AO1 - Asch (1951)

• Solomon Asch (1951) investigated the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could affect a person's likeliness to conform.
• Asch conducted a classic experiment in Social Psychology where participants were asked to match the length of lines on cards.
• The experiment involved confederates giving the incorrect answer to see if the real participant would conform to the majority view.
• On average, about one third of participants (32%) conformed to the majority view, with about 74% conforming at least once.
• Participants conformed due to NSI (wanting to fit in with the group) and ISI (believing the group is better informed).
• The presence of an ally who goes against the majority choice can greatly reduce conformity.
• The difficulty of the task increases conformity, as people are more likely to look to others for confirmation when they are uncertain.
• Conformity decreases when participants are allowed to answer in private, as there are fewer group pressures and normative influence.
• Conformity differs from obedience in that conformity involves adjusting one's behaviour or beliefs to align with the norms of a group, while obedience involves following the orders or commands of an authority figure.