Asch

AIMS CONTEXT

• Conformity- the change in behaviour of the minority to fit the behaviour of the majority
• Jenness 1932 Beans in a Bottle
• Asch said research was limited because a group estimate was asked for
• Aherif 1935 Autokinect effect
• Improvement over Jenness group norm reached of own accord
• Both research are limited Sherif is ambiguous does not reflect real conformity

AIM- Investigate the effect of group pressure in an unambiguous situation he wanted to find when posed with an obviously incorrect answer whether the participant would give a conformed or independant response.

PROCEDURES

• 123 males 7-9 groups of students from local colleges
• Told psychological experiment on visual judgement asked to compare lengths of lines
• 2 white cards 1st standard 2nd showed 3 vertical lines
• Verbally report which lines matched this was repeated 18 times
• Naive participant sat second to last seat unaware of the confederates
• Confederated gave incorrect answers 12 our of 18 critical trials
• Ensured majority of answers were herd before they answered
• 123 participants were naive and could give conformed or inependant response
• Debriefed and interviewed about their responses and behaviour
• Modifications truthful partner gave correct aswer for 6 trials, then conformed or left deserting the naive participant altering the size of the group 

FINDINGS CONCLUSION

• Ordinary circumstances less than 1% of mistakes given for correct line
• Proves 36.8% conformed in the critical trials
• 75% conformed at least once 25% never conformed
• Those gave independant response said 'they called the play as they saw it'
• Participants which conformed underestimated the frequency to which…