Asch's variations

• What are Asch's variations?

  group size, unanimity, task difficulty
• Group size variation:

  used 1,2,3,4,8,10,15 number of confederates

  1 confederate = 3%

  2 confederates = 13%

  3 confederates = 31.8%

  4 or more confederates = 35%
• Group size conclusions:

  increasing the size of the majority group causes more social influence, but this is maximal at 4 confederates and it doesn't significantly increase past Asch's original 36.8% after this point
• Unanimity variation:

  one confederate provided the right answer, and gave support to the PTP

  1 confederate = 5.5% conformity rate
• Unanimity conclusions:

  Breaking unanimity reduces the conformity effect, having a supportive confederate gives a PTP confidence to give the correct answer
• Task difficulty variations:

  the previously ambiguous task became more difficult as lines became closer together and harder to distinguish

  harder task = 57% conformity
• Task difficulty conclusions:

  Increasing task difficulty causes conformity rates to increase at PTPS now experience both NSI and ISI
• Who did an experiment into conformity to social roles?

  Zimbardo?
• Stanford experiment procedure:

  24 male students randomly allocated to role of prisoner or guard, both experienced deindividualisation

  Zimbardo acted as the superintendent, making it an overt participant observation

  it was planned to run for 14 days
• Stanford experiment findings:

  guards and prisoners conformed to their social roles

  guards - became violent and physically and psychologically harmed the prisoners, prisoners - became very distressed and talked a lot about their 'prison life'

  the experiment was cut short and stopped after 6 days
• Stanford experiment conclusions:

  Zimbardo provides evidence for identification - changed their private and public behaviour when they identify with the majority group

  evidence for conforming to social roles