Asch’s study on conformity in our society is an interesting thing to consider. Asch, a social psychologist, conducted his experiment in 1951 and the results are still relevant today. The main idea behind the study was that he wanted to see how people would conform when faced with pressure to do so. In order to make sure that the participants were feeling as much pressure as possible, they were made aware of their role in the group; they were told that there was only one other participant in the room with them for this experiment. Even though it is known now that there were actually more than two people participating in this experiment at all times, many of them confirmed even after realizing what was happening because they didn’t want to seem like outsiders.
Asch’s experiment proved that conformity decreases when information on the display in front of them is made clearer. When there was a standard line for all participants to match, conformity increased slightly because it seemed like they had more freedom with their choice than if they were just picking one out in solitude. However, as soon as the participant knew what everyone else was seeing and chose different values from them, conformity decreased massively; this also happened when he changed up the distances at which people saw stimuli so some would see things first before others did. This proves that even though we may be influenced by other people or society into doing something against our own will once in a while, there are ways around it! We can try and make sure that whatever decision we’re making isn’t in response to what everyone else is doing.
Asch’s study proved an interesting thing about conformity in our society. This is because there was a decrease in the level of conformism that occurred when he changed up the distances at which people saw stimuli so some would see things first before others did, This decreased a lot of markers for who said what (i.e., no names), or even switched around their opinions to be more agreeable with those present in order to make them seem saner. It might not happen often but it does happen! Just think twice if you’re going to do something just because everyone else is doing it too–you don’t have to follow suit in everything!
Why Asch’s Study Proved an Interesting Thing about Conformity in Our Society
Some individuals may conform out of fear, and that’s okay as long they know how far they can go without getting hurt themselves physically or emotionally. But there are other reasons why conformity has proven useful in certain circumstances: such as reinforcing social norms like not talking in the theatre, driving on the right side of the road, and going to school. The more people conform, the less chance that it will happen again because they’re scared of what others might think or say about them.
Conformity in our society has been proven to create a sense of unity and cohesion. It’s also led many people throughout history to do things they may not have otherwise done if they were left to their own devices. But it can be risky, as conformity means that there is less tolerance for those who are different from the norm; this creates an atmosphere where certain individuals or groups feel unsafe, silenced, or oppressed because others won’t hear them out too easily. This environment leads some people in its grip to act more aggressively toward anyone who doesn’t share their beliefs–just like what happened with Asch’s study participants when the other person was given wrong information about how long each line segment was! When everyone else thought one line segment was shorter, the participants who didn’t think so were pressured into changing their minds and saying it was shorter too.
The importance of this study is that it highlights how conformity can lead to people conforming in ways they wouldn’t have before, even if they felt there might be a better option or information available to them. When everyone else agrees with an opinion, people are more likely to do what others say–even when they see flaws in the argument! Social pressure and peer influence often work together for creating false consensus, but luckily these tendencies don’t always happen all the time (and you may want to share which times!).
