preview

Proof Of Conformity Research

Decent Essays
Open Document

Conformity has been the topic of many researches throughout history in Psychology. However, famous psychologist Solomon Asch discovered that these experiments never gave a precise answer to what they were looking for. In 1951, Asch devised what is now regarded as a classic experiment in social psychology. One test subject sat at a table with several others whom he thought were also test subjects, but they were actually a part of the experiment. When asked if 3 lines drawn on a piece of paper were of varying length, the experimenter asks all of them, one at a time, to choose which of the three lines on the right card matches the length of the line on the left card. When the people a part of the experiment chose the wrong line intentionally, it proved that the test subject would indeed conform to the majority's decision, which is proof of conformity. …show more content…

To begin, a common example of normative social influence are the German Nazis. By complying with Hitler and other powerful leaders around them, they were essentially going along with the majority even if they didn’t accept their beliefs because they were afraid of the repercussions of not following orders and the potential of not gaining acceptance. A very common way in which many people don’t actually realize they are conforming is by informational social influence. Informational social influence happens because one has accepted a majority's view and they now fit with their own beliefs. When there isn’t an obvious answer to a dilemma, one who is led by informational social influence will follow other people’s answers, instead of having their

Get Access