Explain two ethical limitations of Asch's investigations into conformity. [4 marks]

Answer: A key ethical issue in Asch's research was deception. Participants were told they were taking part in a vision test when, in reality, the study aimed to investigate conformity. This is a limitation because deception prevents participants from giving fully informed consent.

Another ethical concern was the lack of protection from harm. Asch knowingly placed participants in a potentially stressful or embarrassing situation. After the experiment, some participants may have experienced reduced confidence or self-belief as a result of conforming to group pressure.

Examiner Comment: For this question, students must explain their chosen ethical limitation in the context of Asch's research. They should avoid giving generic ethical issues and instead ensure their response is specifically applied to the study.