Asch's Research

Asch’s Effect

Human tendency to do as others do rather than what we feel is write

When was his baseline study?

1951

Aim of Asch’s Study?

Investigate the extent social pressure from a majority affects a persons conformity

Explain the population of the study?

123 Male US Undergraduates

What did Asch say the study was?

A visual perception challange

Explain the test group?

7 participant - 6 confederates, 1 real participant always second to last

How where the confederates told to answer?

12 incorrect out of 18

What was the conformity rate to wrong answers?

36.8% or Over a third

What percent conformed to at least 1 wrong answer?

75%

What percent never conformed?

25%

What did Asch conclude?

Judgments effected by majority even when answer is obviously wrong

Participants admittedly conformed to avoid rejection

Most conformed in public and not in private motivated by NSI

What 3 variations did Asch make?

Group size, Unanimity, Task difficulty

Explain the group size variation?

Asch added more confederates

With 3 extra conformity rose 31.8%

Over 3 extra made litte difference

Explain the Unanimity variation Asch made?

Adding a confederate to either agree with real participant or disagree with real and confederates

Conformity dropped 5.5% when a confederate supported

When dissenter gave a completely different answer conformity dropped 9%

Explain Task difficulty variation?

Lines where a more similar length

Conformity increased when harder

ISI plays greater role when a more ambiguous situation

P- Research support PEEL + H

E- Lucas et al (2006)

E- Higher conformity on harder questions Proved Aschs claim

L- Shows ISI is valid

H- Confident participants resisted, Asch over looked individuality

P- Artificial Situation PEEL

E- Fiske(2014) stated not a real interaction

E- No consequence if its wrong so doesnt reflect real life

L- Low ecological value

P- Limited Application PEEL

E-123 male students USA

E- Conformity may be higher collectivist culture (Bond and Smith,1996)

L- Androcentric and Ethnocentric not generalisable

P- Ethical Issues PEEL

E- participants were deceived thinking confederates where real

E- Unable to give informed consent

L- May have been stressed or embarrassed