Does+peer+pressure+affect+logical+answers?

**Title**: Does peer pressure affect logical answers?
Abstract: In this experiment I will determine through a visual test if teens will give the obvious wrong answer if all other participants give the wrong answer, a conformity test. =**Purpose**:= During the 1950s, Solomon Asch conducted and published a series of laboratory experiments that demonstrated the degree to which an individuals own opinions are influenced by those of a majority group. Together, these experiments are recognized as the **Asch conformity experiments** or the **Asch Paradigm**. Subsequent to the release of these experiments, several scientists attempted to replicate them through various lenses. In the present day, Asch conformity experiments continue to be conducted. (Simply 2008). Studies have shown that up to 46% of young teens when taken a pole that their view changes on morals, favorite music genres, etc. when they hear their peers opinion or worded right. (People 2012). Students are whom I will be testing this experiment on. Peer pressure is usually applied to younger people, especially teenagers. In the experiment I will have a group of 7-8 students all sit in a empty hallway. I will ask them some simple visual questions. Only 4-5 students will be the true participants, all the other students will have scripted answers. I want to find if the real participants will follow along if the other actors give the wrong answer to logical answers, not opinion questions. I will use several different "types" of actors. I'll use an intelligent student (nerd) who would seem to know the correct answer, an argumentative student that may cause the participants to follow along with his/her answer or argue against the actor. In an article that had the original work of Solomon Asch; he states that if using older actors and having the test subjects be minorities, the participants will more readily agree with the adult actors correct answer or not. (Department of psychology) I'm curious to whether this actually will work. I also want to test if the number of actors also affect the answers of the participants.In the Asch testing when just one other confederate was present, there was virtually no impact on participants' answers. The presence of two confederates had only a tiny effect. The level of conformity seen with three or more confederates was far more significant. (Asch conformity 2011)The original Asch conformity testing participants up to 1/3 of them gave the incorrect answer following along with the actors. (Conformity 2008) Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to peer pressure, because they are at a stage of development when they are separating more from their parents' influence, but have not yet established their own values or understanding about human relationships or the consequences of their behavior. (Peer pressure 2011). So this experiment should turn out effective, the student being tested will give in to the other students opinion. =**Hypothesis:**= If under peer pressure then up to 1/3 of participants will answer a simple visual comparison question incorrectly to follow the majority.

=Materials: 18-20 students, pack of flash cards, an empty hallway to conduct experiment.= (Graph is a link on the class wiki but not on my ISP) =**Procedure:**= 1. I will select 4 groups of 7-8 students. I will ask the true participants will be my fellow Honors Biology students. The other participants will be students selected at random from Study hall and Packs. 2. I will bring participants and actors alike into the empty hallway and ask them to compare the line on Card 1 to the three lines on Card 2 comparing which of the three lines matches the one. Just simply that, no hints no suggestions just that.

3. I will write down the answers in tally marks. I will also add some of the small talk between the students; that could be an impact on their answers.

