Asch Conformity Experiment

Solomon Asch set up a laboratory experiment using deception and confederates to determine what factors were involved in conformity and individual decisions in group decisions. Asch instructed subjects to choose which of three lines was the same length as the original line shown. Each subject was on a panel with seven other subjects, however in reality were confederates. The experimenter demonstrated the two cards and asked the individuals to choose the line on the comparison card that is the same length as the standard line. In the second trial the process was repeated again. However, on the third trial, when the card is revealed everyone gave wrong answers. The results indicate that approximately 75% of the subjects went with the group’s

The Solomon Asch’s Conformity Study is an experiment where a standard line is shown to an audience along with three other lines: one will be longer, one will be shorter, one will be the exact same line as the standard. The goal is to identify which is the same line- A, B, or C- and the answer was always obvious. The task is simple, but a person will be the only real participant in the room while the seven others are confederates who were pretending to be participants and who were trying to use social pressure to get the participant to conform with the majority group. For example, if the real answer was A, the confederates would try to throw off the real participant by saying the answer is B. With the majority saying B is the correct answer, the real participant would agree with them, even knowing the answer is wrong because everyone else didn’t say A. The experiment was tested on 50 male students from Swarthmore College, and on average, about 32% of the participants conformed to the incorrect answer with the majority.

The Asch Experiments were a series of studies that demonstrated the power of conformity in groups. The Asch experiment was concocted by Solomon Asch and was a famous psychological experiment that was designed to investigate the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could affect a person to conform. The experiment also shows that one voice can make a difference amongst others. The experiments were made up of “visions tests” where study participants were found to be more likely to conform to obviously wrong answers if first given by other participants. In the case study, the group was consists of all but one person that was working for Asch (confederates) to test how the remaining student would react to their wrong answer.

Some factors that are found to increase conformity include: attractiveness of others in the group, complexity or difficulty of the task, and group cohesiveness. Asch created this experiment to deepen our understanding of the human psyche. This look into the human mind has shown us that we look for acceptance in other human beings. When under an anonymous shroud, the amount of correct responses increase. That being said, if there is no risk in being thought of as dumb or idiotic according to the choice, people are more likely to go through with their first choice

As a large group we will discuss the each objects we are testing. Objects to test (Rocks, foil, wood, pencils, styrofoam, metal, plastic container, lego, eraser, and milk jugs)

Asch since his experiments are what pioneered the study of conformity. His study is considered a classic, and most of conformity studies based their study off of Asch’s experiments. Asch made a group of white, male college students study two separated cards that contained lines. One card was the base line, and the subjects had to choose from three similar line on the second card that matched the first card. Asch made his subjects report their findings out loud to the rest of the other subjects in the room. In all of his experiments, all but one subject were confederates, and that was the majority the lone subject had to face. The majority answered incorrectly throughout the experiments as Asch instructed them to do, and he study the experimental subject to see if he will conform to the incorrect majority. In his first experiments, a group of 7 to 9 students was used. The second experiment tested for the number of opposing subjects needed to reach a set rate of conformity. The final experiment tested the rate of conformity of the experimental partner if he had a supporting partner. The results of the first experiment showed that “the misleading majority’s wrong judgment [made the experimental subjects answer incorrectly] in 36.8 percent of the selections” (Asch 20). This was very interesting, and the rest of the other experiments showed different numbers as well. It only took three opposing subjects to make the experimental subject conform at 31.8% and beyond three subjects did not change the rate (Asch 21). A supporting partner made the experimental subject rate of incorrect answers reduced by one-fourth (Asch 22). This led me to look at other studies that explored conformity with different age groups and using females instead of males. For example, Walker and Andrade found in their experiments “that conformity decreases with age from childhood to maturity in the Asch (1956) situation” (371). Children tend to

There is a fundamental human need to belong to social groups especially if people were to live and work together, it is likely that they need to agree on common beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviours in order to get along and fit-in. Thus, we learnt to conform to rules of other people, the more people see others behaving in a particular way or making particular decisions, the more likely people will feel obliged to follow the suit. This is called conformity and can be defined in different ways, Aronson, Wilson & Akert (2014) stated it is the changing of one’s behavior due to the real or imagined influence of other people. According to Deutsch and Gerard (1955), social influence should be distinguished into two types, the informational social influence and normative social influence. The occurrence of social influence has implied to many real life events, which has drawn many researchers to attention. This has lead many researchers to design distinct experiments to try and understand the cause of the conformity, whether conformity is situation dependent, and whether we are able to resist social influences.

In pyschology conformity can be descibed as an indiviual’s tendency to follow the unspoken rules or behaviours of the social group to which he/she belongs to or wants to be apart of. Many psychologists including , Jenness (1932), Sherif (1935) both experimented in psychology, investigating conformity and group pressure. However, perhaps the most famous conformity experiment was done by Solomon Asch (1951) and his line judgment experiment. (McLeod 2007)

Being that conformity was an important topic, many researchers conducted studies that had consistently supported the theory that the more people there are in a group, the more likely a person is to conform. Researchers Stanley Milgram, Lionnel Dannick, Leon Mann, James W. Newton, and Eddie Tong, carried out different observational experiments that produced similar results about the power of conformity. Stanley Milgram’s study on conformity was an observational study in which confederates stopped and would stare up at a window of a building for 60 seconds. Judges recorded all of the people who walked by, and counted how many citizens looked up or stopped and looked at the window. The results from his study indicated that when there were more confederates in a group, people were more likely to

First get your 4 pictures. We found these at www.exploratorium.edu. Then you will need a pink and green see through clipboard that is 8.5 by 11 inches. Before you start the experiment you need to have a clean room. Next find four twelve year olds, two boys, two girls. Then you need to collect the rest of the materials.

The outcome of the experiment showed that people conform in a group situation and the subject went along with the actors (Henle, 222). There are many good reasons why we should raise concerns about the way we humans form our opinions and the role it can play in society and how it can affect society. The Asch Conformity Experiment was conducted to test the amount of pressure that an individual can take before falling into a trap. The experiment conducted made a significant impact on its subjects and made them think twice about the choice they have made before they could be certain if it was the choice they wanted to make. Apparel and music evolve as we turn into new eras, but social pressure differs from it. Social pressure will always be the same whether it is good or

This experience consisted of 20 subjects from Woden plaza varying of age and gender. It also included one student who was going to conduct the experiment.

Asch’s experiment teaches us that conformity is most likely when the individual has to stand alone in group settings. Asch’s experiment teaches us that an individual will go against his own judgment when the group differs from the individual. Even when he knows he is correct, an individual will go with the group because of peer pressure.

According to one website ‘Conformity is a type of social influence involving a change in belief or behavior in order to fit in with a group.’. (Saul McLeod, 2016). People is very susceptible to the action or opinions of majority and imitate their action unconsciously. I think this is because people have tendency the action which the majority taken is correct. If they are an only person who takes action which is different from others, the might think ‘Am I wrong?’. After they think so, they imitate others. One famous experiment done by Asch is known as example of conformity. It shows 1/3 to 1/2 of the subjects make a judgment contrary to objective fact and in conformity with the

Conformity is a concept that has been heavily researched in the field of social psychology. Conformity is defined as a change in behavior, beliefs, and attitudes due to group pressure perceived as real (encompassing the presence of others) or imagined (encompassing the pressure of social standards) (Myers, 2010, p. 192). The concept of conformity is a powerful influence on the tendency for people to arrange their thoughts, perspectives, and ideas with others, especially when in a group. This takes away from a person’s individuality because they want to feel accepted by others and therefore, a person will accomplish this basic need of approval through conforming.