Asch and conformity

Solomon Asch claimed...

• people want to conform
• we learn by watching role models
• people would not conform if the group was obviously wrong

Asch's Line Test showed...

• people are less likely to conform if they are not alone
• people are willing to be wrong if they are pressured by a group
• people are less likely to conform if they can hide their actions
• all are correct

Normative influence happens when...

• People conform because of social norms

• people conform because they want to be liked by others

• people conform without thinking about it

Informational influence happens when...

• people conform in situations they are unsure of through information given to them

• people conform because of what others will think

• people conform without thinking

An experiment in which "participants" unanimously choose the wrong line. It is clear to you that they are wrong, but they have all given the same answer.

• Stanley Milgram Shock Experiment
• Leon Festinger Cognitive Dissonance Experiment
• Solomon Asch Line Experiment
• Philip Zimbardo Prison Experiment

What term best describes an actor in an experiment who is working for the researcher? 

• Confederate
• Participant
• Learner
• Subject

What term means acting in ways that fit with group norms and customs? 

• Obedience
• Conformity 
• Peer pressure
• Society

What did the line comparison experiment reveal? 

• Most people will obey orders, even when it harms others. 
• Morality is more important to people than being obedient 
• Most people prefer social acceptance than to be correct. 
• Conformity can lead to obedience 

Solomon Asch 1951 - 55

• Conformity with line length 
• Beard length test and conformity

The Solomon Asch experiment used 

• confederates 
• Mozart music and study time