Social influence

• Conformity


  Change in behaviour and/ or beliefs in response to influence of others; the pressure to conform can be real or imagined
• Aim of Asch conformity experiment

  Investigate influence of an unambiguous line judgement task on conformity levels
• Procedure of asch experiment into conformity

  Naive participants in a room with 6-8 c9nfederates; each person in the room had to tate alone which lime was most like h standard line, seated 2nd to last.

  18 trials total and confederates gave the wrong answer on 12 trails critical trials
• Asch conformity findings

  Conformed on 32% of critical trials

  75% confirmed at least once

  Interviews afterwards participants said they didn't believe their incorrect answer
• Conclusions of aschs experiment

  • Type of conformity was compliance as t was only a temporary change
  • Reason was normative social influence as most participants were driven out of desire to be liked
• Aim and procedure of aschs unanimity

  Asch believed unanimity of the confederates and in order to investigate this he introduced a disagreeing confederate
• Findings and conclusions of aschs unanimity variable

  When 1 confederate gave the correct answer conformity dropped to 5%

  The dissenters may reduce NSI power due to social support they provide

  Reduce ISI as they were an alternative source of information
• Aim and procedure of aschs group size variable

  How does group size impact conformity so he varied number of confederates present from 1- 15
• Findings and conclusion of aschs group size variable

  Conformity increased with group size to a point

  1 confederate conformity is really low 3%

  3 confederates it rose to the same level as his original study

  Beyond 3 it didn't continue rise

  Smaller group NSI isn't as powerful but with 3 people he desire t be liked is much stronger