1
Q
What were the findings of Asch’s Experiment?
A
- 75% conformed in at least 1/18 trials
- 25% did not conform at all
- 5% conformed in every trial
2
Q
How did findings change with group size?
A
- W/ one confederate = 3% conformity
- W/ two confederates = 13% conformity
- W/ three + confederates = 32% conformity
3
Q
How did findings change with task difficulty? How did Asch change Task difficulty?
A
- When the task was harder = more conformity (more informational social influence)
- He made the lines more similar in length
4
Q
How did findings change with Unanimity?
A
- When the group had unanimity (everyone agreed) = conformity increased
- When one person in the group gave a different answer = conformity dropped
- One confederate that went against the group = conformity from 33% to 5%
- When the rebel confederate answered the question wrong = conformity from 33% to 9%
5
Q
Evaluation of Asch (1951, 1956)
What was wrong with the sample?
A
- Gender bias: experiment only included males
- Cultural bias: experiment only included white American men
- No Population validity: a volunteer sample was used
Unrepresentative of women and other cultures
Volunteer samples mean it does not represent a wider population, and the experiment cannot be generalised to represent the wider population.
6
Q
Evaluation of Asch (1951, 1956)
What was wrong with the methodology?
A
- Temporal Validity: study conducted 80 years ago, people were more conformist due to post war attitudes.
- Mundane Realism: experiment did not reflect real life (was about lines)
- Ecological Validity: experiment cannot be generalised to real life
7
Q
Evaluation of Asch (1951, 1956)
What were the pros and cons with the ethics?
A
- Deception: Participants believed they were taking part in a test of perception
- Lack of Informed Consent: Participants did not agree to take part in a study about conformity
- Psychological Harm: Participants were out in a stressful and embarrassing situation.
Prevented Demand Characteristics: participants didn’t change their behaviour to try and prove they wouldn’t conform - Prevent invalidity: if demand characteristics were presented, the study would have been invalid.
