Social Influence

• What is the definition of conformity?

  A change in a person's behaviour or opinions due to pressure from a person or group.
• How does group size affect conformity according to Asch's research?

  As group size increases, the level of conformity also increases

  With 3 confederates, conformity rose to 32% compared to 3% and 8% with only 1 or 2 confederates

  More confederates made little difference
• What effect does unanimity have on conformity in Asch's study?

  When a disagreeing confederate was introduced, the genuine participants' conformity reduced to less a than a quarter than when the majority was unanimous
• How does task difficulty influence conformity in Asch's line-judging task?

  As task difficulty increases, conformity also increases because the situation became more ambiguous, influenced by informational social influence
• What were the key findings of Asch's baseline procedure?OOOO

  • 75% conformed at least once.
  • 25% never gave a wrong answer.
  • On average, participants conformed 37% of the time
• What variables did Asch investigate in his conformity research?

  Group size, unanimity, and task difficulty.
• What was the effect of introducing a non-conforming confederate in Asch's study?

  Conformity decreased to less a than a quarter than when the majority was unanimous
• How did Asch increase the difficulty of the line-judging task?

  By making the stimulus line and comparison lines more similar in length.
• How could task difficulty affect Imogen's decision-making process?

  • If the decision is complex, she may rely on the group's choice.
  • Increased difficulty may lead to higher conformity.
• What was the approximate conformity rate when there was one confederate in Asch's research?

  Approximately 3%.
• What was the conformity rate when there were three confederates?

  Approximately 32%.
• What is one strength of using a volunteer sampling method in Asch's research?

  It can lead to a more motivated and engaged participant pool.
• What is one limitation of using a volunteer sampling method in Asch's research?

  It may lead to a biased sample that is not representative of the general population.
• What does 'unanimity' mean in the context of conformity?

  It refers to the extent to which all members of a group agree.
• Identify two variables that affect conformity apart from unanimity.

  Group size and task difficulty.
• Outline the procedure of Asch's conformity study.

  Participants judged line lengths with confederates giving wrong answers.
• What were the findings of Asch's conformity study?

  Many participants conformed to the incorrect majority at least once.
• What are some ethical issues related to Asch's research?

  Participants were deceived about the nature of the study.
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Asch's research into conformity?

  Strengths:

  • Provides insight into social influence.
  • Controlled environment allows for replication.
  • Research support from Todd Lucas et la 2006 showing task difficulty is a variable effecting conformity

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Artificial situation may not reflect real-life behavior.
  • Limited application( women and other cultures not represented
  • Ethical concerns regarding deception
• Describe the "limited application" evaluation of Asch's research


  •Participants were all American men

  •Neto 1995 research suggest that woman are more conformist and more concerned with social relationships than men

  •Bond and Smith 1996 suggest collectivist cultures such as in China are more conformist