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Asch's experiment (with evaluation)
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Mindmap that explains Asch's conformity experiment, the changes he made to the experiment, and the evaluation points of this study, in detail.
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Procedure: Asch (1951, 1955) tested Asch’s variations:conformity by showing participants two Unanimity – the presence of an
large white cards at a time. On one card Asch’s variations: conforming person (who was re
was a ‘standard line’ and on the other card Group size – with 3 confederates he found that confederate) who sometimes g
were three ‘comparison lines’ of various conformity to the wrong answer rose to 31.8%, but answer and sometimes the wro
lengths, but one matched the ‘standard the addition of other confederates made little meant that conformity was redu
line’ when the other two were clearly difference. This suggests that a small majority is not from the level it was when the m
wrong. sufficient for influence to be exerted but, at the unanimous. The participant act
The participants were 123 American male other extreme, there is no need for a majority of independently in general.
undergraduates. Each naïve participant more than three.
Perrin and Spencer (1980) repe
was tested individually with a group of
study with engineering students
between 6 and 8 confederates. The naïve
one student conformed in a tota
participant was not aware that the others
Maybe they felt more confident a
were confederates.
lines or they were just less confo
On the first few trials all of the
confederates gave the right answers but
Asch There was an artificial situation a
participants knew they were taki
then they started making errors. All of the
confederates were instructed to give the Experiment study and may have gone along
demands of the situation (deman
same wrong answer. Altogether each
characteristics). There was no re
participant took part in 18 trials and on 12
conform. This means that the fin
‘critical trials’ the confederates gave the
Findings: The naïve participant gave a wrong answer generalise with everyday situatio
wrong answer. A trial was one occasion
36.8% of the time. Overall 25% of the participants did Only male undergraduates were
identifying the length of a ‘standard line’.
not conform on any of the trials. 75% of the participants might be more conformist since
Asch’s variations: conformed at least once. The term Asch effect has concerned about social relations
Task difficulty – he made the task more been used to describe this result – the extent to which were American, it might be differ
difficult by making the stimulus line and the participants conform even when the situation is in another culture.
the comparison lines more similar in unambiguous.
Ethical issues are at play because
length. Conformity increased under When participants were interviewed after most said
were deceived, they didn’t know the
these conditions. ISI plays a greater they conformed to avoid rejection (NSI – normative
involved were confederates. But the
influence when the task gets harder. social influence).
gained by the study.
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