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Explanations of conformity - Asch's Study 1951 (Procedure (Sample =…
Explanations of conformity - Asch's Study 1951
Aim
See whether majority group pressure is strong enough to make individuals choose clearly wrong answers
Procedure
Sample = 123 American students
Lab experiment
PPs (Students) were shown a series of lines
Each group contained 1 real PP the rest were confederates = Critical Trial
Asked to choose which out of the 3 lines matched the standard line
Confederates gave the same wrong answer
Ppts always answered 2nd to last or last
Control group = Ppts judged the lines alone
Findings
36.8% = conformed with the majority
75% conformed at least once
Control Group = conformed 0.7% of the time
Conclusion
control condition showed the task was easy to get right
conformed due to normative social influence
critical trials = people do conform to majority group pressure
Evaluation
Weaknesses
Lab experiment = low ecological validity
PPts = male american’s – hard to generalise
Didnt consider the effects Individual differences of PPts may have on results
Strengths
high control = easily replicated.
Why did people conform?
Distortion of judgement
They doubted their accuracy so went with the majority
Distortion of action
They continued their own private view but changed publically to give incorrect answers
Distortion of perception
They came to see the lines in the same way as the majority