conformity: Asch's research

conformity: Asch's research

1. Asch's research

   • procedure
     • compare the length of the standard line with 3 other lines
       • 123 white male undergraduates
         • 6 - 8 confederates
           • 18 trails - 12 critical trials
   • findings
     • participants conformed 37% of the time
       • 25% didn't conform at all
         • 75% conformed at least once
           • Asch effect
             • extent it which participants conform even when it's ambiguous
               • they conformed to avoid rejection

2. Asch's variation

   • which conditions increase/ decrease conformity
     • group size
       • 3 confederates conformity rose by 32%
       • any more made little difference
     • unanimity
       • another non conforming person
       • conformity reduced by 25%
     • task difficulty
       • making it harder to judge the length of the line
       • conformity increased
         • ISI plays a greater role when the task is harder
           • more ambiguous

3. evaluation

   • a child of its time
     • Perrin & Spencer
       • repeated on engineering students
         • out of 400 trilas only 1 person conformed
     • 1950s America was a very conformist time
       • following social norms
     • not consistent across time
   • artificial situation and task
     • demand characteristics
       • trivial task
     • groups didn't resemble everyday
     • can't be generalised to everyday
   • limited application of study
     • only tested men
       • women more conformist
     • all American
       • individualist culture
         • higher conformity rates

4. evaluation +

   • findings only apply to certain situations
     • conformity might have been higher as
       • trying to impress strangers
         • but people still try and impress friends
   • naïve participants were deceived
     • unethical - thought confederates were real participants