Asch's Line Study

• aim


  -investigate whether power of group was enough to make person give an obviously incorrect answer to easy task
• procedure 


  -american male undergraduate students

  -Asch showed pair of cards to group around table

  -Ps asked to state aloud which line was same length as stimulus line

  -correct answer always obvious

  -naive Ps placed in groups of 6 who were confederates
• what did the confederates do?

  -gave unanimous wrong answer on 12 out of 18 trials

  -all Ps sat at table and the P went last
• findings


  -on 32% of critical trials Ps conformed to majority

  -74% of naive Ps conformed at least once

  -26% of Ps never conformed - experienced tension & doubt
• conclusion


  -Asch demonstrated power of group pressure was so strong could make people give obviously wrong answer