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The Power of
Conformity
BY: LOGAN BAASE
DANIEL CLEWLEY
CHAS WAKEMAN
Background Information

Asch was a Polish-born American psychologist. He was born in
Warsaw on September 14, 1907. Then Asch moved to the United
States as a teenager and died on February 20, 1996. He was known
everywhere for the way he conducted his experiments, and his
cultural knowledge. Asch finished his doctrine in 1932, and soon
after he became a professor at Brooklyn College where he met the
most influential person on his life till the day he died; Max
Wertheimer.
Social Influences

Conformity fits under the subject of social influence, along with
compliance, obedience, and group behavior.

Social Influence- the process though which the real or implied presence
of others can directly or indirectly influence the thoughts, feelings, and
behavior of an individual. (Ciccarelli, 2014, p.448)

Conformity
Changing one’s own behavior to match that of other people. (Ciccarelli,
2014, p.449)

Conformity plays a role in everyone’s life.

Many people don’t even know what conformity is, even though it
happens everyday.

Conformity involves general concepts such as: attitudes, ethics, morals,
and beliefs.
The Visual Line Perception Test

Took three different lengths of cards.

Seven confederates within the experiment.

One participant being tested.

Asked to give their answer out loud.

Even though the answers were obvious and simple.

Got the first two answers right, but the third one everyone else
answered differently, so the participant being tested followed.

Asch did this test over and over again to see if the results followed.
Line Test
Asch’s Experiment
Four Main Concepts:
Social Support

Only one confederate out of the seven
gave the correct answer.

Was trying to see if one person with a
different answer would manipulate the
mind of the participate being tested.
Size of Group
o The experiment was to see if the size of
the group would make the person more
likely to conform or if the size of the
group wouldn’t make you conform at all
Attraction and Commitment to
the Group

Wanted to see the more attracted and
closer you are to the group if you are
more likely to conform with them.
Sex
o This experiment was to see if sex would make the
person conform more, or if the sex meant nothing
to conforming
The Final Results

Visual Line Perception
Out Loud Version-75% of the participants went along with the group’s wrong answers

Written Version- Participants were 98% correct most of the time.

Social Support- Only 5% of the participants agreed with the group.

Attraction and Commitment to the Group- The closer and more
the group one is they are more likely to conform with the group.

Size of Group- The increase of a group the higher conformity but after
seven people, it decreases.

Sex- Asch found that women are more likely to conform then men do.
attracted to
six of
Group Size Graph
Real World Application

Understanding Conformity can:

Help us better understand social pressures
o
Recognizing when conformity is happening and making informed decisions. Understanding what
applies to others might not be right for you.

Allows us to realize that conformity isn’t always bad
o
Pressures to follow social norms, i.e. laws, regulations, etc.

Promotes more independent thinking
o
Individuals have multiple ways of looking at a situation and problem solving.
Reference

Hock, R. (2013). Power of Conformity. In Forty studies that changed
psychology:

Explorations into the History Psychological Research (7th ed.). Boston
[et al.: Pearson. Ciccarelli,

Saundra K. (2014). Social Psychology. Psychology. 3rd ed. New
Jersey [et Al.: Pearson, Print.

Conformity in Teenagers. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2015, from

http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/conformity-teenagers2480.html"Asch, Solomon." International Encyclopedia of the Social
Sciences. 2008. (2008,

January 1). Asch, Solomon. Retrieved April 12, 2015, from
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3045300122.html