Social Psychology - Amazon S3 · PDF file Social Psychology Evaluating Research Examining...

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SocialPsychology

EvaluatingResearchExaminingConformity

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tutor2uFullLessonPowerPoint

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FullLessonPowerPointKey§ Green=KeyWordorResearcher§ Blue=Question/Discussion§ Purple=Task/Activity

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§ Task 1: You will be shown a summary of Asch (1951). Your task is toread the summary on the white board and identify the 10 mistakes inmy summary…

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Canyouspotthe10mistakes?

§ Aim: To see if participants would conform and give the incorrect answer in a situation where the correctanswers are always really obvious (ambiguous situation).

§ Method: Asche used a large group of confederates (fake participants) and 60 real participants who wereMale American postgraduates. In the experiment, the real participants were put into groups of 6, wherethey were the only real participant and the other 7 were confederates. Before the experiment startedthe confederates were instructed by Asch to give the wrong answer on 14 of the 18 trials, these 14 trialswere called the experimental trials. Once in their groups they were all shown a standard line and threecomparison lines of different lengths. They were then all told to call out, in turn, which of the 3 lines wasthe same length as the test line. The correct answer was always obvious.

§ Results: The overall conformity rate on the critical trials was 39%. However, 26 % never conformed at all.

§ Conclusion: Even in unambiguous situations, there is still pressure to conform to the majority. From thepost experiment interviews, Asch found that some people experienced informational social influence, soconformed to avoid being rejected. Whereas others experienced informational social influence soconformed because they doubted their own judgement.

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Canyouspotthe10mistakes?

§ Aim: To see if participants would conform and give the incorrect answer in a situation where thecorrect answers are always really obvious (unambiguous situation).

§ Method: Asche used a large group of confederates (fake participants) and 50 real participants whowere Male American Undergraduates. In the experiment, the real participants were put intogroups of 8, where they were the only real participant and the other 7 were confederates. Beforethe experiment started the confederates were instructed by Asch to give the wrong answer on 12of the 18 trials, these 12 trials were called the critical trials. Once in their groups they were allshown a standard line and three comparison lines of different lengths. They were then all told tocall out, in turn, which of the 3 lines was the same length as the target line. The correct answerwas always obvious.

§ Results: The overall conformity rate on the critical trials was 32%. However, 26 % neverconformed at all.

§ Conclusion: Even in unambiguous situations, there is still pressure to conform to themajority.From the post experiment interviews, Asch found that some people experiencednormative social influence, so conformed to avoid being rejected. Whereas others experiencedinformational social influence so conformed because they doubted their own judgement.

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SocialPsychology

Lesson Objectives:§ To revise Asch’s (1951) research on conformity.

§ To outline Asch’s (1951) variations and consider the psychologicalreasons for the differences found.

§ To evaluate Asch (1951) using the burger technique.

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§ In Asch’s original research he found an overall conformity rate oncritical trials of 32%. Since 1951, numerous studies have beenconducted looking at different effects of conformity.

Task: You will now be givendifferent variations of Asch’sresearch.

Your task is write on a mini-whiteboard whether you thinkconformity rate is higher / lowerthan 32% - you could even try toguess a %...

Asch(1951)– Original– 32%

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§ Variation 1 Group Size: In one variation there was only 1 confederate(actor) and 1 real participant. Do you think overall conformity oncritical trials was higher or lower than 32%? Why?


Overallconformityoncriticaltrialsdroppedto3%

However, it could be argued thatthis is NOT an example of socialinfluence or majority influence.

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§ Variation 2 Group Size: In one variation there were 2 confederates(actor) and 1 real participant. Do you think overall conformity oncritical trials was higher or lower than 32%? Why?


Overallconformityoncriticaltrialsdroppedto12.8%

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§ Variation 3 Group Size: In one variation there were three confederates(actor) and 1 real participant. Do you think overall conformity oncritical trials was higher or lower than 32%? Why?


Overallconformityonthecriticaltrialsremainedthesameat32%

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§ Variation 4 Group Size: In one variation there were 15 confederates(actor) and 1 real participant. Do you think overall conformity oncritical trials was higher or lower than 32%? Why?


Overallconformitydroppedslightlytoapproximately29%.

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§ Variation 5 Historical Context/Expertise: Perrin & Spencer (1981)replicated the Asch study 30 years later, with 33 male students whowere studying engineering, chemistry or mathematics.


Overallconformitywasalmostnon-existent(0.25%).

Question: Do you think that this isbecause the experiment took place30 years later, or do you think it’sbecause of the type of studentstaking part?

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§ Variation 6 Culture: Smith & Bond (1993) conducted a meta-analysisof 31 studies and found two key findings – 1) Fiji, 2) Belgium. What doyou think the overall conformity rate on critical trials was in these twocountries…


Overallconformityoncriticaltrialswas14%inBelgium.

Question: What might cause adifference in the conformity ratesbetween different countries?

HINT: Think cultural variations ofattachment…

Overallconformityoncriticaltrialswas58%inFiji.

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§ Variation 7 Unanimity: In one variation, one other confederate(actor), out of the 7, gave the correct answer on the critical trials.


Overallconformitydroppedto5%.

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§ Variation 8 Unanimity: In one variation, one other confederate(actor), out of the 7, gave a different incorrect answer to the majority.


Overallconformitydroppedto9%.

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§ Variation 9 Task Difficulty: In one variation, the task was madesignificantly more difficult, by making the different between the linelengths significantly smaller.


Overallconformityincreased,althoughAschdidn’treporta%.

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Asch’sVariations

§ Task: Complete the following table on your handout and statewhether each variation is higher/lower than Asch’s (1951) originaland the %...if you can remember.

