Conformity occurs when we change our behaviour or opinions to match those of a group. We all conform in some way to the explicit rules of the groups we belong to (e.g. by adhering to dress codes) or to implicit ones (e.g. respecting queues).
However, how can we investigate conformity and the factors that affect it in a lab? In the 1950s, Solomon Asch tackled this problem and created a replicable laboratory procedure to observe conformity.
Standing out from a group can threaten our need to belong, freepik.com
Asch's conformity experiment
To study the effects of group pressure in a laboratory environment Asch (1951, 1956) investigated whether participants' judgements on a simple visual perception task will be affected by group pressure. The sample consisted of 123 male, American students.
Deception was used to elicit conformity. Participants took part in a task in a group and didn't know they were the only subject of the experiment. Participants thought they were a member of a larger panel making the judgements. They met the other group members who were taking part in the task, not knowing they were confederates.
Confederates are actors that pretend to be participants in an experiment.
After the stimuli were presented to the group in some trials, all other group members unanimously gave a wrong answer to the task. Participants had to decide whether to provide the right answer and stand out from other group members or whether to conform to the group that is making a mistake and avoid the anxiety of being the odd one out.
This experimental paradigm was the first one to investigate conformity concerning an unambiguous task. Previously conformity was investigated using ambiguous tasks that required some interpretation; participants were often unsure about the correct answer and so relied on the answers of others. This type of conformity relates to our need to be right. Using an unambiguous task allows us to understand whether conformity occurs in situations when we know the group is incorrect. It can be argued that this type of conformity relates to our need to be liked by the group or simply the need to fit in.
Asch's conformity experiment: hypothesis
Asch hypothesised that in the critical trials, when the other group members (confederates) unanimously give a wrong answer to the task, participants will conform to the group and provide the same answer as others, even though they know it's incorrect.
Asch's conformity experiment: procedure
Asch used an unambiguous visual perception task to measure conformity. The experimental stimuli consisted of a standard line and three comparison lines. Participants had to make judgements about which comparison line matches the length of the standard line.
Demonstration of stimuli used by Asch (1951), StudySmarter - Alicja Blaszkiewicz
In the control condition, participants made judgements about the lines alone, without any group influence to establish the task's difficulty.
In the experimental condition, participants had to make judgements in groups ranging from 7 to 9.
After experimental stimuli were presented, each group member had to voice their answer publicly.
Participants were the second last person to state their judgement, which means they heard the answers of almost the entire group before stating their own.
The task was repeated 18 times (18 trials). In 12 of the trials, confederates unanimously gave a wrong answer to the task (either chose a longer or shorter line than the original line). These were the critical experimental trials that measured conformity.
Asch's conformity experiment: results
In the absence of the group, when participants made judgements alone they were correct over 99% of the time, suggesting that the task was obvious.
Most participants (75%) conformed to the group at least once in the experimental condition. Half of the participants conformed in at least 50% of the 12 critical trials. On average, 37% of participants conformed in each of the twelve critical trials.
When asked about why they conformed, some participants admitted that they started doubting the accuracy of their perception, and some conformed to avoid standing out from the rest of the group. The majority's motivation to conform was to avoid social rejection. Therefore, it can be concluded that they conformed due to the normative social influence.
Summary of Asch's conformity experiment
In a nutshell, Asch's conformity experiment investigated the degree of conformity concerning an obvious task (matching the length of a line to comparison lines).
Each participant was tested in a group of confederates. In the 12 critical trials, confederates unanimously gave a wrong answer, putting pressure on the participant to conform to the rest of the group. Under the influence of group pressure, participants experienced distress related to the fear of rejection. 37% of participants conformed on an average critical trial, with 75% conforming at least once.
Asch's conformity experiment: evaluation
Asch's study was one of the first experimental investigations of conformity and has helped us understand how we can often conform. However, it's not without its limitations.
Validity of findings
Asch's conformity study was a laboratory experiment, which allowed to control of potential confounding variables and therefore has high internal validity and minimal issues with extraneous variables. However, it has been criticised for low ecological validity. The task used is artificial and quite different from how we experience conformity in our daily lives.
