Exploring Social Conformity: Solomon Asch's Experiment

Solomon Asch developed and ran an experiment regarding the power of conformity that affects most populations. Psychologists have been attempting to fully understand the mental workings behind why people are so easily pressured into following others for the longest time. The main focus of psychologists, is to figure and understand what the causes are behind social conformity. Numerous terms are brought up when studying conformity. The “unspoken rules or guidelines for behavior in a group” (Hock 293) are labeled as social norms. When individuals are placed in large groups, the tendency is to lean with whatever the majority of the group thinks. The regular behavior of the individual tends to readjust to appease the superior crowd.

Of the many experiments

that Asch ran, there is one that exceedingly represents the dominance of conformism. Asch maintained a sharp focus on perceptual conformity, “the extent to which humans tend to conform with one another’s perceptions of the world” (Hock 293) and conducted an experiment that involved a willing individual participant, a large crowd of people, and pairs of cards with various lines of different length drawn on the surface of one card and a single standard line on the other. The study conducted is called the visual perceptions study.
The method behind this study, is that a willing individual is placed in a room with the larger crowd, in the individuals mind the larger crowd is just made up of other willing participants; however, the other partakers are already aware of what the outcome of the experiment is supposed to be. The trial conductor lays out the cards and asks the participants to determine which of the three lines is equal in length to the single line. Immediately, the specific individual chooses and voices the correct line, along with everyone else. Again the process is repeated, and the individual and group successfully agree on the same line. However, the results differ the third time the cards are presented. The individual immediately spots the correct line and voices the answer confidently. Yet, the rest of the participants offer up opposing answers, all seeming very confident in the answers. The individual begins to question their own answer, wondering whether the group is crazy, or if its them who’s foolish. Eventually it comes down the the question of whether or not the individual will remain with their original answer, or change it due to the superior decision.
The results presented in Asch’s experiment presented that about 75% of the participants ended up going along with the groups incorrect solution at least once during the multiple trials of the experiment.

However, when a control group was asked to write down answers separately and without having to voice them, 98% of the responses were correct. The supremacy of conformity was certainly present in Asch’s experiment. Two majorly crucial outcomes emerged from Asch’s research that transformed the field of psychology. First, the power of conformism had been officially and scientifically proven. Second, many other psychologists and scientists became motivated to continue experimenting with conformity.

I’ve had many encounters and experiences with conformity. Asch’s experiment, although only touching on the small effect of conformity using lines, truly identifies and scientifically proves that conformity is a very powerful thing. I’ve participated in many sports throughout my life, and have come to realize that the majority of them were all determined as “girl” sports. I’d conformed to societies belief that girls should focus more on participating in dance, ice skating, etc…I’d conformed to my parents and friend’s

beliefs.
I soon broke out of this conformity, when I decided to join martial arts. Evidently, when I joined Tae Kwon Do classes I was surrounded by boys and men. Being the only girl to join top classes, it was a pressure to act like “one of the guys” and although I almost fell into that trap, I was able to earn the respect of my peers and maintain my individuality. I eventually worked my way to being the top student of the school and ended up instructing most of those who began before me. Conformity is a major social issue.