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Variation Overallconformityoncriticaltrials(higher/lower)and%(ifapplicable)

Group Size: 1 Confederate Lower(3%)Group Size: 2 Confederates Lower(12.8%)Group Size: 3 Confederates Remainedthesame(32%)Group Size: 15 Confederates Lower(29%)

Historical Context/Expertise: Perrin & Spencer (1981) 0.25%

Culture:Meta-analysis by Smith & Bond - Fiji 58%Culture:Meta-analysis by Smith & Bond - Belgium 15%

Unanimity – Where one of the confederates gave thecorrect answer throughout. 5%

Unanimity – Where one of the confederates gave adifferent incorrect answer to the majority. 9%

Task Difficulty – Where the task was made significantlymore difficult, by making the different between theline lengths significantly smaller.

Increased.

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TheBurgerTechnique

§ Task: You will now be given 9 statements. Cut the statements out andarrange the statements into three burger paragraphs for Asch’s studyon conformity.

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TheBurgerTechniquePo

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Explain THE BOTTOM BUN: This is a problem because he was not respecting his

participants who had offered to take part in his research, however, deception wasnecessary to produce valid results.

THE TOP BUN: Asch did not fully adhere to the code of ethics.

THE MEAT: Participants were not protected from psychological harm as they mayhave been stressed when they disagreed with the majority. Asch deceived thestudent volunteers claiming they were taking part in a 'vision' test; the realpurpose was to see how the 'naive' participant would conform to the behaviourof the confederates.

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THE TOP BUN: Another limitation of Asch is his study has low ecologicalvalidity.

THE MEAT: In the experiment he used an artificial task to measureconformity - judging line lengths. Judging line lengths is a task that mostpeople would not normally do in their everyday lives.

THE BOTTOM BUN: This is a problem because the results cannot begeneralized to other real life situations of conformity. If his study was doneusing a ‘real life’ situation/task, he may have got different results.

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THETOPBUN:Onelimitationofthestudyisthatisusedabiasedsample.

THE MEAT: Apply your evaluation point to your study. All the participantswere American male university students who all belonged to the samesex, age group and occupation.

THE BOTTOM BUN: This means that study lacks population validity andthat the results cannot be generalized to females or older groups ofpeople.

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TheBurgerTechnique

Task: Now look at your completed burgers. Could you improve any of theevaluation point:1. Is the evidence/example fully explained?

2. Does the explanation (the bottom bum) really say why the evaluation isa strength or limitation?

3. Do you disagree with any ofthe evaluation points andcould you write a counter-argument?

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Homework

§ Homework: Prepare the following essay for next lesson:

Outlineandevaluateresearchintoconformity.(Total12marks)

§ You will have 15 minutes atthe start of next lesson towrite this essay.

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©tutor2uAQAALevelPsychologyHandoutwww.tutor2u.net/psychology

EvaluatingResearchExaminingConformityTask:Completethefollowingtableandstatewhethereachvariationishigher/lowerthanAsch’s(1951)originalandthe%...ifyoucanremember.

Variation Overallconformityoncriticaltrials(higher/lower)and%(ifapplicable)

GroupSize:1Confederate GroupSize:2Confederates GroupSize:3Confederates GroupSize:15Confederates Historical Context/Expertise: Perrin & Spencer(1981)

Culture:Meta-analysisbySmith&Bond-Fiji Culture:Meta-analysisbySmith&Bond-Belgium Unanimity–Whereoneof theconfederatesgavethecorrectanswerthroughout.

Unanimity–Whereoneoftheconfederatesgaveadifferentincorrectanswertothemajority.

Task Difficulty – Where the task was madesignificantlymoredifficult,bymakingthedifferentbetweenthelinelengthssignificantlysmaller.

Task:Youwillnowbegiven9statements.CutthestatementsoutandarrangethestatementsintothreeburgerparagraphsforAsch’sstudyonconformity.

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Point

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Task:Nowlookatyourcompletedburgers.Couldyouimproveanyoftheevaluationpoint:1. Istheevidence/examplefullyexplained?

2. Does the explanation (the bottom bum) really say why the evaluation is a strength or

limitation?

3. Doyoudisagreewithanyoftheevaluationpointsandcouldyouwriteacounter-argument?

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Aschdidnotfullyadheretothecodeofethics.

Intheexperimentheusedanartificialtasktomeasureconformity-judginglinelengths.Judginglinelengthsisataskthatmostpeoplewouldnotnormallydointheireverydaylives.

AlltheparticipantswereAmericanmaleuniversitystudentswhoallbelongedtothesamesex,agegroupandoccupation.

Participantswere not protected frompsychological harm as theymay havebeen stressed when they disagreed with the majority. Asch deceived thestudent volunteers claiming theywere takingpart in a 'vision' test; the realpurposewastoseehowthe'naive'participantwouldconformtothebehavioroftheconfederates.

AnotherlimitationofAschishisstudyhaslowecologicalvalidity.

Thisisaproblembecausetheresultscannotbegeneralizedtootherreallifesituationsofconformity.Ifhisstudywasdoneusinga‘reallife’situation/task,hemayhavegotdifferentresults.

Thismeansthatstudylackspopulationvalidityandthattheresultscannotbegeneralizedtofemalesoroldergroupsofpeople.

Onelimitationofthestudyisthatisusedabiasedsample.

This is a problem because he was not respecting his participants who hadoffered to take part in his research, however, deception was necessary toproducevalidresults.

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Social Psychology - Amazon S3 · PDF file Social Psychology Evaluating Research Examining...

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