Later studies have also supported this finding, suggesting that having social support is an important tool in combating conformity. At the conclusion of the experiments, participants were asked why they had gone along with the rest of the group. In most cases, the students stated that while they knew the rest of the group was wrong, they did not want to risk facing ridicule. A few of the participants suggested that they actually believed the other members of the group were correct in their answers.
These results suggest that conformity can be influenced both by a need to fit in and a belief that other people are smarter or better informed. Given the level of conformity seen in Asch's experiments, conformity can be even stronger in real-life situations where stimuli are more ambiguous or more difficult to judge. Asch went on to conduct further experiments in order to determine which factors influenced how and when people conform. He found that:. One of the major criticisms of Asch's conformity experiments centers on the reasons why participants choose to conform.
According to some critics, individuals may have actually been motivated to avoid conflict, rather than an actual desire to conform to the rest of the group.
Another criticism is that the results of the experiment in the lab may not generalize to real-world situations. Many social psychology experts believe that while real-world situations may not be as clear-cut as they are in the lab, the actual social pressure to conform is probably much greater, which can dramatically increase conformist behaviors. The Asch conformity experiments are among the most famous in psychology's history and have inspired a wealth of additional research on conformity and group behavior.
This research has provided important insight into how, why, and when people conform and the effects of social pressure on behavior. Ever wonder what your personality type means?
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Developmental Science. Asch, SE. Effects of group pressure upon the modification and distortion of judgments. In: Guetzkow H, ed. Pittsburgh: Carnegie Press; — Asch SE. Studies of independence and conformity: I. A minority of one against a unanimous majority. Asch's experiment is very influential one! It does not surprise me that women conformed while men didn't. I think going against the grain is a trait much more admirable in men. Women are encouraged to 'keep the peace' in my opinion.
Also, I'd find it interesting to come up with experiments based on this and on the collective intelligence study recently posted in the news. Woolley, Anita et al. I'm not sure how, but perhaps you could alter perceptions of the goal of tasks more complicated than length judgement and then see how the outcomes vary according to social sensitivity and other factors.
This finding illuminates the power that even a small dissenting minority can have upon a larger group. This demonstrates the importance of privacy in answering important and life-changing questions, so that people do not feel pressured to conform. For example, anonymous surveys can allow people to fully express how they feel about a particular subject without fear of retribution or retaliation from others in the group or the larger society.
Having a witness or ally someone who agrees with the point of view also makes it less likely that conformity will occur. Asch suggested that this reflected poorly on factors such as education, which he thought must over-train conformity. Learning Objectives Explain how the Asch experiment sought to measure conformity in groups. The experiment found that over a third of subjects conformed to giving a wrong answer.
Key Terms conformity : the ideology of adhering to one standard or social uniformity Conducted by social psychologist Solomon Asch of Swarthmore College, the Asch conformity experiments were a series of studies published in the s that demonstrated the power of conformity in groups.
Solomon Asch - Conformity Experiment. Allen, V. Social support, dissent and conformity. Sociometry , Asch, S. Effects of group pressure upon the modification and distortion of judgment. Guetzkow ed. Groups, leadership and men. Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Press. Studies of independence and conformity: I. A minority of one against a unanimous majority. Psychological monographs: General and applied, 70 9 , Back, K.
An interpretation of experimental conformity through physiological measures. Behavioral Science, 8 1 , Perrin, S. The Asch effect: a child of its time? Bulletin of the British Psychological Society, 32, Sherif, M. Groups in harmony and tension. Toggle navigation.
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