Question

The Asch Experiment (1952):

Solomon Asch (1952) examined the effects of group pressure on conformity. He expected that individuals would tend to conform to group judgement in a perception task. Subjects were asked to perform a perception task indicating which of three vertical lines on one card was the same length as a single vertical line on another.

Each subject performed the tasks for several sets of lines in two conditions. In the first condition, Condition 1, the subject worked alone to make their selections. In the second condition, Condition 2, the subject was a member of a group of seven to nine male college students. All but one of the group members were confederates who acted in predetermined ways.

In Condition 2 the other subjects, the confederates, announced their chosen line one by one and before the actual subject. For each trial in Condition 2 the other subjects, the confederates, unanimously agreed in the choice of the same incorrect line. The question Asch sought to answer was whether subjects in groups where other "subjects" unanimously chose the same incorrect line would be more likely to conform to the majority and choose that same line rather than choosing the correct line.

When working alone (in Condition 1), subjects were able to correctly determine the matching line 92% of the time. In contrast, when working in the group, one-third (32%) of the subjects agreed with the majority and chose the incorrect line. This occurred even when the subjects appeared to know they were making the wrong choice. Asch concluded that there is a significant tendency for individuals to conform to the group judgement.

Question 1: Describe the Asch (1952) experiment using the following concepts that were illustrated in the summary. Be sure to define each of these 5 concepts and quote which part of the Asch (1952) summary illustrates each concept.

The 5 concepts required in your answer are:

• control group
• experimental group
• dependent variable
• independent variable
• hypothesis

Answer 1

The Asch (1952) experiment examined the effects of group pressure on conformity by using a control group and an experimental group. The dependent variable was the percentage of subjects who conformed to the majority and chose the incorrect line, while the independent variable was the group judgement. Asch hypothesized that subjects in the experimental group would be more likely to conform to the majority.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Asch (1952) experiment aimed to examine the effects of group pressure on conformity. In this experiment, Solomon Asch used two conditions: Condition 1, where subjects worked alone, and Condition 2, where subjects were part of a group with confederates. The concepts illustrated in the summary are:

1. Control group: Condition 1 represents the control group, where subjects worked alone.
2. Experimental group: Condition 2 represents the experimental group, where subjects were part of a group with confederates.
3. Dependent variable: The dependent variable was the percentage of subjects who conformed to the majority and chose the incorrect line.
4. Independent variable: The independent variable was the group judgement, where confederates unanimously chose the same incorrect line.
5. Hypothesis: Asch hypothesized that subjects in Condition 2 would be more likely to conform to the majority and choose the incorrect line.