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,
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
Question 2: Identify four components of arguments or elements of critical thinking from the following list that
are clearly illustrated in this critique. Provide a quote from the critique where each is illustrated.
Concepts:
•appeal to authority
•claim or counterclaim by the critic
•acknowledge valid points by others
•evidence
•pseudo-evidence