Asch conformity experiments

The conformity experiment of Asch, published in 1951 by Solomon Asch, is a series of studies that showed how peer pressure can influence a person so that they rated an obviously false statement to be correct.

Experimental setup

A number of people sitting at a conference table. The research subject who entered this room, we were told that it was to other voluntary participants in the experiment. In truth, all those present were out of the subject confidante of the experimenter.

On a screen in front of this group, a line was presented. In addition to this reference line three more lines were displayed and it was the duty of the people to assess which of these three comparison lines was the same length as the reference line. Each time through one of the lines was clearly the same length as the reference line ( see picture). In the control group, the confidant of the experimenter should express their true assessment in the group, which line the be of equal length. As expected, makes the subject sitting with the secret confidant at the table, under this condition, barely error (less than 1 %).

In the experimental group, respectively 18 estimates were held. While six of these passages the secret confidants were instructed to make a correct judgment ( to appear credible). During the remaining twelve passages ( randomly shuffled among the six correct ) should confidants unanimously make a false judgment. On average, now 37 % of the judgments of the subjects error, in about a third of the cases, the participants so the majority of fit ( despite an obvious mistake ). From the average of 37 % wrong decisions but can not be concluded that majority of the subjects had remained largely unaffected: 75 % of participants committed in the 12 manipulated passages at least one error - despite obvious wrong decision of the majority.

Variants

This original experiment was later replicated in a variety of versions. Resulted in the following context: the larger the group is, the more conformity is produced. With increasing group size, the compliance rate asymptotically approaches a straight line. If the unanimity of the secret confidant broken in a false judgment, as one of them judges even more obvious wrong, the subjects commit considerably fewer errors. In this case, they seem to dare to express their right minority opinion, as other represented a minority opinion. A similar reduction in the rate of conformity leads social support: Is one of the confidants of the subject suggests, these almost always on their correct assessment.

Criticism

A number of criticisms have been brought against Asch's experiment, including the question regarding the motivation of students to be accurate. To bring to critics that the experiment instead of a test of peer pressure rather the lack of interest of the participating students show, to go into a conflict about the correct answer. Furthermore, the participants in Asch's experiment was not allowed to interact. In implementing rounds in which an accomplice was allowed to give the correct answer, the rate of false assents by the test person fell significantly.