criticisms

• lack ecological validity


  -judging line length not real activity

  -not generalise to behaviour in real world

  (crutchfield)
• lacks temporal validity


  -findings specific to particular historical time

  -era very conservative & against anyone who held left wing views

  -not relevant today

  (Perrin & Spencer)
• Perrin & Spencer 


  -repeated Asch's procedure with British students

  -found only 1 conforming response in 396 trials

  -Asch's findings DO lack temporal validity
• Perrin & Spencer weakness

  -used maths, chemistry & engineering students

  -knowledge & skills for course possibly resist conformity pressures
• lacks population validity - androcentric 


  -all male sample

  -can't generalise to women

  -some research shows women slightly more conformist

  -later research found women only conform more when researcher was male / group male orientated
• lacks population validity - endocentric


  -all American

  -America = individualistic society

  -findings may not generalise to collectivist societies

  -collectivist societies been found to have higher conformity levels
• unethical


  -breaks ethical guidelines

  -Ps deceived > told study about line perception

  -confederates

  -not protected from harm as suffered stress & embarrassment