1. The Power of Conformity
By: Logan Baase
Daniel Clewley
Chas Wakeman

2. Background Information
Asch was a Polish-born American psychologist. He was born in Warsaw on September 14, Then Asch moved to the United States as a teenager and died on February 20, He was known everywhere for the way he conducted his experiments, and his cultural knowledge. Asch finished his doctrine in 1932, and soon after he became a professor at Brooklyn College where he met the most influential person on his life till the day he died; Max Wertheimer.

3. Social Influences
Conformity fits under the subject of social influence, along with compliance, obedience, and group behavior.
Social Influence- the process though which the real or implied presence of others can directly or indirectly influence the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of an individual. (Ciccarelli, 2014, p.448)
Conformity-
Changing one’s own behavior to match that of other people. (Ciccarelli, 2014, p.449)
Conformity plays a role in everyone’s life.
Many people don’t even know what conformity is, even though it happens everyday.
Conformity involves general concepts such as: attitudes, ethics, morals, and beliefs.

4. The Visual Line Perception Test
Took three different lengths of cards.
Seven confederates within the experiment.
One participant being tested.
Asked to give their answer out loud.
Even though the answers were obvious and simple.
Got the first two answers right, but the third one everyone else answered differently, so the participant being tested followed.
Asch did this test over and over again to see if the results followed.

5. Line Test

6. Asch’s Experiment

7. Attraction and Commitment to the Group
Four Main Concepts:
Social Support
Attraction and Commitment to the Group
Only one confederate out of the seven gave the correct answer.
Was trying to see if one person with a different answer would manipulate the mind of the participate being tested.
Wanted to see the more attracted and closer you are to the group if you are more likely to conform with them.
Size of Group
Sex
The experiment was to see if the size of the group would make the person more likely to conform or if the size of the group wouldn’t make you conform at all
This experiment was to see if sex would make the person conform more, or if the sex meant nothing to conforming

8. The Final Results Visual Line Perception-
Out Loud Version-75% of the participants went along with the group’s wrong answers
Written Version- Participants were 98% correct most of the time.
Social Support- Only 5% of the participants agreed with the group.
Attraction and Commitment to the Group- The closer and more attracted to the group one is they are more likely to conform with the group.
Size of Group- The increase of a group the higher conformity but after six of seven people, it decreases.
Sex- Asch found that women are more likely to conform then men do.

9. Group Size Graph

10. Real World Application
Understanding Conformity can:
Help us better understand social pressures
Recognizing when conformity is happening and making informed decisions. Understanding what applies to others might not be right for you.
Allows us to realize that conformity isn’t always bad
Pressures to follow social norms, i.e. laws, regulations, etc.
Promotes more independent thinking
Individuals have multiple ways of looking at a situation and problem solving.

11. Reference
Hock, R. (2013). Power of Conformity. In Forty studies that changed psychology:
Explorations into the History Psychological Research (7th ed.). Boston [et al.: Pearson. Ciccarelli,
Saundra K. (2014). Social Psychology. Psychology. 3rd ed. New Jersey [et Al.: Pearson, Print.
Conformity in Teenagers. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2015, from
html"Asch, Solomon." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (2008,
January 1). Asch, Solomon. Retrieved April 12, 2015, from