Variables Affecting Conformity - Asch Flashcards
State the years Asch conducted his conformity studies.
1951 and 1955
Describe the procedure of Asch’s baseline study
123 male US undergraduates were placed in groups of 9 participants. Only one naïve participant present in the group; the rest were confederates. The participants were shown 3 lines that differed in length and asked to say aloud which was the same length as the ‘standard’ line. Confederates deliberately instructed to give same wrong answers in all of the 12 trials.
123 ABC
Results and conclusions of Asch’s baseline study
When confederates gave same wrong answer, mean conformity rate = 36.8%
75% naïve participants conformed to the group at least once across the 12 trials.
3 plus 6 is 9 minus 1 naïve participant - 36.8%
What is a dissenting confederate
A colleague of the researcher who is aware of the aim of the study and who goes against the group by giving a correct or different wrong answer.
State the three variables which affect conformity
Group, Unanimity and Task difficulty.
Outline the procedure and effect of unanimity on conformity
Added a dissenting confederate to the group.
Conformity reduced from 32% to 5.5%
Outline the procedure and effect of group size on conformity
Asch varied the number of confederates giving the answer from 1-15 and found a curvilinear relationship. Conformity with 3 confederates reached 31.8% and adding any more had no effect and conformity levelled off.
Outline the procedure and effect of task difficulty on conformity
Asch added some more difficult line judgement tasks in which the comparison line and standard line were less obviously different. Conformity increased when line judgement more difficult.
Strength and counter of Asch’s research
Research methodology. Controlled lab study. Provides objective, measurable and quantifiable data. High internal validity as used a clear IV (majority of opinion) and a clear DV (% of participants conforming) Can be easily replicated to strengthen Asch’s original findings. Smith et al (2006) replicated the study and produced similar results.
COUNTER - Low ecological validity. Artificial and does not reflect conformity in everyday life such as smoking/drinking around friends. Also didn’t reflect the groups we are with in everyday life. Limited in their applicability
Smith boring so copied Asch
3 Limitations of Asch’s research
Lack’s temporal validity:
Experiment took place in 1950s America in a period of McCarthyism which was strongly anti-communist and in which left-wing protagonists were ostracised by the ultraconservative. Such culture is likely to breed a culture of non-conformity.
Perrin and Spencer (1981) repeated the study in the UK and only one person conformed out of 396 trials.
Ethical issues: Deception. Fake participants and fake aims (told it was a test of eye-sight). Many reported feeling stressed and self-conscious when they disagreed with the majority. COUNTER - Fully debriefed and interviewed after the study.
Unrepresentative sample: Males (beta bias) from the US, an individualist culture (culture bias). May not accurately represent conformity rates in other countries. Smith et al (2006) analysed Asch type studies across different cultures. Found conformity higher among collectivist cultures across Africa and Asia. This could be because in collectivist cultures the social group and supporting group decisions are more important than the individual.
Smith trying to branch out and be cultural.
