Researchers have identified different features of science...explain how Asch's conformity research illustrates one of these features of science. [3 marks]

Researchers have identified different features of science, including:

• replicability

• theory construction

• hypothesis testing.

Explain how Asch's conformity research illustrates one of these features of science. [3 marks]

Answer: Asch's research illustrates replicability because it used highly standardised procedures. For example, each participant was shown the same line lengths, asked the same task and exposed to the same arrangement of confederates. This meant other researchers could repeat the study in exactly the same way to check whether similar levels of conformity were found.

Examiner Comment: Students should avoid confusing replicability with actual replications. If using replicability, they should explain that it refers to the ability of another researcher to repeat the study using the same standardised procedures. Students must also contextualise their answer by linking the feature clearly to examples from Asch's research.