Procedure: Asch (1951, 1955) tested
Asch’s variations:
conformity by showing participants two
Unanimity – the presence of another nonAsch’s variations:
large white cards at a time. On one card
conforming person (who was really a
Group
size
–
with
3
confederates
he
found
that
was a ‘standard line’ and on the other card
confederate) who sometimes gave the right
conformity
to
the
wrong
answer
rose
to
31.8%,
but
were three ‘comparison lines’ of various
answer and sometimes the wrong answer
the addition of other confederates made little
lengths, but one matched the ‘standard
meant that conformity was reduced by a quarter
difference. This suggests that a small majority is not
line’ when the other two were clearly
from the level it was when the majority was
sufficient for influence to be exerted but, at the
wrong.
unanimous. The participant acted more
other
extreme,
there
is
no
need
for
a
majority
of
The participants were 123 American male
independently in general.
more
than
three.
undergraduates. Each naïve participant
Perrin and Spencer (1980) repeated the original
was tested individually with a group of
study with engineering students in the UK. Only
between 6 and 8 confederates. The naïve
one student conformed in a total of 396 trials.
participant was not aware that the others
Maybe they felt more confident about measuring
were confederates.
lines or they were just less conformist.
On the first few trials all of the
There was an artificial situation and task. The
confederates gave the right answers but
participants knew they were taking part in a
then they started making errors. All of the
study and may have gone along with the
confederates were instructed to give the
demands of the situation (demand
same wrong answer. Altogether each
characteristics). There was no reason not to
participant took part in 18 trials and on 12
conform. This means that the findings don’t
‘critical trials’ the confederates gave the
generalise with everyday situations.
Findings: The naïve participant gave a wrong answer
wrong answer. A trial was one occasion
Only male undergraduates were tested. Women
36.8% of the time. Overall 25% of the participants did
identifying the length of a ‘standard line’.
not conform on any of the trials. 75% of the participants might be more conformist since they are more
concerned about social relationships. Also, they
conformed at least once. The term Asch effect has
Asch’s variations:
were American, it might be different if you did it
been used to describe this result – the extent to which
Task difficulty – he made the task more
in another culture.
the participants conform even when the situation is
difficult by making the stimulus line and
unambiguous.
the comparison lines more similar in
Ethical issues are at play because the participants
When participants were interviewed after most said
length. Conformity increased under
were deceived, they didn’t know the other people
they conformed to avoid rejection (NSI – normative
these conditions. ISI plays a greater
involved were confederates. But there are benefits
social influence).
influence when the task gets harder.
gained by the study.
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P
Pr
Asch
Experiment