Asch study AO3

• ASCH study AO3

  P - weakness - first of its kind and took in a different period of time.

  E - Asch results are unique because research took place in a particular time of the US history when conformity was high. In 1950s the US was in grip of McCarthyism

  E - TMB, during this period anti-communist period when psople where scared to go against majority and most likely to conform. Therefore, this may have been reflected in Asch study as people might have conformed out of fear.

  L - therefore finding cannot be generalised to now and therefore findings lack temporal validity.
• Who attempted to repeat the Asch study in the UK during the 1980s?

  Perrin and Spencer
• How many conforming responses did Perrin and Spencer obtain out of 396 trials in their initial study?

  1 conforming response
• What did the different findings in the repeated study suggest about conformity?

  Conformity was very likely to occur
• What does the inconsistency in findings from the Asch study suggest about the reliability of the research?

  The research is unreliable as findings are not constant each time the study is repeated
• In the study using youths on probation, who were the confederates?

  Probation officers
• What did the findings from the probation study suggest about conformity?

  Conformity is more likely if the perceived costs of not conforming are high
• What historical context was mentioned that relates to conformity in the US?

  The McCarthy era
• What has further research indicated about evidence on conformity?

  There is conflicting evidence on conformity
• What are the key findings from Perrin and Spencer's attempts to replicate the Asch study?

  • 1 conforming response out of 396 trials in initial study
  • Different findings in repeated study suggested conformity was likely
  • Research is unreliable due to inconsistent findings
• How does the context of the McCarthy era relate to conformity findings?

  • High perceived costs of not conforming
  • Similar findings to Asch study when using probation youths
  • Suggests context influences conformity levels
• What is a weakness of research in conformity according to the study material?

  Studies have used only a limited range of majority sizes.
• Why is the majority size of three confederates significant in Asch's study?

  It was accepted as sufficient for maximal influence in subsequent studies.
• Who pointed out that no studies other than Asch have used a majority size greater than nine?

  Bond.
• What is the implication of having little research on larger majority sizes in conformity studies?

  We cannot accept Asch's conclusion that a majority size of three was sufficient for maximal influence.
• What conclusion can be drawn regarding the need for further research in conformity studies?

  • Further research is needed to accept the conclusions proposed by Asch.
  • Larger majority sizes have not been adequately studied.
  • Current conclusions may be limited or inaccurate due to insufficient data.