AO3 Explanations for conformity

E – Jenness asked participants to give three estimates of the number of jellybeans in a jar: an initial private estimate, (they privately wrote down their estimate of the number of jellybeans) a second public estimate (all the participants discussed their estimates and arrived at a single group answer) and a final private estimate (they wrote down their personal estimate for a final time). Jeness's participants demonstrated conformity because...[identify which of the findings below would indicate the participnats had shown conformity]

• Their final private estimate was closer to the public estimate than the first private estimate

• Their final private estimate was further from the public estimate than the first private estimate

• Their final private estimate remained unchanged

E – Jenness asked participants to give three estimates of the number of jellybeans in a jar: an initial private estimate, a second public estimate and a final private estimate. Jeness found participants’ final private estimate tended to move toward the public estimate. This conformity is best explained by...

• This conformity is best explained by NSI

• This conformity is best explained by ISI

E – Jenness asked participants to give three estimates of the number of jellybeans in a jar: an initial private estimate, a second public estimate and a final private estimate. Jeness found participants’ final private estimate tended to move toward the public estimate.

E – Jenness's research provides evidence of conformity that can be explained by ​ (a)   . It’s clear that participants in the study demonstrated conformity as they moved their final estimate closer to the group estimate, suggesting they changed their opinion of the number of jellybeans after they were exposed to the opinion of a majority group (I.e., the other participants). One reason this conformity is best explained by ​ (b)   , rather than ​ (c)   , is ​ (d)   explains conformity in ambiguous situations. Given that the correct number of jellybeans was ambiguous, it’s likely the participants were uncertain of the correct answer and so looked for guidance from the group estimate.

• informational social influence
• normative social influence
• compliance
• internalisation
• identification

P – There is research support for informational social influence (ISI) as an explanation of conformity. E – Jenness asked participants to give three estimates of the number of jellybeans in a jar: an initial private estimate, a second public estimate and a final private estimate. Jeness found participants’ final private estimate tended to move toward the public estimate.

E – Another reason this research provides support for the role of ISI as a cause of conformity is that this behaviour is not easily explained by NSI. Since NSI usually occurs in situations where ​ (a)   we are being monitored by the majority group, the fact that the final estimate was ​ (b)   (and so unmonitored by the group) is not easily explained by NSI.

• private
• public
• we believe
• we do not believe

If research is highly artificial, which specific type of validity does this undermine?

• Ecological validity

• Population validity

• Internal validity

• External validity

E – Jenness asked participants to give three estimates of the number of jellybeans in a jar: an initial private estimate, a second public estimate and a final private estimate. Jeness found participants’ final private estimate tended to move toward the public estimate.  

Identify which of the following answers are true of the Jenness's experiment's ecological validity

• Its location (a lab) is artificial

• Its task (guessing numbers of jellybeans in a ar) is artificial

• Both its location and task are artificial

• Neither its location nor task are artificial

Answer explanation

Labs are always artificial settings, but the task Jeness used is especially artificial. Real life conformity involves things like our political views, our taste in music or how we dress. Guessing the nmbers of jelly beans in a jar on three separate occassions (especially in a lab setting) is not at all naturalistic.

The ecological validity of the Jenness study is weak because it was conducted in an artificial setting. What does this mean for the Jenness experiment's support for ISI as an explanation for conformity?

• It strongly supports ISI.

• It weakly supports ISI.

• It has no impact on ISI.

• It disproves ISI.

According to Sieber and Stanley, a theory can be considered socially sensitive if it has the potential for harmful social consequences for those connected to the research.  

• Theories about conformity are socially sensitive

• Theories about conformity are not socially sensitive

P – A problem with research into the types and explanation of conformity is its social sensitivity.  

E – According to Sieber and Stanley, a theory can be considered socially sensitive if it has the potential for harmful social consequences for those connected to the research.  

E – The theoretical ideas of Kelman (types of conformity) and Deutsch and Gerard (explanations for conformity) have the potential for social consequences as they provide a toolkit for social influence. If used by people with bad intentions, this set of ideas could be used to cause social harm by, for example, allowing people with prejudiced views to persuade others in society to accept these views and so stigmatize vulnerable social groups in society.  However, just because research is socially sensitive does not mean it shouldn’t be conducted.  Understanding what conformity is and how it occurs could be useful to society and help encourage socially beneficial behaviours or to educate citizens on how to resist being psychologically manipulated by others.  

• I've read this AO3 paragarph and I'm ready to answer questions on it

• I've clicked this button without reading this AO3 paragraph thoroughly

E – According to Sieber and Stanley, a theory can be considered __________ _________ if it has the potential for harmful social consequences for those connected to the research.