Asch's study and variables

• What is conformity?

  A change in behavior due to group pressure
• What was the purpose of Asch's 1951 study?

  To assess the extent of conformity to others
• What was the baseline procedure in Asch's study?

  • 123 American male participants
  • Participants saw 2 large cards: a standard line and 3 comparison lines
  • One comparison line matched the standard line
  • Participants answered in groups of 6-8, with only 1 genuine participant
  • Confederates gave scripted wrong answers
• How often did genuine participants conform to confederates' incorrect answers?

  36.8% of the time
• What individual difference was noted in Asch's findings?

  25% of participants were never conformers
• What variables did Asch investigate in his study?

  1. Group size
  2. Unanimity
  3. Task difficulty
• How did group size affect conformity in Asch's study?

  Conformity increased with group size, then leveled off
• What was the conformity rate with 3 confederates?

  31.8% conformed to the wrong answer
• What does TST suggest about people's sensitivity to others' views?

  One or two confederates can sway opinion
• How did the presence of a non-conforming confederate affect conformity?

  Conformity decreased to less than 1/4 of unanimous levels
• What does TST indicate about the influence of majority opinion?

  Majority influence depends on unanimity
• How did task difficulty affect conformity in Asch's study?

  Increased difficulty led to higher conformity rates
• What type of social influence is suggested when the task is harder?

  Informational social influence
• What are the limitations of Asch's research?

  • Artificial task and situation
  • Demand characteristics may have influenced results
  • Limited application due to all male participants
  • Findings may not generalize to real-world situations
• What did Fiske (2014) argue about Asch's groups?

  They didn't resemble everyday groups
• How does culture affect conformity according to Bond and Smith (1996)?

  Collectivist cultures show higher conformity rates
• What did Neto (1995) suggest about gender differences in conformity?

  Women may be more conformist due to social concerns
• What research supports the effects of task difficulty on conformity?

  • Lucas et al (2006) study
  • Participants solved easy and hard math problems
  • Conformity increased with harder problems
• What did Lucas et al find about confidence and conformity?

  More confident participants conformed less on hard tasks
• What did Asch fail to research regarding conformity?

  The roles of individual factors in conformity