“Conformity”

• What was the main focus of Asch's (1956) research?

  Conformity using line-length judgments
• What percentage of critical trials showed conformity in Asch's study?

  37%
• What is internalisation in the context of conformity?

  Altering beliefs to align with the group
• What is compliance in the context of conformity?

  Outwardly conforming to avoid discomfort
• How did group unanimity affect conformity rates in Asch's study?

  Conformity dropped to 5% with an ally
• How many male American participants were tested in Asch's study?

  123 participants
• What percentage of true participants' responses were incorrect?

  36.8%
• What percentage of participants conformed at least once in Asch's study?

  75%
• What did Asch's control trial reveal about the line test difficulty?

  People made mistakes only 1% of the time
• What variations did Asch explore in his study?

  • Task difficulty
  • Size of majority
  • Unanimity of majority
• How did Asch increase the task difficulty in his study?

  By making line lengths closer together
• What was the effect of a majority of three on conformity rates?

  Conformity increased to 31.8%
• What happened to conformity rates when one confederate gave the correct answer?

  Conformity dropped considerably
• What are the strengths and limitations of Asch's research?

  Strengths:

  • Research can be repeated (reliable)

  
  

  Limitations:

  • Low validity (artificial task)
  • Demand characteristics
  • Poor generalizability
  • Low temporal validity
  • Individual differences
  • Ethical issues (consent)
• Why is Asch's research considered to have low temporal validity?

  People's behavior has changed over time
• How might Asch's findings influence criminal court decisions?

  They highlight the impact of group pressure
• What is conformity?

  A change in behavior due to pressure
• How does group size affect conformity according to Asch's findings?

  Conformity increases with group size, up to a point
• What is the maximum group size that significantly affects conformity?

  Three confederates
• What does unanimity refer to in the context of conformity?

  The extent to which all group members agree
• How does task difficulty influence conformity in Asch's study?

  Conformity increases as task difficulty increases
• What was the sample size in Asch's conformity study?

  • 123 American men
• Describe the procedure of Asch's line-judging task.

  • Participants saw two cards: one with a standard line and one with comparison lines.
  • They had to identify which comparison line matched the standard line.
  • Only one participant was genuine; others were confederates giving scripted answers.
• What percentage of the time did genuine participants conform to incorrect answers?

  36.8%
• What was the effect of having a dissenter in Asch's study?

  Conformity decreased significantly in their presence
• What are the three main variables that affect conformity according to Asch's research?

  1. Group size
  2. Unanimity
  3. Task difficulty
• What is informational social influence?

  Looking to others for guidance when unsure
• What did Todd Lucas et al. (2006) find regarding task difficulty and conformity?

  • Participants conformed more on harder problems.
  • Supports Asch's claim about task difficulty affecting conformity.
• How can individual-level factors influence conformity?

  They interact with situational variables
• What is conformity?

  Behavior influenced by a larger group
• What are the types of conformity according to Kelman (1955)?

  Internalisation, Compliance, Identification
• What does internalisation mean in conformity?

  Accepting majority views as one's own
• What is compliance in conformity?

  Doing what's expected to fit in
• What does identification mean in conformity?

  Adopting majority views while in a role
• What are the two types of social influence in conformity?

  Normative and Informational social influence
• What was Jenness' (1932) study about jelly beans?

  • Participants guessed jelly beans in a jar
  • Group estimate was formed after individual guesses
  • Most changed their estimates to align with the group
• What is informational social influence?

  Conforming due to uncertainty and seeking guidance
• What is normative social influence?

  Conforming to fit in and gain approval
• What did Sherif (1935) study about conformity?

  Effects of informational social influence
• What method did Sherif use in his experiment?

  Laboratory experiment with repeated measures design