Social Influence (Social Influence Model Answers) (Paper 1 Model Answers)

Briefly outline and evaluate the findings of any one study of social influence.( 4 marks) 

Model Answer

Solomon Asch's study of social influence revealed that individuals are highly susceptible to conforming to the incorrect judgments of a majority group. The findings indicated that on the 12 critical trails, the average conformity rate was 33% during the experiment, even when the correct answer was obvious. 

However, the study's validity can be questioned due to several methodological issues. One concern is the lack of ecological validity, as the experiment was conducted in a controlled laboratory setting, which may not fully reflect real-world situations. Additionally, demand characteristics could have influenced participants to conform to the majority's responses, resulting in a potential experimenter bias. Moreover, the sample used in the study consisted of mostly male American college students, limiting the generalisability of the findings to other populations.

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