Objective: The purpose of this assignment is to help you understand the concept of Cause-and-Effect or Compare-and-Contrast data collection through social conformity. Through the replication of Solomon Asch’s famous conformity experiment, you will be able to collect data and conduct research.
By conducting this experiment, you will gain insight into how individuals conform to group norms even when those norms may be incorrect.
Understanding the Asch Experiment
Watch videos to familiarize yourself with the original Asch Conformity Experiment.
Review the original study by Solomon Asch to understand the methodology and findings.
Designing Your Experiment
Form a group of minimum of 4 random participants (must not be in our class), with one person serving as the subject and the others as confederates (in on the experiment).
Prepare three sets of visual line comparison cards (similar to those used in the Asch experiment) where the correct answer is obvious.
The confederates should give the same incorrect answer for most of the trials to see if the subject conforms to the group’s incorrect consensus.
Conducting the Experiment
You must project the images on a screen or show them on paper. However you decided to present the images, ALL of the subjects must be looking at the same projection. The subjects cannot look at their own separate images. For example, the subjects cannot be given papers with the same images and asked to circle their options.
Explain the general purpose of the experiment to the participants without revealing that the focus is on conformity.
Conduct the experiment by showing the line comparison cards to the group and asking each participant to say their answer out loud, with the subject answering last or near the end.
Record the entire experiment, ensuring that the subject’s reactions and decisions are captured.
You can use the attached PDF to help you.
Analyzing the Results
After the experiment, review the recording and analyze the subject’s responses.
Note when and how often the subject conformed to the group’s incorrect answers.
Consider any verbal or non-verbal cues that may indicate the subject’s discomfort or decision-making process.
Post-Video Report
S1. Introduction: Briefly describe the original Asch experiment and the concept of social conformity.
S2. Methodology: Detail how you conducted the experiment, including the setup, number of participants, and the instructions given.
S3. Results: Present your findings, including the number of times the subject conformed and any notable behaviors or comments.
S4. Discussion: Determine the Cause-and-Effect or Compare-and-Contrast AND Analyze why the subject conformed (or did not conform) to the group. Discuss how your findings compare to the original Asch experiment. Reflect on the implications of social conformity in real-world situations. Conduct a post-interview with all of the subjects and get their input.
S5. Conclusion: Summarize your findings and their significance.
S6. Reflection: Include a brief reflection of what you learned from conducting the experiment and how it relates to broader ideas, discussed in class.
Reminders:
- All videos must be uploaded to YouTube.
- You will submit the YouTube link to the video via Blackboard.
- Important Notes:
- The YouTube video must be uploaded before the assignment due date. If the video upload date is after the due date, it will result in an automatic 0.
- Links that do not work or do not lead to the appropriate video will result in an automatic 0.
- Videos that are taken down before the end of the semester (December 10) will result in an automatic 0.
- Videos that require special permissions or access restrictions will result in an automatic 0.
Make sure the video is publicly accessible or set to “unlisted” to avoid access issues.
How to upload a YouTube video from your phone: https://youtu.be/NDNt44uAg-Y
Jordan Wiggins 