Asch conformity experiments
[5][10] Many early studies in social psychology were adaptations of earlier work on "suggestibility" whereby researchers such as Edward L. Thorndyke were able to shift the preferences of adult subjects towards majority or expert opinion.
Solomon Asch's experiments on group conformity mark a departure from these earlier studies by removing investigator influence from experimental conditions.
Additional trials with slightly altered conditions were also run,[1] including having a single actor also give the correct answer.
[1] Regarding the study results, Asch stated: "That intelligent, well-meaning young people are willing to call white black is a matter of concern."
Participants' interview responses revealed a complex mixture of individual differences in subjects' reaction to the experimental situation, with distinct reactions linked to factors such as confidence, self-doubt, the desire to be normative, and resolving perceived confusion over the nature of the task.
'"[12]: 182 At the other end of the spectrum, one "yielding" subject (who conformed in 11 of 12 critical trials) said, "I suspected about the middle—but tried to push it out of my mind.
Some participants also exhibited "doubt", responding in accordance with their perception, but questioning their own judgment while nonetheless sticking to their (correct) response, expressing this as needing to behave as they had been asked to do in the task.
Participants who conformed to the majority on at least 50% of trials reported reacting with what Asch called a "distortion of perception".
These subjects reported that they knew what the correct answer was, but conformed with the majority group simply because they didn't want to seem out of step by not going along with the rest.
Across all these papers, Asch found the same results: participants conformed to the majority group in about one-third of all critical trials.
[22][23] Similarly, Jerry M. Burger admits the normative influence effect of the experiment in Chapter 21 of Noba online book.
In contrast, John Turner and colleagues argue that the interpretation of the Asch conformity experiments as normative influence is inconsistent with the data.
Subsequent research has demonstrated similar patterns of conformity where participants were anonymous and thus not subject to social punishment or reward on the basis of their responses.
[18][19][30] Social comparison theory suggests that, when seeking to validate opinions and abilities, people will first turn to direct observation.
The Asch conformity experiments demonstrate that uncertainty can arise as an outcome of social reality testing.
"[4] However, a 1990 survey of US social psychology textbooks found that most ignored independence, instead reported a misleading summary of the results as reflecting complete power of the situation to produce conformity of behavior and belief.
Nineteen of the 20 books made no mention of Asch's interview data in which many participants said they were certain all along that the actors were wrong.
