Conducted in the 1950s by psychologist Solomon Asch.
Aimed to demonstrate how social pressure from a majority group can lead to conformity.
Experiment Setup
Groups of 10 people were formed.
Each group was told the experiment was a study on visual perception, specifically the perception of line lengths.
Participants were shown cards with multiple lines and asked to identify which line on the right matched the length of a line on the left.
Key Elements
Conformity Pressure: Participants announced their answers one by one, which introduced social pressure.
Manipulation of Perception: Despite clear visual evidence, participants could be influenced to conform to incorrect answers due to majority opinion.
Influencing Factors
Presence of a Partner:
When another person in the group also told the truth, participants were more likely to give a truthful answer.
Written Responses:
Participants were more likely to provide truthful answers when responses were written, reducing social embarrassment.
Conclusions
Social pressure can significantly influence individual perceptions and responses.
The presence of supportive peers or reducing social embarrassment can lead to more accurate perceptions.
The experiment highlights the power of social influence on individual judgments and the potential to resist conformity when supported by others or when social pressure is minimized.
Grand Lesson
Even fundamental perceptions of reality can be swayed by the opinions of others around us.