RESEARCH

• WHO CARRIED OUT THE RESEARCH ON VARIABLES AFFECTING CONFORMITY?

  Asch
• WHAT DID ASCH RESEARCH?

  variables affecting conformity
• AIM OF ASCH'S RESEARCH?

  to investigate how social pressure from a majority group could influence an individual to conform
• METHOD OF ASCH'S RESEARCH?

  1. Participants sat in a row with confederates
  2. Shown two cards (one card had one line and the other had three (A, B, C))
  3. Asked to state which ones matched
  4. Participants always asked last
  5. For first two trials, confederates gave correct answers
  6. On third trial, confederates all gave the same wrong answer
• FINDINGS OF ASCH'S RESEARCH?

  • in 37% of incorrect trials the participants conformed and gave the same incorrect answer
  • in control condition participants were only incorrect 1% of the time
  • 75% of participants conformed at least once
• WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CONTROL CONDITION?

  confederates didn't give incorrect answers
• CONCLUSION OF ASCH'S RESEARCH?

  subjects often conformed as a result of

  • distortion of perception (due to stress of group pressure)
  • distortion of judgement
  • distortion of action