Sweets in a Jar!
• Around the room are some
glass jars with some small
objects in.
• Please complete your table to
show your estimated guesses
for how many objects are in
each jar.
• Please don’t discuss your
answers with each other!
In pairs discuss:
1) Did you change your answer
the second time?
2) If so, why did you change your
answer?
3) What did you base your
second answer on?
4) How did you feel whilst you
were making your guesses?
5) What do you think the
experiment is trying to show?
Social Influence Lesson 1
What you think conformity might
mean?
To define Conformity
To define Conformity
To describe the three types of conformity
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
This is where the sweets in a jar experiment comes in!
To use skills of independent enquiry to
design and carry out a study into
conformity.
What is conformity?
• In pairs use the situation cards to formulate a
first definition of conformity.
• Write a 1st definition of Conformity in your
notes.
• Share your ideas with other pairs on your
table. Which ones are not conformity?
To define Conformity
Social Influence
So what is ‘Social Influence?’
…the ways in which external social
factors alter our behaviour.
Conformity: a type of social influence
where we choose to go along with the
majority (Majority Influence).
E.g. Peer Pressure or Fashion Trends
We can yield publicly or
privately.
Types of conformity
• 3 types of conformity: What do they mean?
Mini Plenary- IWB Drag and Drop
Activity
To define Conformity
To describe the three types of conformity
What is conformity?
Three types of conformity (Kellman, 1958)
1. Compliance
2. Identification
3. Internalisation
Complete 3 definitions in your notes
To define Conformity
To describe the three types of conformity
What is conformity?
• Mini Plenary- Sort the situation cards into the
three groups.
1. Compliance
2. Identification
3. Internalisation
To define Conformity
To describe the three types of conformity
To define Conformity
To describe the three types of conformity
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
To use skills of independent enquiry to
design and carry out a study into
conformity.
Classic Studies
• Compliance
• Internalisation
Asch (1951) Lines Task
Sherif (1935)
Jenness (1932)
• Identification
Zimbardo
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
Asch (1951) Lines Task
http://www.psychexchange.co.uk/videos/view/2
1001/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieAdEgx4EX
0
Asch (1951) Lines Task
A
B
C
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
A
B
C
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
Asch (1951)
•
•
•
•
•
Aim: To investigate if people will conform to a group when there is
clearly a right and wrong answer.
Procedure: Carried out an experiment using groups of between 6 and 9
people. Only one was a true participant (naïve participant). The others
were confederates. He showed the groups pictures of lines of differing
lengths.
They had to say which of the line was the same length as the test line.
Results: When the confederates gave the same wrong answer, the mean
conformity rate was 32%. On average, participants agreed with the wrong
answer on about a third of the 12 trials.
Conclusion: People will conform to a majority even when the majority is
clearly incorrect.
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
Asch (1956) Line Experiment
What type of conformity does it demonstrate?
1. Compliance?
2. Identification?
3. Internalisation ?
Asch (1951)
• Displayed compliance i.e. although they went
along with the majority view they still believed
that they were correct.
• PPs reported conforming for different reasons
including:
– Genuinely doubted own judgement
– Didn’t want to ‘upset the experiment’
– Fear of rejection by confeds (compliance)
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
Variations of Asch (1951)
For each study, suggest whether the rate of conformity would be higher or lower than the %
found in the Asch study. You should also write a brief explanation of why you think the rate of
conformity would change. Use textbooks and internet to find out the actual results and
compare with your own.
Variation on original experiment
The size of the majority was
increased to sixteen confederates
against one participant.
The task was made more difficult by
using lines that were much closer in
length to each other and the
comparison line.
Participants give their answers in
private, rather than calling them out
in front of the group (Deutsch
&Gerard,1955)
The participants are Maths and
Science students, rather than Social
Science students
(Perrin &Spencer,1981)
The participants are young
offenders and the confederates are
all probation officers
(Perrin &Spencer, 1981)
Effect on conformity (higher or
lower)
WHY?
