Variables for conformity

• What was the main aim of Asch's original study?

  To examine social pressure's effect on conformity
• What was the sample size of Asch's study?

  50 male American students
• What task did Asch use in his study?

  A line judgement task
• How many confederates were present in Asch's experiment?

  Seven confederates
• What did the real participant believe about the confederates?

  They were also real participants
• How many trials did each participant complete?

  18 trials
• What percentage of critical trials did participants conform to the incorrect answers?

  32% of critical trials
• What percentage of participants never conformed in Asch's study?

  25% of participants
• What was the result of Asch's control group?

  Less than 1% gave an incorrect answer
• Why did participants conform according to post-experiment interviews?

  To fit in or avoid ridicule
• What are the key variables Asch tested in his follow-up studies?

  • Group size
  • Unanimity
  • Task difficulty
• How did group size affect conformity in Asch's variations?

  Conformity increased with more confederates
• What was the conformity rate with one confederate?

  3% of critical trials
• What was the conformity rate with three confederates?

  32% of critical trials
• What happened to conformity when one confederate gave the correct answer?

  Conformity dropped to 5%
• How did breaking the group's unanimous position affect conformity?

  It reduced conformity significantly
• What effect did task difficulty have on conformity?

  Increased difficulty led to higher conformity
• What did Perrin and Spencer's study find about conformity rates?

  Only one student conformed in 396 trials
• What might explain the lower conformity in Perrin and Spencer's study?

  Engineering students felt more confident
• What limitation does Asch's research have regarding time?

  Conformity may not be consistent over time
• What is a limitation of the artificial situation in Asch's study?

  It doesn't resemble real-life group dynamics
• What did Fiske (2014) say about Asch's groups?

  They were not very groupy
• What gender limitation exists in Asch's study?

  Only men were tested in the study
• How do collectivist cultures differ in conformity rates compared to individualist cultures?

  Collectivist cultures have higher conformity rates
• What did Williams and Sogon (1984) find about conformity among friends?

  Conformity was higher among friends
• What ethical issues were raised by Asch's research?

  Deception and protection from harm
• Why was deception necessary in Asch's study?

  To achieve valid results without demand characteristics
• What psychological harm did participants experience in Asch's study?

  Many felt stressed when disagreeing
• How did Asch address the ethical concerns after the experiment?

  He interviewed participants post-experiment
• What should be considered when weighing ethical costs against benefits in research?

  The validity of results versus participant welfare