Discuss:

Consider a balanced review that includes two factors, and opinions or conclusions should be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.

Factors: 

Group Size

Culture

Definition: 

Social influence involving a change in belief or behaviour in order to fit in with a group.  

Factor: Group SizeAsch made variations of the original study by altering the amount of confederates. When there was only one confederate the participant answered correctly. With two confederates the minority participant’s error rose to 13.6%. With three confederates the errors jumped to 31.8%. Further increases in confederates did not increase errors so Asch concluded that the size of opposition is important only up to a point. Asch suggested that with larger groups, participants may become resistant to conform if they suspect that members of the majority are working together on purpose.

Smith and Bond (1998) discovered cultural differences in conformity between western and eastern countries.  People from Western cultures (such as America and the UK) are more likely to be individualistic and don’t want to be seen as being the same as everyone else.

Factor: CultureCulture is one factor that affects conformity and this can be seen in Smith and Bond’s study. Certain cultures are known to emphasise unity or individualism more than other. For example, certain Asian cultures are more keen to value the unity of a group and the achievements achieved by many as opposed to alone. Western cultures however are often linked to individualism and acting alone and independently to achieve success. This is an example of how culture affects conformity.