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Assignment #2 Conformity_Jeevesh

Conformity assignment

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13 views

Assignment #2 Conformity_Jeevesh

Conformity assignment

Uploaded by

gargie
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Student Name - Jeevesh Jeevesh

Student Number - 4470942


Assignment #2- Conformity

What predicts conformity? Use handout provided “Notes for Assignment #2”
In easy words conformity is the act of altering your behaviour in order to blend in with or follow
the crowd or just to go with flow with the group they are involved in.
A. Group Size
What did Asch discover about group size and conformity? (2 marks)
As the group gets bigger, there is a tendency for more conformity. Since people may feel
outnumbered or fear social rejection in larger groups, there may be more pressure for them to
conform. For example, the larger groups have the more stability and the interaction of the group
automatically goes down and also the less influence on the individual group members.

B. Unanimity
What did the ‘study subject’ in Asch’s study do, when he began to see that everyone else
was answering differently from him? (2 marks)

Unanimity was a major factor in Asch's conformity experiment. In this experiment, participants
would all give answers that were uniformly inaccurate. This implies that even though it was clear
that their response was inaccurate, the Confederates would all come to the same conclusion.
This setup was intended to exert social pressure on the actual participants, causing them to
comply with the majority's decision. The study revealed that participants followed the wrong
responses given by the overwhelming majority.

C. Cohesion
How does cohesion in a group affect group conformity? Give an example of when this occurs in
society. (4 marks)
People are more likely to follow the rules and expectations of a group when they have a strong
sense of belonging or loyalty to it. A sense of identity and shared values can be developed
through group cohesion, which can boost compliance. For instance, if a group of people has a
very high sense of cohesion, they will be able to execute any assignment with perfect assurance
and on or before schedule. This sense of kinship strengthens the team and boosts productivity.
D. Status
Which individuals tend to have more impact in a group? (1 mark)
As per my understandings, people who conform to the false answers offered by the majority
group have a stronger influence within a group. The experiment showed that when confederates
are in agreement, there might be social pressure to conform, which causes people to conform
even when they know the right answer. The experiment also revealed that the likelihood of
conformity can rise with greater group sizes. As a result, people who agree with the group's
viewpoints and decisions are more influential within the group.

E. Public Response
Would people conform more in their public responses than in their private responses? (2
marks)
Yes, in my opinion, the experiment suggests that people may alter their behaviour in public to fit
in with the group and publicly agree with them, but in private, they may continue to hold their
own opinions or values, or even their genuine roots. To escape social rejection or to win social
favour, people may act more different in public, even though they may have different thoughts or
attitudes in private.

How did Asch’s participants’ responses differ when they responded privately versus
publicly? (2 marks)

To answer this let me explain with example first. When matching the length of the lines on the
cards was required, participants were less likely to agree with the inaccurate response provided
by the confederates when they were given the option to respond in secret, which meant that their
comments were hidden from the group. Participants were more inclined to conform and provide
the inaccurate response when they had to answer in front of the group and in public. This implies
that conformity frequently involves both public and private reactions, with people modifying
their behaviour in public to fit in with the group while maintaining their own opinions in private.
F. No Prior Commitment
What typically happens when someone commits themselves to a position? (2 marks)
The Asch conformity experiment shows that when someone commits to a position, they are more
likely to follow the wrong group response. For instance, when participants were instructed to
match lines on cards with an obvious solution, the majority of the group purposefully selected
the incorrect response. The findings showed that about one-third of the time, participants agreed
with the wrong group response. This implies that people could feel under pressure to follow the
herd, even if they know it is wrong, in order to escape social rejection or to fit in.

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