Asch's Research - Conformity

• Conformity - Asch's Research

  Asch's research demonstrated NSI

  • Lab experiment
  • Independent groups
  • Only one real participant was in each group
  • Judged line lengths by saying which matched the standard line, out loud
  • Real participant was the last to voice their answer
  • In the critical condition 75% of participants conformed at least once
  • In the control group 0.7% conformed - gave answers in isolation
• Factors affecting conformity

  • Group size - More confederates increases conformity. No increase after 3 confederates
  • Unanimity - Decreases conformity. If a non-conformer confederate picks a different answer from the majority, you are more likely to select your original answer. Breaks unanimity
  • Task difficulty-Increases conformity. Answers become more ambiguous so we look to our peers for support
• Evaluating Asch's Research

  + High internal validity. Lab study. High control over variables. Standardised instructions, same behaviour from the confederates and researchers.

  + Reliable study. Could easily be replicated in the same way today. (link to standardisation)

  - Lacks ecological validity. Conducted in a lab + use of artificial materials. Says little about how conformity works in real life social settings. Unlikely that we would ever find ourselves in the same situation that he created naturally

  - Lacks temporal validity. In the 1950s, the USA was very conservative and was involved in an anti-communist witch hunt against anybody who thought to hold left wing view. May not generalise well to todays social contexts