Define conformity
When you take on the norms or values of a social group
What will you say in first part of a01
Research into conformity has been heavily influenced by the work of asch 1951
Tye second thing to say is what asch investigated which was
The extent to which an individual will comform to a majority influence in an unambiguous situation
Third you will say asch method which includrs key info wh7ich is
All men ( androcentric)
Wrong answers in 12 out of 18 trials ( critical trials)
8 people one participant
4th give results of asch experiment 1951
Conformaty rate of 32% on critical trials
75% participants conformed adleast once
5th talk about his variations which were and results
Unanimity ( conformaty decreased to 5.5)
Group size ( 2 confederates = 13%, 3 or more = 32%)
Task difficulty ( higher)
Last sentence
Together the study illustrate how situational factors and social pressures can shape conformity
Why is asch lacking ecological validity a problem
The artificial task isn’t a high stake or a real life situation therefore people may act differently
This means that the results can’t generalise to everyday behaviour, making the study less externally valid
What is wrong with asch experiment being androcentric
Limits population validity
Has been shown women generally show high conformaty
Can’t generalise to everyone
Why is deception an issue in asch experiment
Makes it unethical
Was nessasary to avoid demand characteristics
May have embarrassed them
Strength
Highly controlled lab study meant control over extraneous variables
Different conditions meant more internal validity and develop theories into normative and informational social influence
