Solomon Asch 1956

Question 1

Aim (Asch 1956)

Answer 1

Find out how people would behave where the answer is obvious

Question 2

Method and procedure (Asch 1956)

Answer 2

123 male American undergraduates

Showed lines and possible answers

All but one were confederates, who gave incorrect answers on 12/18 trials

True participant always second last to answer aloud

Question 3

Results (Asch 1956)

Answer 3

Average: 36.8% gave incorrect answers

25% never conformed
75% conformed at least once

Question 4

Conclusion (Asch 1956)

Answer 4

Strong tendency to conform to group pressures in an ambiguous situation

Evidence people can resist conformity (2/3 remained independent)

Normative influence

Question 5

Strengths (Asch 1956)

Answer 5

Generated further research into conformity

Replicated many times

Question 6

Weaknesses (Asch 1956)

Answer 6

Lack of ecological validity: not a daily task

“Child of it’s time”: highly conformist time

Biased sample: male/age