Variables affecting conformity

Question 1

Varibles that affect conformity

Answer 1

Group size
Unanimity of the majority
The difficulity of the task

Question 2

Group size

Asch (1956)

Answer 2

Found very little conformity with a majoirty of one or two but above this, conformity rates rose to 30%

• Group size is more significant in the absense of objectively correct answer and when the individuals is concenred about fitting in
• It is less significant when their is a correct response and the individuals is concenered about being correct.

Question 3

Unanmimity of the majority

Answer 3

When a confedate gave answers, conformity rates dropped by 5.5%

• Even when a confederate against the majority, giving a different wrong answer, conformity rates dropped by 9% suggesting that breaking the unanmity of the majoirty was the key factor in reducing conformity rates

Question 4

The difficulty of the task

Answer 4

When the task difficulty was increase (smaller differences line lengths), conformity levels also increased

• The relationships between task difficulity and conformity is moderated by self-efficacy
• In situations were individuals have higher self-efficacy, they are more liekly to remain indpendant, regarless of difficulty of the task.

Question 5

Asch (1956)

Procedure

Answer 5

Individual p;s were seated round a table with confederates and asked to judge lines of different lengths and match one of these with a standard line

On 12 of 18 trials confederates were instructed to give the same wrong answer. Asch was interested in whether the real p’s went along with the majority

Question 6

Asch (1956)

Findings

Answer 6

One of these ‘critical’ trials, the average conformity rates was 33%. One quater of the p’s never conformed and 1 in 20 conformed on all 12 critical trials

• The majority of those who conformed admitred to only changing their public behaviour to avoid disapproval from group members.

Question 7

AO3

Question 8

Asch’s research may be a ‘child of its time’

Answer 8

P: Asch’s findings may be unique because the study took place in a period US history where confirmity was more important

E: Perrin and Spencer (1980) repeated Asch’s study with UK students but obtained virtually no conformity. However, in a subseent study, with youths on probation as p’s and probation officers as confederates, they found similar levels of conformity found by Asch in the 1950s

E: This confirmed that conformity is more likely if they percieved cosst of not conforming are high, as with McCarthy era.

Question 9

There are problems with determing the effect of group size

Answer 9

P: Bond (2005) suggests a limitation of research in conformity is that studies have used only a limited range majority sizes

E: Bond points out that no studies other than Asch have used a majority sizes used is much narrowers, typically between 2 and 4.

E: This, suggests Bond, we know very little about the effect of larger majority sizes on conformity levels

Question 10

There are cultural differences in confomity

Answer 10

P: We are likely to find different levels of conformity depending on the culture in which a study takes place.

E: Smith et al. (2006) analysed the results of conformity studies across a number of different cultues. The average conformity rate for individualist cultures was about 25%, whereas for collectivist cultures it was 37%

E: Markus and Kitayama (1991) suggest the reaon that conformity rates are higher in collectivist cultues is viewed more favourably in these cultures.

Question 11

What AO3 are you using?

Answer 11

1. Asch’s research may be a ‘child of its time’
2. There are problems with determing the effect of group size
3. There are cultural differences in confomity