Solomon Asch's Conformity Experiment

Introduction

In 1951, the boy from story: Solomon Asch, became a pioneer in social psychology.
Goal: Explore peer pressure's influence on perception and belief.

Participants: 123 white, male college students.
Setup:
- Participants believed it was a visual judgment study.
- Placed in groups with 6-8 actors (confederates) who were aware of the experiment.
- Shown two cards: one with a single line, another with three lines.
- Task: Match the line from the first card with one of the three on the second card.
- Actors responded first with correct answers initially.
Critical Trials:
- After initial correct answers, actors started giving incorrect answers starting from the third round.
- 12 critical rounds where confederates consistently gave wrong answers.

Results:
- 23% gave the correct answer every time.
- 72% conformed to the majority at least once.
- 5% always conformed to the wrong answer.
Key Observations:
- Presence of one correct answer decreased peer pressure impact.
- Opinions of three people were enough to influence conformity.
- Increasing the number of confederates beyond three didn't increase conformity.

Asch's Insights:
- Many people conform due to desire to fit in, even against obvious evidence.
- Conformity is deeply embedded in human behavior.
Quotes from Asch:
- 1955: Concern about young people conforming to call white, black.
- Questions about education and societal values.