social influence

• What was the aim of Asch's study on conformity?


  To investigate conformity through responses of participants to group pressure in an unambiguous situation.
• How many American male students participated in Asch's study?


  123 American male students.
• How many confederates were involved in Asch's study?


  Six to eight confederates.
• What was the method used in Asch's study?


  Participants were shown two large cards with lines and asked to select the matching line.
• How many trials were conducted in Asch's study?


  18 trials.
• What percentage of the time did participants give the wrong answer on critical trials?


  1/3 of the time.
• What percentage of participants never gave a wrong answer in Asch's study?


  25% of the participants.
• What does Asch's study conclude about group pressure?


  It shows that people are influenced by group pressure.
• What does Asch's study reveal about independence in the face of group pressure?


  It shows a high level of independence as the majority went against group opinion.
• What is one weakness of Asch's study regarding its historical context?


  It may only reflect conformity in 1950s America.
• What did Perrin and Spencer find when they repeated Asch's study in 1980 in the UK?


  They found just one conforming response in 396 trials.
• What does the result of Perrin and Spencer's study suggest about the Asch effect?


  It suggests that the Asch effect is not consistent over time.
• What is another weakness of Asch's study related to the task and situation?


  The task and situation are artificial and do not reflect everyday situations.
• How does the artificial nature of Asch's study affect its results?


  It means that the results may not explain more serious real-world conformity situations.
• What cultural differences did Bond and Smith find in conformity rates?


  Collectivist countries like China produce higher conformity rates than individualist countries like America and the UK.
• What does the cultural difference in conformity suggest about Asch's findings?


  It suggests that Asch's findings cannot be generalized to collectivist cultures.
• What are the social factors affecting conformity according to Asch's study?


  • Group size: More people increase pressure to conform.
  • Anonymity: Writing answers anonymously reduces conformity.
  • Task difficulty: Harder tasks increase conformity.
• What was the effect of group size on conformity in Asch's study?


  With two confederates, conformity was 13.6%, and with three confederates, it was 31.8%.
• What did Campbell and Fairey find regarding group size and conformity?


  When there is no obvious answer, people don't tend to conform unless the group size is 8 or more.
• How did anonymity affect conformity in Asch's study?


  When participants could write down answers, conformity was lower.
• How does task difficulty influence conformity?


  If comparison lines are more similar to the standard, the task becomes harder and conformity increases.
• What did Lucas et al. find regarding expertise and task difficulty?


  People with more expertise are less affected by task difficulty.
• What are dispositional factors in conformity?


  Characteristics of a person that influence their conformity.
• How does an internal locus of control affect conformity?


  It leads to lower conformity.
• What did Burger and Cooper find regarding desire for control and conformity?


  Participants with a high desire for control were less likely to agree with a confederate's ratings.
• How does familiarity affect the importance of control in conformity?


  Control is less important in familiar situations.
• How does expertise influence conformity according to Lucas et al.?


  More knowledgeable people tend to be less conformist.
• What is a limitation of the explanation of conformity based on dispositional factors?


  No single factor can explain conformity completely.
• What was the aim of Milgram's study on obedience?


  To see if people would obey an unreasonable order to deliver electric shocks.
• How many male participants volunteered for Milgram's study?


  Forty male participants.
• What role did the "teacher" have in Milgram's study?


  The teacher was instructed to give shocks to the learner when a mistake was made.
• What was the maximum voltage participants could administer in Milgram's study?


  450 volts.
• What percentage of participants continued to the maximum voltage in Milgram's study?


  65% continued to 450 volts.
• What was a significant reaction observed in participants during Milgram's study?


  Participants showed extreme tension, with some having seizures.
• What situational factors made it difficult for participants to disobey in Milgram's study?


  The experimenter wearing a lab coat, the prestigious location, and the uncertainty of the situation.
• What is one weakness of Milgram's study regarding realism?


  Participants may not have believed that the shocks were real.
• What did Perry find regarding participants' beliefs about the shocks in Milgram's study?


  Participants voiced suspicions about the shocks.
• What is one strength of Milgram's study regarding obedience levels?


  Other studies have found similar obedience levels.
• What did Sheridan and King find in their study related to obedience?


  100% of females followed orders to give what they thought was a fatal shock to a puppy.
• What ethical issue is raised by Milgram's study?


  Participants experienced considerable distress, raising questions about psychological damage.