"Asch Conformity Experiment"

Post Reply New Topic

I was going to post this on the other "conformity" thread, however, I did not want to derail it.

We studied this in psychology class ...

The "Asch Conformity Experiment":

1. You are brought into a room with several other people who are in on the experiment.
2. You are shown different height lines per multiple flashcards.
3. You are asked to identify the highest line per each flashcard.
4. The other people in the room intentionally pick shorter lines.
5. The experiment is to see if you will acquiesce to the consensus opinion if that opinion is obviously wrong.

So, would you acquiesce to the group opinion, or state what you see to be true?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYIh4MkcfJA[/youtube]

I'd argue the others were wrong...

I'd state what I see to be true because it's just lines. It's not like anyone would think less of me for disagreeing with them about which line is longer. If the experiment involved opinions on a more meaningful topic, then I'd probably lie and go along with what other people said though.

I've studied this too. Found the results really disheartening, couldn't decide whether they were shocking or not. I suppose maybe the time period and setting could have contributed to the level of conformity.
I would think that I'd say what I thought was true, regardless of the majority opinion, but I realise that a lot of people might say that and end up behaving differently in reality...

I might conform on the first try, thinking I understand the question wrong. But after this I would answer right and figure out that something fishy is going on.

If the question was base on opinion I might conform more just so I don't stick out of the crowd too much.

I'd probably get frustrated, upset and just walk out of the room.

No one can say without having been a part of the experiment. It's like the bystander effect- no one thinks that it will happen to them until it does. People greatly overestimate their ability to rise above this sort of thing. Pretty sure if you had asked the people in this experiment ahead of time how they thought they would react, that they would have given answers that differed from what actually happened.

I never acquiesce to group opinion - which is of course why I don't "fit in" anywhere.

In similar experiments, I consistently chose the right answer, going against consensus.

One such test involved three other people on an elevator. I got on and noticed all of them facing backwards. I faced forwards.

Another test involved entering a room where the temperature was ~22°C (~72°F) where three people were dressed in winter clothing and acting like they were freezing. I took off my jacket and opened a window.

These "Consensus Games" never seemed to work on me.