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Lecture notes Social Influence
- Module
- Social Influence
- Institution
- AQA
Lecture notes Social Influence
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SOCIAL INFLUENCE- CONFORMITY -
‘Conformity is a change in behaviour or belief because of real or imagined group
pressure’
Research Studies of Conformity:
JENNESS (1930):
- Study included asking people to estimate how many beans in a jar (got recorded
down) and asked to discuss this estimate with others
- When asked again, the estimate were much closer together after the discussion
compared to their original estimates
- Limitations included that it was based on peoples opinions and difficult to assess
the influence of others. It can’t be proven they were influenced by talking with
others as they may have just changed their mind.
ASCH (1950):
- Asch wanted to find out if people would conform even if the task had an easy
clear answer
- 123 college students had been given a matching line task. Task included 3
comparison lines which had to be matched to the standard line
- They were tested in small group and there was only one real naïve participant. All
the other participants were confederates
- There were 18 matching tasks but for 12 of these trials (critical) confederates
gave the same wrong answer.
- Average conformity rate is 37%. On average 74% of participants conformed at
least once whereas 26% participant never conformed
- Strengths of this study include: a controlled study which means unwanted factors
are reduced.
- Weaknesses include: Unrepresentative as only American male students were used
so it can’t be generalised. Also possibility of stress/anxiety.
- Lacks ecological validity
- Variations that Affect Conformity –
Group Size (size of majority) – if there are less confederates, conformity will
decrease however if there are more confederates the naïve participant is most
likely to conform. Asch states there is no need for more than 3 confederates.
Unanimity – When another group member gives a different answer conformity
decreases by 5%
Task difficulty – If the task is difficult people are most likely to conform.
Informational social influence plays a great role in this. If the task is harder people
are more likely to look at others and assume they’re correct
Type of response – if response is written down in private rather than said out in
public, conformity decreases as there is not influence on the participant.
Mori & Arai – Further evaluation of Asch’s Study
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