Variables affecting conformity

• How does group size affect conformity?

  Conformity rates increase as the size of a majority group increases. However, the size of the group stops having an effect on conformity once the group reaches a certain size.
• What is the rate of conformity when there is one real participant and one confederate?

  3%
• What is the rate of conformity when there is one real participant and two confederates?

  13%
• What is the rate conformity when there is one real participant and three confederates?

  32%
• What happens to the rate of conformity after there are 3 confederates?

  Conformity plateaued - doesn't increase.
• How does conformity change when a dissenter breaks the group's unanimity?

  Conformity decreases
• What is unanimity?


  Complete agreement from a group of people about an answer or viewpoint.
• How did Asch investigate unanimity?

  He had one confederate give the correct answers throughout.
• What was the rate of conformity when one confederate gave the correct answers throughout?

  5.5%
• How did Asch use a 'lone' confederate to investigate unanimity?


  He had a confederate give an answer that was both different from the majority and different to the correct answer.
• What was the rate of conformity when a 'lone' confederate was used?

  9%
• How did Asch investigate task difficulty?

  He made the stimulus line and comparison lines more similar in length so that the correct answer was less obvious and therefore the task was harder.
• Why does task difficulty affect conformity?

  As the right answer becomes less obvious, we lose confidence in our own ability and are more likely to conform.
• What does task difficulty suggest about conformity?

  Informational Social Influence plays a greater role when the task becomes harder. When situations are unclear, we are more likely to look to others for guidance.
• What happens to the rate of conformity when task difficulty increases?


  Conformity increases.
• How can variables affecting conformity be praised for having research to support?

  • Conducted by Lucas et al.

  • He asked students to give answers to maths problems that were easy or difficult.

  • He found that there was greater conformity to incorrect answers when the problems were difficult rather than easy. •Therefore, supporting Asch's research into variables affecting conformity because it suggests that when the task is harder, conformity increases.