Variables Affecting Conformity

Question 1

What is the effect of group size on conformity according to Asch’s study?

Answer 1

• Conformity increases with group size
• Levels off when majority is greater than three

Asch found that with three confederates, conformity to the wrong answer was 31.8%, compared to 36.8% with six confederates.

Question 2

What was the conformity rate with three confederates in Asch’s study?

Answer 2

31.8%

This rate indicates a minor decrease compared to the original study’s 36.8% with six confederates.

Question 3

True or false: Increasing the number of confederates always leads to a significant increase in conformity.

Answer 3

FALSE

Conformity levels off when the majority exceeds three confederates.

Question 4

What does NSI stand for in the context of conformity?

Answer 4

Normative Social Influence

This refers to the pressure to conform due to the desire to be accepted by the group.

Question 5

What is the role of unanimity in Asch’s conformity studies?

Answer 5

Unanimity among confederates increases conformity

When confederates were unanimous, it had the greatest effect on the naïve participant’s responses.

Question 6

In Asch’s variations, what happened when one confederate gave a different answer from the others?

Answer 6

Conformity decreased

The presence of a dissenting confederate reduced the pressure to conform.

Question 7

Fill in the blank: The conformity rate with one confederate and one real participant was _______.

Answer 7

4%

This indicates a significant decrease in conformity compared to larger groups.

Question 8

What does the data suggest about the relationship between group size and conformity?

Answer 8

• As group size increases, conformity increases
• No need for a majority greater than three

The results indicate that just one or two confederates can sway opinion significantly.

Question 9

What is the definition of unanimity?

Answer 9

The extent to which all the members of the group agree

Unanimity indicates complete agreement among group members.

Question 10

In Asch’s studies, the majorities were unanimous when all confederates selected what?

Answer 10

The same comparison line

This produced the greatest degree of conformity in the naïve participants.

Question 11

What effect did the presence of a dissenter have on conformity in Asch’s studies?

Answer 11

Conformity decreased to less than a quarter of the level it was when the majority was unanimous

The presence of a dissenter allowed the naïve participant to behave more independently.

Question 12

True or false: The influence of the majority depends significantly on being unanimous.

Answer 12

TRUE

Non-conformity is more likely when cracks are perceived in the majority’s unanimous view.

Question 13

In the original study, what percentage of participants conformed on critical trials with a unanimous majority?

Answer 13

36.8%

This was when confederates gave the wrong answer on 12 out of 18 trials.

Question 14

What was the conformity percentage when the majority was non-unanimous with a confederate always giving the correct answer?

Answer 14

5.5%

This indicates a significant decrease in conformity.

Question 15

What does breaking the group’s unanimity suggest about conformity levels?

Answer 15

Conformity levels drop significantly

The support of a confederate and disturbance of unanimity are major factors in reducing conformity.

Question 16

In one variation of Asch’s study, what was the conformity percentage when a confederate gave a different wrong answer to the majority?

Answer 16

9%

This further illustrates the impact of dissent on conformity.

Question 17

In the study, what was the conformity percentage when a confederate sometimes gave the right answer and sometimes gave the wrong answer?

Answer 17

25%

This variation also resulted in a decrease in conformity.

Question 18

Asch’s line judging task becomes more difficult when it is harder to work out the correct answer. What happens to conformity in this case?

Answer 18

Increased conformity

This increase in conformity may be due to people looking to others for guidance, assuming they are correct.

Question 19

What type of social influence is suggested when people conform because they assume others are right in a difficult task?

Answer 19

Informational social influence

This occurs when individuals look to others for guidance in ambiguous situations.

Question 20

In Asch’s original study, what percentage of participants conformed on critical trials?

Answer 20

36.8%

This percentage reflects the level of conformity observed in the study.

Question 21

What was the effect on conformity when the line task was made more difficult?

Answer 21

Increased conformity

This suggests that as task difficulty increases, individuals are more likely to conform due to ambiguity.

Question 22

True or false: Asch found that conformity decreased when the task became more difficult.

Answer 22

FALSE

Increased difficulty in the task led to increased conformity, indicating the role of informational social influence.

Question 23

What does ISI stand for in the context of Asch’s findings?

Answer 23

Informational Social Influence

ISI plays a role when the task becomes harder due to increased ambiguity.