Weaknesses

• Ethical issues

  Ppts were deceived - told it was a perception test but it was on normative social influence (Asch didn’t get informed consent)
• demand characteristics

  • Ppts may believe They should go along with what is expected of them (theres no reason not to conform)
• Fiske

  • argues that Asch’s groups were not r es, life groups we see everyday (“not very groupy”)
  • Findings can’t be generalised
• only men tested

  • Neto suggested that women might be more conformist, possibly because they are more concerned with social relationships
• only Americans studied

  • America is an individualist culture
  • Smith And bond found that countries like China (collectivist cultures) .have much higher conformity rates