Questions and Answers
What was Asch's original study and his variations?
A series of studies directed by Solomon Asch studying if and how individuals yielded to or defied a majority group and the effect of such influences on beliefs and opinions.
What method did Asch use in his experiment?
50 male American students participated in a 'vision test' where they judged comparison lines with confederates who provided predetermined answers.
What were the overall findings of Asch's experiment?
75% of participants conformed at least once, while less than 1% conformed in the control group without social pressure.
Why did people conform in Asch's study?
Signup and view all the answers
What are some evaluation points of Asch's experiment?
Signup and view all the answers
What factors influenced conformity in Asch's variations?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Asch's Conformity Experiment Overview
- Solomon Asch conducted a series of studies exploring how individuals conform to or resist majority influence on beliefs and opinions.
- The original study focused on participants' responses to a line judgment task to examine conformity behaviors.
Methodology
- Involved 50 male American students participating in a 'vision test' with confederates present.
- Confederates, briefed to provide predetermined answers, created a situation where only the real participant was unaware.
- Participants stated their line judgments aloud, with crucial trials featuring incorrect answers from confederates on 12 out of 18 trials.
Overall Findings
- Conformity was observed, with 75% of participants conforming at least once during critical trials.
- 25% of participants never conformed to the majority.
- In a control condition with no confederates, less than 1% gave incorrect answers, highlighting the effect of social pressure.
Reasons for Conformity
- Normative Social Influence (NSI): A desire to fit in with the group.
- Informational Social Influence (ISI): Belief that the group is better informed.
- Post-experiment interviews revealed many participants doubted their own answers, conforming out of fear of ridicule.
Evaluation of Study
- Sample Bias: All participants were male students, limiting generalizability to females and diverse age groups.
- Ecological Validity: The artificial nature of the line judgment task may not reflect real-life conformity scenarios, making results less applicable outside this setting.
- Ethical Considerations: Participants faced psychological stress from group pressure, violating protections expected under ethical guidelines.
Variations and Influences on Conformity
- Group Size: Conformity increased with group size but plateaued after reaching four or five members.
- Task Difficulty: Higher difficulty in tasks led to increased conformity as individuals sought guidance from the group.
- Social Status: Conformity rises when group members are perceived as having higher social status or knowledge.
- Private Responses: Allowing private answers decreased conformity levels, reducing social pressure.
- Group Unanimity & Allies: Unanimity significantly impacts conformity; introducing a dissenting confederate greatly reduced conformity, with conformity dropping to 5% when dissent was present.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Explore the fascinating Asch conformity experiments through these flashcards. Learn about the original study, variations, and methods used by Solomon Asch to uncover the dynamics of group influence on individual beliefs and opinions.
