Conformity - Key Researchers
- Created by: Megan Cameron
- Created on: 21-01-13 12:12
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- Conformity
- Kelman 1958
- Proposed 2 types of conformity; compliance and internalisation
- Asch
- Tested conformity; found conformity on 36.8% of responses, in 12 trials.
- Complied because of distortion of judgement, distortion of perception and distortion of action.
- Tested conformity; found conformity on 36.8% of responses, in 12 trials.
- Berns et al
- Used brain scans to highlight areas of activity when doing experiment
- If participant conformed, exposure to majority position influenced their perception NOT conscious decision making area
- If participants did not conform, areas of activity were conscious decision making and emotion. Suggesting an emotional cost in going against group consensus.
- Used brain scans to highlight areas of activity when doing experiment
- Eagly and Carli
- Meta-analysis of 145 studies.
- Found that women complied more than men.
- May be due to sex roles - women are more interpersonal so predisposed to conform.
- However, may be due to equipment used in experiment - woman may have been less familiar with equipment and so less confident not more conformist.
- Found that women complied more than men.
- Meta-analysis of 145 studies.
- Williams and Sogon
- Validity of research into conformity
- Found that conformity may be higher with people you know.
- Validity of research into conformity
- Perrin and Spencer
- Repeated Aschs study but found one conforming response out of 39 trials.
- In subsequent study used youths on probation as participants and probation officers as confederates.
- Found similar levels of conformity as Asch's original study.
- Suggests that conformity is high when perceived costs of non-conformity are high.
- Found similar levels of conformity as Asch's original study.
- Nicholson et al
- Also replicated Asch's study and found evidence for conformity in British students
- Explained the difference between their results and Perrin and Spencer's in terms of greater feeling of national cohesion following Falklands war.
- Also replicated Asch's study and found evidence for conformity in British students
- Mori and Arai
- Overcame problem of unconvincing confederates by using glasses with special polarising filters. Participants saw different image to confederates.
- Found similar levels of conformity, suggesting confederates in original study acted convincingly.
- Overcame problem of unconvincing confederates by using glasses with special polarising filters. Participants saw different image to confederates.
- Smith and Bond
- Meta analysis of 133 conformity studies in 17 countries.
- Collectivist countries showed higher conformity.
- Impact of cultural variables greater than any other variable, such as gender.
- Levels of conformity in US declined steadily since Asch's study.
- Conformity higher when larger majority size, more female participants and more ambiguous stimuli.
- Limitations
- Cultures are not homogenous and differences between individualist and collectivist values within different cultures have been established.
- Some material may be more relevant or meaningful in different cultures
- Meta analysis of 133 conformity studies in 17 countries.
- Kelman 1958
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