Final answer:
Solomon Asch's experiments were designed to study conformity, analyzing why individuals conform to group pressure even when it goes against their own perceptions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Solomon Asch's Conformity Experiment
Psychologist Solomon Asch's research focused on the phenomenon of conformity. Asch's famous line experiments in the 1950s were designed to analyze how individuals would respond to the pressure exerted by a group, even when it contradicted their own senses. Participants were asked to identify which of three comparison lines matched a standard line in length, while planted respondents deliberately chose incorrect lines to see if the true subject would conform to the group's incorrect consensus.
The purpose of this experiment was to understand the reasons why people conform. Asch concluded that there are two main causes for conformity: the desire to be liked and the belief that the group is better informed. This study revealed that individuals might conform to a group's wrong decision due to normative social influence or informational social influence, demonstrating the sometimes disturbing power of group dynamics
To answer the student's question, Solomon Asch's research was designed to study a) Conformity.