Solomon Asch finally conducted the experiment in 1951 on a group of male participants. Asch created two cards, the first card had a line that the participants had to match up with another line on the second card, this card had three lines that the participants could choose from. Asch first gathered eight confederates, “actors posing as participants” (Pastorino, 512).
All eight of these confederates where told to purposely say the obvious wrong answer. So asch took eight confederates and one participant and asked them which line on the second card was the same length as the line on the first card.
The confederates went first so that the participant could hear their answer. After the confederates said their answer the participant was then supposed to give his answer. Seventy-four percent of the time the participant would conform to the confederates answer. Through this experiment Asch found immense information. Those who conformed first obviously showed disbelief, even with all the disbelief they still conformed. Almost three quarters of the people put under the group pressure conformed to the obvious false answer. In psychology this is the Asch Effect.
The Asch Effect is “the influence of a group majority on the judgements of an individual” (Zimbardo, 571).
The Essay on The Library Card
The Library Card, by Richard Wright is a strong essay on how books can affect and influence readers. Richard Wright writes that his first experience of the real world is accomplished through novels. He read an article criticizing H.L. Mencken and it tempted him to read some of his books. The article labeled Mencken as a fool. Wright wanted to know what this man had done to cause such hatred ...
Although the majority of the participants conformed to obvious wrong answer, there were some that stuck with their own beliefs. These people are called Heroes, “Heroes are people who are able to resist situational forces that overwhelm their peers and remain true to their personal values” (Zimbardo, 572).
These type of people challenge the corrupt society and don’t go with the groups beliefs. As well as Heroes, there are Independents who may fall in disbelief of the others, but still go along with their own answers.
Solomon Asch created a study to test the powers of conformity by designing a test consisted of line to find research and information needed when learning about conformity. Conformity is when someone adopts a group’s behavior, attitudes, and opinions just to fit in. There were many people who conformed to Asch’s study. Seventy-four percent of the participants put into the study conformed to the group’s false answers. Although the majority conformed there were other that didn’t conform to the answers of the group, these people were the Heroes and the Individuals.
In conclusion the majority of the people put into this study conformed to the group’s answers. Panarchy. “Solomon Asch : Opinions and Social Pressure (1955).
” Panarchy – Panarchie – Panarchia – Panarquia. 2001-2010. Web. 16 Jan. 2011. <http://www. panarchy. org/asch/social. pressure. 1955. html>. Pastorino, Ellen, and Susann Doyle-Portillo. What Is Psychology? Australia: Thomson Wadsworth, 2009. Print. Zimbardo, Philip G. Psychology: AP* Edition with Discovery Psychology. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2010. Print.
