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45
0
E
Erica
25/08/2025
Psychology
Conformity: Asch's research
Limitations and Criticisms of Asch's Conformity Experiment
While the Asch conformity experiment provided valuable insights into social influence, it has faced several criticisms and limitations:
-
A Product of Its Time: Perrin and Spencer (1980) attempted to replicate Asch's study with engineering students in the UK. They found significantly lower conformity rates, with only 1 student conforming out of 396 trials.
Highlight: This discrepancy suggests that the Asch effect may not be a fundamental feature of human behavior, but rather influenced by societal and cultural factors.
Possible explanations include:
- The 1950s in America being a more conformist era
- Engineering students being more confident in their ability to judge line lengths
- Societal changes leading to less conformity in general
-
Artificial Situation and Task: The experimental setup was highly controlled and artificial, which may have influenced participants' behavior.
Example: Participants might have gone along with the group simply because they knew they were in a research study, rather than due to genuine conformity pressure.
This artificiality limits the generalizability of the findings to real-world situations.
-
Limited Applicability: The study's participants were exclusively male American undergraduates, severely limiting its generalizability.
Quote: "Asch's findings can only be applied to American men - didn't take gender and culture into account."
- Gender differences: Neto (1995) suggests women may be more conformist.
- Cultural differences: Studies in collectivist cultures (e.g., China) found higher conformity rates than in individualist cultures like the US.
-
Situational Specificity: The experimental setup, requiring participants to answer out loud in front of strangers, may have artificially increased conformity rates.
Highlight: Interestingly, Williams and Sogon (1984) found that conformity levels can be higher among friends than strangers, contradicting the assumption that unfamiliarity increases conformity.
-
Ethical Concerns: The study involved deception, as naive participants were led to believe that all other participants were genuine.
Vocabulary: Deception in research refers to withholding information or misleading participants about the true nature of a study.
This raises ethical questions about the potential psychological impact on participants and the overall integrity of the research process.
These limitations of the Asch conformity experiment highlight the importance of considering context, culture, and ethical implications in social psychology research. Despite these criticisms, Asch's work remains a cornerstone in our understanding of social influence and conformity.
Asch's Conformity Experiment: Procedure and Findings
The Asch conformity experiment is a seminal study in social psychology that explored the power of social influence on individual judgment. Conducted by Solomon Asch in 1951, this experiment provided crucial insights into conformity behavior.
Procedure: The experiment involved 123 male American undergraduates. Each participant was placed in a group with 6-8 confederates (individuals secretly working with the researcher). The task was simple: participants were shown a standard line and three comparison lines, and asked to identify which comparison line matched the standard.
Example: Participants might see a line that's 8 inches long (the standard) and then be asked to match it to one of three lines measuring 6, 8, and 10 inches.
Initially, confederates gave correct answers, but then began unanimously providing incorrect responses. The key question was whether the naive participant would conform to the group's incorrect judgment.
Findings: The results of the Asch conformity experiment were striking:
- Participants conformed to the incorrect group answer 36.8% of the time.
- Only 25% of participants never conformed.
- Many participants later reported conforming to avoid rejection.
Highlight: The high rate of conformity (36.8%) despite the obvious nature of the correct answer demonstrates the powerful influence of social pressure.
Asch's Variations: Asch conducted several variations to explore factors influencing conformity:
-
Group Size: Conformity increased to 31.8% with just three confederates, with additional confederates having little further effect.
-
Unanimity: Introducing a confederate who agreed with the naive participant reduced conformity by 25%.
-
Task Difficulty: Conformity increased when the standard and comparison lines were closer in size, suggesting a greater role for informational social influence in more challenging tasks.
Definition: Informational social influence occurs when people rely on others for information about how to behave in ambiguous situations.
These findings from the Asch conformity experiment have had a lasting impact on our understanding of social influence and group dynamics.
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Samantha Klich
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Anna
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Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
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Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
Asch Conformity Experiment for Kids: Results, Procedure, and More!
