Conformity - The Asch Experiment

Briefly explain the Asch experiment..

The study involved groups of 8 to 10 male college students; only one was an actual participant, and all the others were confederates (actors) of the experimenter. The task was a line judgement experiment

What was the procedure of Asch’s experiment?

• Participants shown a standard line and 3 comparison lines

• Asked to publicly identify which of the 3 lines matched the standard line in length

• Real participant was seated so they would always answer after most of the confederates

• Initially 6 control trials were conducted where confederates gave the correct answers, then in 12 critical trials, confederates were instructed to give the same incorrect answers unanimously

How did Asch measure conformity?

How often the real participant conformed to the majority’s incorrect answers despite the evidence of their senses

What were Asch’s findings?

• 75% of participants conformed at least once

• 5% conforming every time

• Overall conformity rate in critical trials was around 32%

What does Asch’s research suggest?

That people will conform due to NSI; they conform for social approval, avoiding rejection or being seen as an outcast

What were the 3 variables affecting conformity?

1. Group size

2. Unanimity

3. Task difficulty

Variables affecting conformity - 1. Group size

Asch varied the number of confederates from 1 to 16. With only 1 confederate, conformity rate was only 3%. With 2 confederates, the conformity rate slightly increased to 13%. Conformity jumped significantly with 3 confederates to 33%. Conformity rate steadied after this with a conformity rate of 31% at 16 confederates. This suggests the presence of a small unanimous group has a strong social pressure, but beyond a certain point the group size doesn’t increase this pressure

Variables affecting conformity - 2. Unanimity

A confederate broke the group’s unanimity by responding correctly. In this variation, the conformity rate dropped to 5.5%. This suggests the presence of a dissenter provides social support

Variables affecting conformity - 3. Task difficulty

Asch repeated the experiment with smaller differences between the line lengths, making the task more ambiguous. In this more difficult condition, the rate of conformity increased. Asch argued this was due to participants being more uncertain about their judgments, making them more susceptible to ISI

Perrin and Spencer (1981) - AO3

Argue Asch’s work lacks temporal validity, suggesting the high conformity rates were due to cultural conditions in Cold War 1950s America. In their 1980s replication with British students, they found conformity in only one trial out of 396. They suggested that societal changes, including a possible shift towards more individualistic values might explain the lower conformity rates they observed

Asch’s study has high internal validity - AO3

As a lab experiment, Asch’s study was carefully controlled and standardised procedures were followed, giving each participant precisely the same experience. Eg all participants viewed the same lines in the same order with the same responses from the confederates

Culturally biased sample - AO3

Asch’s studies used an entirely American sample. However the use of clear standardised procedures has led to multiple replications. This has allowed the assessment of conformity across cultures. In a meta-analysis of 133 studies using Asch’s line judgement across 17 countries. Bond (1996) found support for Asch’s original findings but also much higher rates of conformity in collectivist cultures, which have social norms that prioritise consensus, compared to individualistic societies that value independence and personal freedom. This suggests the pressure to conform is influenced by cultural background

Lacks artificiality and mundane realism - AO3

Asch’s task lacks mundane realism; matching the lengths of lines is a task that is quite simple and highly controlled. While this helps isolate conformity and minimise extraneous variables, it doesn’t replicate real life social interactions; conforming happens in a social context, often with people we know rather than strangers. The artificial nature of Asch’s work means it is not a valid measure of real life conformity