Variables Affecting Conformity

• outline Asch 'visual perception task'


  - 12 critical trials, asked to match 1 of 3 lines to length of a standard line

  - 7-9 confederates

  - conformity 32%, 75% conformed at least once, 5% all 12 times
• outline 'group size' condition (Asch)


  - only 3% conformity with 1 confederate, 13% with 2, 33% with 3
• outline 'unanimity' condition (Asch)


  - if 1 confederate gives correct response (disagreeing with majority),conformity drops to 5.5% due to the role of social support
• outline 'task difficulty' condition (Asch)


  - when difference between the line lengths is small, conformity increases due to the trole of ISI
• A03, Asch

  - Perrin + Spencer: replication on British engineering students in 1980, 1 student conformed in 396 trials; Asch lacks temporal validity

  - potential for demand characteristics from ppts if the confederates aims were guessed

  - lacks mundane realism: task in Asch study is not representative of every day life