Will people conform to the group’s opinions, even if they disagree? That was the question behind one of the most famous experiments in psychology history. The Asch conformity experiments were a series of studies by social psychologist Solomon Asch during the 1950s. In the studies, Asch sought to learn more about how social pressure could lead to conformity.
In the studies, people were asked to choose a line that matched the length of another line. When the others in the group chose the incorrect line, participants would often conform to the rest of the group, even though they were clearly wrong.
The experiments are classic studies in social psychology, offering important insights into when and why people conform to group norms and pressures.
Key Takeaways:
- The Asch conformity experiments demonstrated that people often conform to group opinions, even when they know the group is wrong.
- Factors such as the desire for social acceptance and uncertainty in decision-making contribute to conformity.
- Group size, status, and whether responses are public or private influence the likelihood of conforming.
- Despite criticism, Asch’s experiments significantly impacted the understanding of social behavior and group influence in psychology.
The Asch Experiments
In the main version of the experiment, Asch told the participants that they were taking part in a vision test. Each participant was then placed in a group of people who were actually confederates in the study. In other words, they were actors who were involved in the experiment.
The group was shown a line on a card and then another card with several lines of varying lengths. They were asked to pick the line that matched the first line.
It was a simple task. When asked on their own, almost all participants were able to easily perform the task correctly. When they were in the group, and the confederates gave the wrong answers, the participants were often go along with the group.
Results of the Asch Conformity Experiments
The results of the Asch conformity experiments were startling. They revealed that a staggering 75% of the participants conformed to the group at least once. Even more surprising, about 25% never conformed, while 5% conformed every single time.
For the control group, where people faced no social pressure, incorrect responses were given less than 1% of the time.
Explanations for the Results
What explains the high rates of conformity in Asch’s experiments? There are several important psychological factors at work. The reasons people went along with the group even when they knew the others were wrong come down to several reasons:
Normative Social Influence
People have a desire for social acceptance. They want to fit in with the group and prefer not to stand out. By agreeing with the rest of the group, they increase the likelihood of being liked and accepted by others.
The fear of embarrassment can also play a role. Being the only one to voice a different answer comes with the risk of appearing foolish or being ridiculed. Even if people knew they were right, fear of social disapproval caused them to conform.
Informational Social Influence
When making decisions under uncertainty, people often look to other people as a source of information. If other people say one thing is correct, people often assume that others know something they don’t, which is why they conform.
Self-doubt in these situations can also play a role. Once others started choosing the wrong answer, the participants may have started to question their response and wondered if they had overlooked something.
Other Factors That Can Influence Conformity
There are also a number of other factors that can affect the likelihood that people with conform like they did Asch conformity experiments.
These include:
- Group size: Conformity usually increases with group size, at least up to a certain point. When 3 to 5 people are present, there is a lot of pressure to conform. When the number of people exceeds that, conformity typically starts to decline.
- Status: People are more likely to conform if the others in the group are seen as having a higher status, more authority, or greater expertise.
- Privacy of responses: People are more inclined to conform if their responses are public. When responses are private, conformity rates drop.
- Uncertainty and difficulty: If the task is ambiguous or difficult, people are less likely to trust their own judgment. They will often look to others for information and assurance, which increases conformity.
- Group unity: Conformity is higher in very cohesive groups. The stronger the bonds between group members, the more likely people are to conform.
In a 2023 replication of Asch’s conformity experiment, researchers found an error rate of 33%, similar to the one in Asch’s original study. They found that offering monetary incentives helped reduce errors but didn’t eliminate the effects of social influence. The study also found that social influence impacted political opinions, leading to a conformity rate of 38% (Franzen & Mader, 2023).
The study also examined how Big Five personality factors might be linked to conformity. While openness was associated with susceptibility to group pressure, other personality traits were not significantly connected.
One 2018 experiment found that the social delivery of information caused 33% of participants to change their political opinions (Mallinson & Hatemi, 2018).
Critiques of the Asch Conformity Experiments
While influential, the Asch experiments were not without criticism. Some of the main criticisms hinge on the following:
- The impact of demand characteristics: Some critics suggest that some participants may have suspected the study’s real intentions and behaved to meet the experimenter’s expectations.
- Lack of relevance in the real world: Critics also suggest that the experimental setup needed to be more contrived and accurately reflect real-world situations where conformity might occur.
- Cultural factors: The time and place of the experiments (the United States and during the 1950s) may also have contributed to the high conformity rates. During that time, conformity to American norms and values was highly valued. Such characteristics may not be universal to other places and periods.
- Simplified approach: While Asch’s experiments demonstrate one aspect of conformity (normative social influence), they don’t address the many other factors that can contribute to this behavior in real-world settings.
Impact and Contributions of the Asch Conformity Experiments
Asch’s conformity experiments had a major impact on the field of psychology. They helped inspire further research on conformity, compliance, and obedience.
The studies demonstrated that conformity is not just about fear of punishment; it often comes from a deep psychological need for acceptance and group harmony.
These findings have influenced a wide range of fields, from understanding peer pressure and decision-making in groups to exploring the dynamics of social behavior in various cultural and political contexts. Asch’s experiments remain a cornerstone in social psychology, shaping how we think about the relationships between individual judgment and group influence.
EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT
- Classic Psychological Experiments: Explore other well-known psychology experiments.
- The Robbers Cave Experiment: What would happen if you pitted two groups of kids against one another? Learn more about what researchers discovered.
- Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development: This theory explores the stages and factors that play a role in the development of moral behavior.
- What Is the Ingroup Bias? People tend to favor those who are in their own social groups, which can affect how they respond to people who are different from them.
Sources:
Asch, S. E. (1956). Studies of independence and conformity: I. A minority of one against a unanimous majority. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 70(9), 1–70. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0093718
Franzen, A., & Mader, S. (2023). The power of social influence: A replication and extension of the Asch experiment. PloS one, 18(11), e0294325. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294325
Levine J. M. (1999). Solomon Asch’s legacy for group research. Personality and Social Psychology Review : An Official Journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc, 3(4), 358–364. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327957pspr0304_5
Mallinson, D. J., & Hatemi, P. K. (2018). The effects of information and social conformity on opinion change. PloS One, 13(5), e0196600. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0196600