conformity: asch

• ASCHS STUDY

  Group Size

  1-15

  what was the conformity %

  With two confederates, conformity to wrong answer was 13.6%; with three, it rose to 31.8%.
• Unanimity in aschs study

  (the extent group members agree with eachother)

  
  

  • the dissenting confederate reduces conformity, even if the answer was right/wrong.
  • enabled naive participants to be more independent.
• Task Difficulty in aschs study

  made the stimulus line and comparable line similar

  does conformity increase or decrease? is ISI OR NSI involved

  Conformity increases with harder tasks ISI THEN PLAYS GREATER ROLE; ambiguity leads to seeking guidance.
• Asch's Findings Limitations


  Findings are limited to certain groups and situations (only men ect)

  Situation and task was artificial, findings don't generalise everyday situations, some people may act a certain way as they know they're being tested.
• Naive Participants in aschs study were unaware of...?


  Participants unaware of the true nature of the study; may respond differently.
• Demand Characteristics is when participants...

  Participants alter behavior based on perceived expectations.
• Gender Bias in aschs study studied who...

  Asch's findings tested only men, limiting generalizability.
• Friendship Influence led to... (aschs)

  Conformity higher among friends than strangers, impacting results.
• one benefit of aschs study

  highlighting peoples susceptibility to group conformity, factors that affected it.
• Asch's Study 1

  - participants identified the length of a standard line

  - first few trials confederates gave correct answers, then all selected same wrong answers

  - 18 trials each

  1) naive participants gave wrong answer 36.8% of the time as they agreed with confederates answers

  2) 25% never gave wrong answers, 75% conformed at least once

  3) most conformed to avoid rejection (NSI) and privately trusted own opinions (COMPLIANCE)
• What is conformity?


  Agreeing with a group to fit in and avoid rejection, even if the individual disagrees internally.
• What is a confederate

  Individuals who are part of the research study but act like participants.
• What is a Critical Trial (Asch)

  Specific trials in the study where confederates intentionally gave the wrong answer.
• What is Compliance


  Publicly agreeing with the group while privately maintaining a different opinion.
• What is the Ash effect?

  high level of conformity even in unambiguous situations
• THREE factors affecting conformity in aschs

  group size

  unanimity

  task difficulty