Asch's Study

• Asch (1951, 1955) - Procedure

  • 123 American Male Undergrads
  • 6-8 Confederates
  • Asked to compare standard line to 1 of 3 comparison lines
  • 12/18 Critical trials where confederates answered wrong
• Asch (1951, 1955) - Findings

  • Conformity = 36.2%
  • 25% did not conform at all
  • 5% conformed all 3 times
• Asch (1951, 1955) - Variables

  • Group Size: >3 = 33% Conformity, 1 = 3% Conformity
  • Unanimity: 1 Confederate giving correct answer = drop in 25% Conformity
  • Task Difficulty: More difficult = Increase in Conformity due to ISI
• (+) A03: Rosander (2012)


  Online study, confederates gave wrong answers to general knowledge, 52.6% of participants conformed atleast once, with increasing on harder questions; men conformed more
• (-) A03: Perrin and Spencer (1980)


  British Engineering Undergrads replicated Asch study, 1 student conformed, showing the study is a child of its time and lacks temporal validity, link to 1950s Cold War America
• (-) A03: Mundane Realism

  Lacks MR, tasks performed aren't daily tasks, conformity may be different in real life scenarios