Research Team
Let's look at what happened with our research team. Were there mixed findings in this literature?

The meta-analysis of the 133 studies showed that, while many studies found an experimental effect, many did not. The meta-analysis also tried to uncover methodological factors that might explain why the research was so mixed. It seems that the gender composition of the group, the ambiguity of the stimulus, whether the group is valued or not, size of the majority, and the anonymity of the response are all important for conformity. After reading the meta-analysis, the students concluded that, because the majority of studies found effects, they did not need to worry about the other factors. They replicated the original study without paying attention to these factors and found that most students did not conform.

When faced with a mixed literature, what can you do to avoid the mistakes of our research team?