Variables Affecting Conformity

• :) RTS Lucas

  > asked students to solve 'easy' and 'hard' maths problems

  > participants were given three other (wrong) answers from other 'students'

  > participants conformed more when the problems were difficult

  > supports because when the task is harder, conformity increases
• :( criticising Lucas

  > Lucas found that conformity is more complex than Asch suggested

  > participants with high confidence in their maths abilities conformed less on the hard maths problems

  > shows that an individual level factor can influence conformity and interact with situational variables

  > limits Asch's research into variables affecting conformity
• :( gender bias

  > only males were tested

  > difficult to generalise the findings to females as they may be more conformist - Neto 1995

  > shows that gender can determine level of conformity

  > reduces the external validity of Asch's research
• :( culture bias

  > conducted in America

  > difficult to generalise the findings to non-Western, collectivist cultures, where social groups are more important than the individual, so may conform more to be liked (found by Bond and Smith)

  > weakens external validity of Asch's research