Cover Lesson- Evaluation/Discussion of Variables affecting conformity including group size, unanimity and task difficulty as investigated by Asch

Do It Now Task - Answers

1.) Determinism Vs Freewill – Determinism suggests that behaviour is controlled by external or internal factors beyond an individual's control, while free will suggests people have autonomy over their actions. Conformity research often supports determinism by showing how social pressures influence behaviour.

2.) Historical Validity – Refers to whether findings from a study remain relevant over time. Asch’s study was conducted in the 1950s, and social norms may have changed, affecting the validity of his findings today.

3.) Scientific Rigour – The extent to which a study follows strict methodological principles, such as controlled variables and standardised procedures. Asch’s study had high scientific rigour due to its lab setting, making it replicable.

4.) Cultural Bias – When research findings reflect the norms of one culture but may not be applicable to others. Asch’s study was conducted in the USA, an individualist culture, so its findings may not apply to collectivist cultures where conformity is higher.

5.) Population Validity – The extent to which the findings can be generalised to a wider population. Asch’s study lacked population validity as it only included male undergraduate students, making it difficult to generalise to other demographics.

6.) Ecological Validity – The extent to which study findings can be applied to real-life settings. Asch’s study had low ecological validity because it was conducted in a lab using an artificial task (judging line lengths), which may not reflect real-world conformity situations.

Main Task: Apply Your Understanding - Answers

Conor might criticise Asch’s research because it suggests that people’s behaviour is determined by social pressure rather than their own free will. This supports a deterministic view of human behaviour.
Maya is investigating historical validity. This is important because Asch’s study was conducted in the 1950s, and social norms may have changed, meaning the findings might not be applicable today.
Leo is referring to scientific rigour. Asch’s study was conducted in a lab setting with controlled variables, making it highly replicable and reliable.
Hana is identifying cultural bias. Asch’s study was conducted in an individualist culture (USA), so the findings may not apply to collectivist cultures where conformity is typically higher.
Jaden is raising concerns about ecological validity. The artificial nature of the study (judging line lengths) means that the findings may not apply to real-life situations where conformity occurs.

Challenge Task - Answers

Cultural bias occurs when research findings cannot be applied to all cultures. Asch’s study was conducted in an individualist culture (USA), meaning it may not apply to collectivist cultures where conformity is higher.
Population validity refers to how well a study’s findings generalise to different groups of people. Ecological validity refers to how well a study’s findings generalise to real-world settings. Asch’s study lacked both, as it only used male students and had an artificial task.
Historical validity affects Asch’s conclusions because social norms have changed since the 1950s. Conformity levels may not be the same today, making it difficult to apply Asch’s findings to modern society.

Checking Your Understanding Task (5 minutes) - Multiple Choice Questions & Answers

Which term refers to whether a study’s findings apply to real-world settings?
C) Ecological validity
What does Asch’s study suggest about free will?
B) Social pressure can influence behaviour, supporting determinism
Why might Asch’s findings lack historical validity?
B) Social norms have changed since the 1950s
Which of the following is a strength of Asch’s study?
B) It had strong scientific rigour due to lab controls
What is a major limitation of Asch’s sample?
A) It included only males from a similar background