Question 1

What was the Asch conformity experiment?

Accepted Answer

In the early 1950s, psychologist Solomon Asch had people judge which of three lines matched a reference line. Actors deliberately gave wrong answers, and about 75 percent of real subjects conformed to the obvious error at least once, despite the correct answer being clear.

Question 2

Why do people agree with a wrong answer even when they know it's right?

Accepted Answer

Two forces drive it: informational influence, where we assume the group knows something we don't, and normative influence, where we fear rejection for standing out. Brain scans suggest the group's pressure can even alter what we actually perceive.

Question 3

Does having one ally reduce conformity?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In Asch's experiments, giving a subject a single person who disagreed with the majority cut conformity by up to 80 percent. It was the group's unanimity, not its size, that created the crushing pressure to conform.

conformity

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The Line Test That Broke Our Faith in the Individual