‘participants’?

Answer 7

Confederates

Question 8

When did the participant always give their answer?

Answer 8

Penultimately

Question 9

In Asch’s original study, how obvious was the answer?

Answer 9

Fairly obvious

Question 10

How many trials were there for each of Asch’s groups?

Answer 10

18

Question 11

How many of Asch’s trials were critical?

Answer 11

12

Question 12

What was the conformity rate during Asch’s critical trials?

Answer 12

33%

Question 13

What percentage of Asch’s participants never conformed?

Answer 13

25%

Question 14

In Asch’s control condition, what percentage of participants gave the wrong answer?

Answer 14

1%

Question 15

What explanation of conformity can explain Asch’s findings?

Answer 15

NSI

Question 16

What 3 variables affect conformity?

Answer 16

Group size, taskdifficulty + unanimity

Question 17

In Asch’s group size variation, what was conformity like when one or two confederates were present?

Answer 17

It was very low

Question 18

In Asch’s group size variation, what was the rate of conformity when three confederates were present?

Answer 18

It increased to 30%

Question 19

What happened in Asch’s study when a confederate ally was provided?

Answer 19

Conformity fell to 5.5%

Question 20

What happened when Asch made the difference in lengths of the comparison lines smaller?

Answer 20

Conformity increased

Question 21

What are the 4 AO3 points of variables affecting conformity?

Answer 21

1) Lab study
2) McCarthyism
3) Independent behaviour rather than conformity
4) Unconvincing confederates

Question 22

Give 2 examples of extraneous variables controlled for in Asch’s study.

Answer 22

The lengths of lines and time of assessment was kept the same for all participants

Question 23

Why did Asch’s task lack mundane realism?

Answer 23

In the real world we tend to see social pressure + conformity in situations such as peer pressure into smoking

Question 24

What was McCarthyism?

Answer 24

A strong anti-communist period where people were afraid to not conform

Question 25

What ‘campaign’ may explain why Asch’s participants conformed?

Answer 25

McCarthyism

Question 26

What type of students was Asch’s study replicated on in the 80s?

Answer 26

British engineering students

Question 27

In the study that investigated conformity in British engineering students, how many trials were there?

Answer 27

396

Question 28

In the study that investigated conformity in British engineering students, out of the 396 trials, how many found a conforming response?

Answer 28

1

Question 29

Due to McCarthyism, what validity do Asch’s findings lack?

Answer 29

Temporal

Question 30

Why do Asch’s findings tell us more about independent behaviour than conformity?

Answer 30

Because 2/3 never conformed in the criticial trials

Question 31

What is the main issue with Asch’s confederates?

Answer 31

It would have been difficult for the confederates to convincingly give the obviously incorrect answer

Question 32

What may the ‘unconvincing confederates’ have led to?

Answer 32

Demand characteristics from the participants

Question 33

How did one follow up study overcome the problem of unconvincing confederates?

Answer 33

By giving participants polarising glasses - 3 participants had the same filters, whereas 1 had a different filter