Variations of Asch (1951)
• The difficulty of the task-(made differences
between the line less obvious) so that the
“correct” answer was less obvious. Conformity
increased.
• Size of the majority-did increase conformity
but only up to a point.
• The unanimity of the majority-conformity
levels dropped when confederate gave the
right answer.
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
Asch (1951)
• Summarise Asch Study on sheet
Radio program about Asch
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00f8mzr
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
Evaluating Asch’s research- AO2
• Is Asch’s study a ‘child of its time’?
• Were these findings unique to ..
Males
1950’s –
McCarthyism
USA –
individualist
culture
Ethics
strong anti-communist feeling, people scared to be different.
Evaluating Asch’s research- AO2
• Ethical Issues- Deception and lack of informed consent, Psychological
harm
• The procedure is very artificial in that participants are being asked to
conform when there is clearly a different and obviously correct answer.
• Ecological Validity-Lab experiment.
• ‘Child of it’s time’- Unique to one culture? Found when replicating it at a
different time, findings were different.
• Validity- Asking people to judge length of line is an insignificant task, so
people would be more willing to conform to save face. The fact that they
had to answer out loud means there were special pressures to conform.
• Only studied males (androcentric)-Eagly and Carli (1981) carried out a
meta-analysis of research into conformity they found that women were
more likely to conform than men.
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
Evaluating Asch’s research- AO2
• Elaboration ladders
Complete a critical commentary, evaluating ASCH’s ‘Lines’ study. Include both
positive and negative A02 points and PEE (Point, Evidence and Explain)
throughout.
To help you elaborate on A02 points to gain top
marks in 12 mark essay
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
.
Sherif (1935) The autokinetic effect
How far does the dot move?
• Optical illusion called the autokinetic effect (if you stare at a
spot of light in a darkened room it will appear to move).
• Ppts were first required to estimate how far the light moved,
then estimate again but in small groups
• He found individuals tended to change their views and give
estimates which resembled the group.
• Conforming to a majority view.
• Demonstrates internalisation-the task would have given them
no confidence in their opinion, the ppts could readily have
believed the group answer was the correct one.
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
Sherif (1935) Autokinetic Effect
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
Sherif (1935) The autokinetic effect
Discussion of AO2 points
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
Jenness (1932)
• Beans in a jar!
In your table groups discuss/share your estimates.
Come up with a group guess (guess 2)
Then individually guess again (guess 3)
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
Jenness (1932)
• Findings
When we are unsure of an answer we look to
others for help assuming that a majority figure
will be more reliable.
• AO2
Very artificial so lack ecological validity. Can we
generalise from this to real life situations?
Ethics? Demand characteristics?
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
Mini Plenary- Interactive ‘Dustbin’
• http://classtools.net/widgets/dustbin_1/urjoL.
htm
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
Classic Studies
Summarise Jenness and Sherif on your
worksheets.
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
Plenary
• Past Exam Questions
To define Conformity
To describe the three types of conformity
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1
 To define Conformity
 To describe the three types of conformity
 To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
 To use skills of independent enquiry to design
and carry out a study into conformity.
Designing your own Study
• Try carrying out a versin of Asch experiment using
male and female participants.
• What are your independent and dependent
variables
• What is your hypothesis
• What resources will you need?
• Who will your participants be?
• What ethical issues might arise in this
experiment? How might you deal with them?
To use skills of independent enquiry to design
and carry out a study into conformity
To define Conformity
To describe the three types of conformity
To outline and evaluate 3 classic studies of
Conformity (link to research methods and ethics- unit 1)
To use skills of independent enquiry to
design and carry out a study into
conformity.
Homework
• Use the internet or books to find out about
Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison experiment
• What kind of conformity is shown?
• Give reasons for your answer.
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b008cr
hv/Mind_Changers_The_Stanford_Prison_Exp
eriment/
• http://www.simplypsychologcy.pwp.blueyond
er.co.uk/zimbardo.html