Generalisability
Asch's sample consisted of only male, American students, limiting the findings' generalisability to the wider population and might not reflect conformity across cultures. The US is an individualist culture; it can be argued that the degree of conformity would be higher in collectivist cultures that have a greater emphasis on the group. It's also possible that conformity differs in women compared to men, as women in many cultures can be more oriented towards maintaining social relationships.
Failed replications
Later, Perrin and Spencer (1980) replicated Asch's experiment on a sample of UK Engineering students. Across 396 trials, only one participant conformed. Some have argued that this failed replication suggests that Asch's findings were limited to his time (The United States population in the 1950s) and didn't necessarily apply to other contexts. It is also possible that a greater degree of expertise and confidence of Engineering students prevented conformity on this task.
Asch's conformity experiment: ethical issues
The first ethical issue to consider concerning Asch's experiment is the use of deception. Participants were deceived about the character of the study (they thought they were taking part in a visual test experiment) and about the other group members (they thought the confederates were real participants). While deceiving participants is unethical, it can be argued it was necessary for conducting this environment. If participants knew the study investigated conformity and they were the only subject, they wouldn't conform.
Another issue is the lack of protection from harm. The experience of being the only one that perceives the lines differently and gives different answers than the group was distressing to most participants. After the experiment, participants reported experiencing a fear of rejection or anxiety related to the pressure to conform. During the experiment, participants were not protected from distress. However, participants were debriefed after the experiment and took part in an interview about their experience, which could reduce their distress.
Social rejection can cause distress and anxiety, freepik.com
Variations of Asch's conformity experiment
Asch conducted multiple variations of his original experiment to investigate which factors affect the degree of conformity to clearly incorrect majority influence and take situational factors into account.
Group size
To investigate how the size of the group impacts conformity rates, Asch (1956) tested participants in groups ranging from 2 to 15. When only one confederate was present, conformity dropped to 3%. When two confederates were present, conformity rapidly increased to 13.6%. When three confederates were present conformity reached 33% and mostly levelled off as the number of confederates increased further.
These findings suggest that a lower group size reduces conformity. However, as many as 3 other people can be a source of pressure to conform.
Anonymity
In one of Asch's experiment variations, participants wrote down their answers privately without disclosing them publicly to the other group members. Anonymity decreased conformity. Only 12.5% of participants conformed in this variation of the study. However, it is important to note that even when participants could give anonymous responses, some were still influenced by the group.
Task difficulty
To examine how the difficulty of the task impacts our tendency to rely on the judgements of others, Asch conducted a variation of his study but with smaller differences between comparison lines. As the comparison lines were much closer together in length, matching the standard line became harder. Asch reported that when the task's difficulty increases, conformity also increases. This effect can be attributed to the informational social influence.
Informational social influence occurs when we are uncertain what behaviour is right in a particular situation so we refer to what others do for guidance.
Asch Conformity Experiments - Key takeaways
To study the effects of group pressure in a laboratory environment Asch (1951, 1956) investigated whether participants' judgements on a simple visual perception task will be affected by group pressure.
Asch's sample consisted of 123 male American students. Each participant was tested in a group of confederates.
Asch hypothesised that when the confederates will unanimously give a wrong answer to the task in the critical trials, participants will conform to the group, even though they know the group is incorrect.
Asch used an unambiguous visual perception task to measure conformity. The experimental stimuli consisted of a standard line and three comparison lines.
Under the influence of group pressure, participants experienced distress related to the fear of rejection. 37% of participants conformed on an average critical trial, with 75% conforming at least once.
Asch's study (1951) was criticised for low ecological validity and limited sample use. Failed replications also question how transferable Asch's findings are across cultures and time.
The study raises ethical issues that the use of deception and lack of protection from psychological harm.
Variations of Asch's experiment found that group size, anonymity and task difficulty affect conformity, alongside unanimity.
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