The Asch conformity experimentis a landmark study in social psychology that explored the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could affect a person's judgment. This experiment, conducted by Solomon Asch in 1951, revealed significant insights into... Show more
Limitations and Criticisms of Asch's Conformity Experiment
While the Asch conformity experiment provided valuable insights into social influence, it has faced several criticisms and limitations:
-
A Product of Its Time: Perrin and Spencer (1980) attempted to replicate Asch's study with engineering students in the UK. They found significantly lower conformity rates, with only 1 student conforming out of 396 trials.
Highlight: This discrepancy suggests that the Asch effect may not be a fundamental feature of human behavior, but rather influenced by societal and cultural factors.
Possible explanations include:
- The 1950s in America being a more conformist era
- Engineering students being more confident in their ability to judge line lengths
- Societal changes leading to less conformity in general
-
Artificial Situation and Task: The experimental setup was highly controlled and artificial, which may have influenced participants' behavior.
Example: Participants might have gone along with the group simply because they knew they were in a research study, rather than due to genuine conformity pressure.
This artificiality limits the generalizability of the findings to real-world situations.
-
Limited Applicability: The study's participants were exclusively male American undergraduates, severely limiting its generalizability.
Quote: "Asch's findings can only be applied to American men - didn't take gender and culture into account."
- Gender differences: Neto (1995) suggests women may be more conformist.
- Cultural differences: Studies in collectivist cultures (e.g., China) found higher conformity rates than in individualist cultures like the US.
-
Situational Specificity: The experimental setup, requiring participants to answer out loud in front of strangers, may have artificially increased conformity rates.
Highlight: Interestingly, Williams and Sogon (1984) found that conformity levels can be higher among friends than strangers, contradicting the assumption that unfamiliarity increases conformity.
-
Ethical Concerns: The study involved deception, as naive participants were led to believe that all other participants were genuine.
Vocabulary: Deception in research refers to withholding information or misleading participants about the true nature of a study.
This raises ethical questions about the potential psychological impact on participants and the overall integrity of the research process.
These limitations of the Asch conformity experiment highlight the importance of considering context, culture, and ethical implications in social psychology research. Despite these criticisms, Asch's work remains a cornerstone in our understanding of social influence and conformity.
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Access to all documents
Improve your grades
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Asch's Conformity Experiment: Procedure and Findings
The Asch conformity experiment is a seminal study in social psychology that explored the power of social influence on individual judgment. Conducted by Solomon Asch in 1951, this experiment provided crucial insights into conformity behavior.
Procedure: The experiment involved 123 male American undergraduates. Each participant was placed in a group with 6-8 confederates (individuals secretly working with the researcher). The task was simple: participants were shown a standard line and three comparison lines, and asked to identify which comparison line matched the standard.
Example: Participants might see a line that's 8 inches long (the standard) and then be asked to match it to one of three lines measuring 6, 8, and 10 inches.
Initially, confederates gave correct answers, but then began unanimously providing incorrect responses. The key question was whether the naive participant would conform to the group's incorrect judgment.
Findings: The results of the Asch conformity experiment were striking:
- Participants conformed to the incorrect group answer 36.8% of the time.
- Only 25% of participants never conformed.
- Many participants later reported conforming to avoid rejection.
Highlight: The high rate of conformity (36.8%) despite the obvious nature of the correct answer demonstrates the powerful influence of social pressure.
Asch's Variations: Asch conducted several variations to explore factors influencing conformity:
-
Group Size: Conformity increased to 31.8% with just three confederates, with additional confederates having little further effect.
-
Unanimity: Introducing a confederate who agreed with the naive participant reduced conformity by 25%.
-
Task Difficulty: Conformity increased when the standard and comparison lines were closer in size, suggesting a greater role for informational social influence in more challenging tasks.
Definition: Informational social influence occurs when people rely on others for information about how to behave in ambiguous situations.
These findings from the Asch conformity experiment have had a lasting impact on our understanding of social influence and group dynamics.
We thought you’d never ask...
What is the Knowunity AI companion?
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
Where can I download the Knowunity app?
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Is Knowunity really free of charge?
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
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App Store
4.8/5
Google Play
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user