CONFORMITY EXPERIMENT (Solomon Asch, 1951)

CONFORMITY EXPERIMENT (Solomon Asch, 1951)   AIM: to discover whether group size and unanimity influences pressure to conform. HYPOTHESIS: it was hypothesised that an individual would modify their response to a visual stimulus perception test to conform to the response given by the rest of the group. PARTICIPANTS: six participants were chosen (one volunteer and five confederates). EXPERIMENTAL CONDITIONS & KEY VARIABLES: There were eighteen visual judgement trials and the group was instructed to verbal choose which line (A, B, or C) was identical in length to the X-labelled line. IV: confederates in the group responded incorrectly to the majority of these trials. DV: the participant had to make a decision as whether to conform to the response from the rest of the group, even though the participants was aware that they were incorrect. RESULTS: 75% of participants selected the same response as the confederates at least once. 33% selected the same response as the confederates half or more of the time. 24% did not conform at all.   CONCLUSION: group pressure, such as size and unanimity of the group, influences conformity  EXTERNAL VALIDITY &GENERALISATION: This is externally valid, for example, in the military and seen with school uniforms (shoes). It can be generalised that people conform to a way of life, for example, people may go out and by specific clothes, keeping in mind what they have seen others wear so that they too can appeal to the group.  ETHICAL ISSUSES: the participant didn’t know that he was the only participant.

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