Evaluation
Research support:
Artificial situation and task: One strength of Asch's research is support from other studies for
One limitation of Asch's research is that the task and the effects of task difficulty. For example, Todd Lucas et al. (2006)
situation were artificial. Participants knew they were in a asked their participants to solve easy and 'hard' maths problems.
research study and may simply have gone along with what Participants were given answers from three other students (not
was expected (demand characteristics). actually real. The participants conformed more often (ie. agreed
The task of identifying lines was relatively trivial and with the wrong answers) when the problems were harder. This
therefore there was really no reason not to conform. Also, shows Asch was correct in claiming that task difficulty is one
according to Susan Fiske (2014), Asch's groups were not variable that affects conformity.
very groupy; i.e. they did not really resemble groups that Counterpoint However, Lucas et al's study found that conformity
we experience in everyday life. This means the findings do is more complex than Asch suggested. Participants with high
not generalise to real-world situations, especially those confidence in their maths abilities conformed less on hard tasks
where the consequences of conformity than those with low confidence. This shows that an individual-
level factor can influence conformity by interacting with
situational variables (e.g., task difficulty). But Asch did not
research the roles of individual factors.
Limited application:
Another limitation is that Asch's participants were
American men. Other research suggests that women may
be more conformist, possibly because they are concerned
Ethical issues:
about social relationships and being accepted (Neto
Asch's research increased our knowledge of why people
1995). Furthermore, the US is an individualist culture i.e.
conform, which may help avoid mindless destructive
where people are more concerned about themselves
conformity. The naive participants were deceived
rather than their social group). Similar conformity studies
because they thought the other people involved in the
conducted in collectivist cultures (such as China where the
procedure (the confederates) were also genuine
social group is more important than the individual) have
participants like themselves. However, it is worth
found that conformity rates are higher (Bond and Smith
bearing in mind that this ethical cost should be weighed
1996, see page 123 for a discussion of
up against the benefits gained from the study.
individualist/collectivist). This means that Asch's findings
tell us little about conformity in women and people from
some cultures.
Research support:
Artificial situation and task: One strength of Asch's research is support from other studies for
One limitation of Asch's research is that the task and the effects of task difficulty. For example, Todd Lucas et al. (2006)
situation were artificial. Participants knew they were in a asked their participants to solve easy and 'hard' maths problems.
research study and may simply have gone along with what Participants were given answers from three other students (not
was expected (demand characteristics). actually real. The participants conformed more often (ie. agreed
The task of identifying lines was relatively trivial and with the wrong answers) when the problems were harder. This
therefore there was really no reason not to conform. Also, shows Asch was correct in claiming that task difficulty is one
according to Susan Fiske (2014), Asch's groups were not variable that affects conformity.
very groupy; i.e. they did not really resemble groups that Counterpoint However, Lucas et al's study found that conformity
we experience in everyday life. This means the findings do is more complex than Asch suggested. Participants with high
not generalise to real-world situations, especially those confidence in their maths abilities conformed less on hard tasks
where the consequences of conformity than those with low confidence. This shows that an individual-
level factor can influence conformity by interacting with
situational variables (e.g., task difficulty). But Asch did not
research the roles of individual factors.
Limited application:
Another limitation is that Asch's participants were
American men. Other research suggests that women may
be more conformist, possibly because they are concerned
Ethical issues:
about social relationships and being accepted (Neto
Asch's research increased our knowledge of why people
1995). Furthermore, the US is an individualist culture i.e.
conform, which may help avoid mindless destructive
where people are more concerned about themselves
conformity. The naive participants were deceived
rather than their social group). Similar conformity studies
because they thought the other people involved in the
conducted in collectivist cultures (such as China where the
procedure (the confederates) were also genuine
social group is more important than the individual) have
participants like themselves. However, it is worth
found that conformity rates are higher (Bond and Smith
bearing in mind that this ethical cost should be weighed
1996, see page 123 for a discussion of
up against the benefits gained from the study.
individualist/collectivist). This means that Asch's findings
tell us little about conformity in women and people from
some cultures.
