What is one limitation of Asch's study variables?
According to Fiske (2014), 'Asch's groups were not very groupy'. This is a limitation because it means that the findings do not generalise to everyday situations. This is especially true where the consequences of conformity might be more important, and we interact with other people in groups in a much more direct way.
Critical Evaluation. One limitation of the study is that is used a biased sample. All the participants were male students who all belonged to the same age group. This means that the study lacks population validity and that the results cannot be generalized to females or older groups of people.
Asch's finding was hugely influential, but a key criticism has been his use of confederates who pretended to believe unanimously that a line was a different length than it really was. They might well have behaved in a stilted, unnatural manner.
The three main variables affecting conformity that we will look at are: Group size. Unanimity. Task difficulty (as investigated by Asch)
What is the major flaw in the Asch conformity study? Asch ignored the importance of several factors influencing conformity—including race, class, and gender.
The independent variable in Asch's 1955 study was the response of the confederates and the dependent variable was the subject's response to the same question. The operational definition of conformity was the assent of the subject with the group majority (Asch, 1955).
Asch identified task difficulty as a variable that affects conformity. He found that when he made the line judgement task more difficult, conformity levels increased, as the participant was more likely to believe that the confederates were right.
Asch's (1951) study raises ethical issues of informed consent. This is because the participants were told that the experiment was about visual perception rather than majority influence.
Asch concluded that there are two main causes for conformity: people want to be liked by the group or they believe the group is better informed than they are. He found his study results disturbing. To him, they revealed that intelligent, well-educated people would, with very little coaxing, go along with an untruth.
The experiments revealed the degree to which a person's own opinions are influenced by those of groups. - Asch found that people were willing to ignore reality and give an incorrect answer in order to conform to the rest of the group.
What are the flaws in the Asch conformity experiment?
what is the major flaw in the Asch conformity study? Asch ignored the importance of several factors influencing conformity-including race, class, and gender.
Several factors are known to increase the likelihood of conformity within a group. Group size, larger groups are more likely to conform to similar behaviors and thoughts than smaller ones. Unanimity, individuals are more likely to conform to group decisions when the rest of the group's response is unanimous.
In situations of high ambiguity, individuals may be less likely to obey authority figures because they are unsure of what they should do. Conversely, in situations of low ambiguity, individuals may be more likely to obey authority figures because they have a clear understanding of what is expected of them.
A strength of Asch's study into conformity is that it was carried out in a lab setting and was carefully controlled. This means that there was good control over extraneous variables, therefore any change in results was due to the change in the independent variable and its effect on the dependent variable.
An independent variable is the variable you manipulate or vary in an experimental study to explore its effects. It's called “independent” because it's not influenced by any other variables in the study. Independent variables are also called: Explanatory variables (they explain an event or outcome)
An extraneous variable is any variable that you're not investigating that can potentially affect the dependent variable of your research study. A confounding variable is a type of extraneous variable that not only affects the dependent variable, but is also related to the independent variable.
As the task gets more difficult, with the lines in Asch's study getting closer together in size, people grow less sure of if they are correct and look to others for guidance. Essentially, difficult tasks increase informational social influence. So the more difficult a task is, the more people will conform to the group.
Asch found that 75% of participants conformed at least once and gave the incorrect answer as a result of the confederates also giving that answer. The study lacks population validity with a biased sample of 50 men, he was never able to conclude if females conformed in the same way.
The conformity bias is the tendency people have to behave like those around them rather than using their own personal judgment. People seem to be more comfortable mimicking others, even regarding ethical matters.
Asch also looked at how one confederate giving the correct answer while the rest gave the wrong answer led to lower conformity (5-10% of real participants conformed to the wrong answer). There was also less conformity when a real participant gave their answer in private.
What is one example of conformity making things worse in society?
A desire to be accepted, to not make waves, or to punish “non-conformists” has motivated bullying, exclusion, and even large-scale atrocities. The Holocaust is often cited as an example of the dangers of unchecked conformity and blind obedience to authority.
Expert-Verified Answer
The age of the group is not typically a primary factor that influences conformity.
The results suggest that conformity can be influenced both by a need to fit in and a belief that other people are smarter or better informed. Over the 12 critical trials, 75% of participants conformed at least once. 25% of participants never conformed.
He found that conformity increased under the conditions. This suggests that informational social influence plays a greater role when the task becomes harder. This is because the situation is more ambiguous, so we are more likely to look at other people for guidance and to assume that they are right and we are wrong.
Asch (1955) found that 76% of participants conformed to group pressure at least once by indicating the incorrect line. Conformity is the change in a person's behavior to go along with the group, even if he does not agree with the group.
