1.1.3

Sherif (1935)

Test yourself

Sherif (1935) Autokinetic Effect Experiment

Sherif (1935) tried to show that people conform to group norms when they're performing an ambiguous task.

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Method

  • Laboratory experiment.
  • Sherif used the autokinetic effect. This is where a dot of light is projected onto a screen in a dark room. The light appears to move even though it's not moving. The dot appearing to move is a visual illusion.
  • Participants were led to believe that someone was moving the light. They were asked to guess how far the light moved.
  • They were tested in three phases.
    • Phase 1 - Participants made guesses individually.
    • Phase 2 - Participants made guesses in groups of three.
    • Phase 3 - Participants made guesses individually.
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Results

  • In phase 1, individual guesses varied a lot (by 20cm - 80cm).
  • In phase 2, participant's guesses tended to converge to a common estimate.
  • In phase 3, individuals made guesses closer to the common group estimates than their initial estimates.
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Conclusion

  • The experiment showed that people look to others for guidance when they face ambiguous situations (like the autokinetic effect).
  • When people don't have all the information they need, they look to others for information. This is called informational conformity.
  • Participants' estimates converged and a group norm formed because participants were influenced by other participants' estimates. They were influenced by informational social influence.
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Analysis

  • Variables were strictly controlled in the laboratory. This means:
    • A third variable shouldn't have influenced results and we should be able to establish cause and effect.
    • The method was replicable as participant variables could be controlled and kept constant.
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Experimental issues

  • Deception - participants believed the stationary light was moving.
  • Narrow sample - only males participated. This reduces the generalisability of the results.
  • Artificial situation - participants made estimates about the movement of a stationary light. This is not a natural situation, so the experiment has low ecological validity (it cannot be generalised well to real-life situations).

Jump to other topics

1Social Influence

2Memory

3Attachment

4Psychopathology

5Approaches in Psychology

6Biopsychology

7Research Methods

8Issues & Debates in Psychology (A2 only)

9Option 1: Relationships (A2 only)

10Option 1: Gender (A2 only)

11Option 1: Cognition & Development (A2 only)

12Option 2: Schizophrenia (A2 only)

13Option 2: Eating Behaviour (A2 only)

14Option 2: Stress (A2 only)

15Option 3: Aggression (A2 only)

16Option 3: Forensic Psychology (A2 only)

17Option 3: Addiction (A2 only)

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