... Individual students were asked to estimate the number of beans in a bottle and then later placed in groups to discuss and come to a group conclusion. Jenness observed that when asked for a second judgement, participants made a distinct shift towards the group estimate. Psychologists also believe that individual differences may play a role in conformity. Crutchfield's (1955) study consisted of participants drawn mainly from the business sector and the military. They were tested for several qualities, some of which included intelligence, leadership ability and ego strength. He found that those who had scored highly in these, displayed lower levels of conformity. Crutchfield's findings, therefore, seem to suggest that there is a conforming type of personality but there has been no substantial evidence to support this theory. A meta-analysis of past studies into conformity carried out by Eagly & Carli (1981) showed that women conformed more than men. It was suggested that ...

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