4. Last I will add up the data, then translate it to a graph and table. The second group had more students participating in the interview (but I kept the same actors through out all the groups I tested). Two of the kids in Group 2 were rather quiet and shy; they followed along with my actors in giving the obviously incorrect answer. I cannot reveal names but the other three participants were laughing and joking amongst themselves answered last and just went with their instincts rather than listen everyone else's opinion. Group 3 was a tie, four students all together just boys. Again two quiet, semi-socially awkward teenagers (not to be rude) followed along with my actors. The other two students that disagreed looked like friends; one friend commented to the other "What's the point of this?" and it seemed to make them more suspicious so they went against the majority and gave the correct answer. I made the assumption based on their character they were the argumentative types. Group 4 again consisted of 5 students, they are all in 9th grade except one boy who is in 10th grade. Only one student agreed with my actors; I personally think he was saying it as a joke. The rest of the students in Group 4 seemed confident; the more athletic popular students so they did not fall for the trick of the experiment. According to the data it seemed the more quiet, shy or "loner" type of students followed along with the confederate participants. The popular teenagers or you could say the ones "At the top of the food chain" didn't care and went with the right answer.
 * Group 1 || Group 2 || Group 3 || Group 4 ||  ||
 * Participants that agreed w/ actors || Participants that agreed w/ actors || Participants that agreed w/ actors || Participants that agreed w/ actors ||  ||
 * 0/4 || 2/5 || 2/4 || 1/5 ||  ||
 * Disagreed || Disagreed || Disagreed || Disagreed ||  ||
 * 4/4 || 3/5 || 2/4 || 4/5 ||  ||
 * comments, questions || comments, questions || comments, questions || comments, questions ||  ||
 * "I have had this test taken before, don't listen to the other people!" ||  || What is the point to this? ||   ||   ||
 * Analysis:** My group of actors were three students from my Biology Honors class; one boy and two girls. I did not inform the participants what class my actors and I were from. Group 1 consisted of 3 girls and one boy. After interviewing my first group of students my actors and I noticed that when one of the girls made the comment "I have taken this test before, don't listen to the other people" it changed the results completely. One student taking the lead, all the other teenagers agreed with their answer.
 * "I have had this test taken before, don't listen to the other people!" ||  || What is the point to this? ||   ||   ||
 * Analysis:** My group of actors were three students from my Biology Honors class; one boy and two girls. I did not inform the participants what class my actors and I were from. Group 1 consisted of 3 girls and one boy. After interviewing my first group of students my actors and I noticed that when one of the girls made the comment "I have taken this test before, don't listen to the other people" it changed the results completely. One student taking the lead, all the other teenagers agreed with their answer.
 * Analysis:** My group of actors were three students from my Biology Honors class; one boy and two girls. I did not inform the participants what class my actors and I were from. Group 1 consisted of 3 girls and one boy. After interviewing my first group of students my actors and I noticed that when one of the girls made the comment "I have taken this test before, don't listen to the other people" it changed the results completely. One student taking the lead, all the other teenagers agreed with their answer.


 * Conclusion**: My hypothesis **"**If under peer pressure then up to 1/3 of participants will answer a simple visual comparison question incorrectly to follow the majority." was rather accurate. Thirteen out of eighteen students followed against their own better judgment to follow the majority and avoid scrutiny. Although in one group that did not even occur at all and to have true accuracy I would have needed to test closer to a hundred teenagers rather than eighteen. Personality, the other participants, personal background and social culture played vital roles in the students responses to the test. On a larger scale the results would still be basically the same I believe.

1. Tested more students, I would want a 100-120 but most likely 30-45. 2. Have different actors for each group; maybe have older or younger actors. 3. I tested this experiment in the hallway. I think the test could be taken more seriously sitting at a desk; seeming more important and official.
 * Limitations**: My results were in sync to my hypothesis, but, like I mentioned in my conclusion, I think I would have had more reliable data if given closer to a hundred students to test. So I could get a wider range of people, test many different personalities even people from different schools so the participants fear of a stranger's opinion. I would have liked to have chosen more actors, maybe have the actors be people the participants know. Over all my experiment with in reason could improve if:

Work cited; McLeod, S. A. (2008).

//Asch Experiment.//Retrieved from

__http://www.simplypsychology.org/asch-conformity.html__

Blakeslee, Sandra. "What Other People Say May Change What You See." //New York Times// 28 June 2005: F3(L). //Gale Student Resources In Context//. Web. 26 Nov. 2012.

Hartney, Elizabeth. "What Is PeerÂ Pressure?" //About.com Addictions//. N.p., 5 July 2011. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://addictions.about.com/od/howaddictionhappens/f/Peer_Pressure.htm

Cherry, Kendra. "The Asch ConformityÂ Experiments." //About.com Psychology//. N.p., 31 Aug. 2011. Web. 28 Dec. 2012

Shuttleworth, Martyn. "Asch Experiment." //- Conformity in Groups//. N.p., 2008. Web. 31 Dec. 2012

"Department of Psychology." //Department of Psychology//. W.H Freeman and Company, Sept. 2008. Web. 06 Jan. 2013.