Psychology Asch's Conformity Study

Questions and Answers

What was the aim of Asch's conformity study?

To analyze the psychological profiles of participants

To see if participants would conform to the majority by giving correct answers even when the correct answers were obvious (correct)

To determine the impact of group size on conformity

To evaluate the effects of peer pressure on individual choices

What method was used in Asch's conformity study?

123 male/US students participated in a perception task where they matched line lengths, with confederates giving incorrect answers after correct ones.

In Asch's study, participants conformed to the unanimous incorrect answer ___% of the time.

74% of participants in Asch's study never conformed.

False Signup and view all the answers

What was the conclusion drawn from Asch's study?

Even in clear situations, there may be strong pressure to conform, especially from a majority group. Signup and view all the answers

What is a strength of Asch's conformity study?

It was a laboratory study with a highly controlled environment, increasing validity Signup and view all the answers

Asch's study involved male participants from various cultures.

False Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Aim

Investigate if participants conform to majority opinions by providing incorrect answers despite obvious correct options.

Method

Sample consisted of 123 male students from the US.
Participants conducted a perception task involving line matching.
Seven participants per group, with one being the true participant and the others serving as accomplices.
Participants answered in a row, with the true participant responding last.
Initially, confederates provided the correct answer before introducing deliberate incorrect answers after six trials.

Results

On average, participants conformed to the incorrect majority 32% of the time.
Notably, 74% conformed at least once during the trial, while 26% never conformed.

Conclusion

Conformity can occur even in clear situations, indicating strong group pressure from an unambiguous majority.
The type of conformity observed is considered compliance, linked to normative social influence.

Strengths

Conducted in a laboratory setting, allowing for a controlled environment that reduces extraneous variables, enhancing research validity.

Weakness

Exclusively male and American sample limits population validity.
Findings may not be applicable to females or individuals from different cultures, making generalization difficult.

Description

Explore the fascinating details of Asch's conformity study conducted in 1951. This quiz covers the aims and methods used in the experiment to understand how social pressure influences individual responses. Test your knowledge on key concepts and findings from this pivotal psychological research.