Surname 1
Name
Instructor
Course Title
Date
Question 1: Describe the Asch (1952) experiment using the following concepts that were
illustrated in the summary.
Solomon Asch conducted his 1952 conformity experiment to investigate to what extent
an individual in a group would conform to the influence of the majority. The research question
from the experiment seemed to be; how much does the majority influence the individual? Asch’s
hypothesis for this research question was that individuals would ultimately conform to the
influence of the majority. The independent variables included the size of the majority, the
confederates in the case of this experiment being seven to nine. The amount of influence exerted
by the majority was also an independent variable. In condition 1, the amount of influence if
technically zero while in condition 2, the influence is more when the answer is said one by one
than when it is said unanimously. Dependent variables included the extent to which the subject
conformed, 32% in the second condition. The number of trials where the subject did not conform
and the rate of overall conformity were also dependent variables.
The control group is the baseline of comparison within groups in an experiment to
establish the effectiveness of an intervention. In Asch’s experiment the control group included
one real participant who was not exposed to peer pressure as seen in condition 1. In this case the
participant was asked the same questions, the same number of times by an experimenter but they
did not have the influence of fake participants. The experimental group on the other hand
Name
Instructor
Course Title
Date
Question 1: Describe the Asch (1952) experiment using the following concepts that were
illustrated in the summary.
Solomon Asch conducted his 1952 conformity experiment to investigate to what extent
an individual in a group would conform to the influence of the majority. The research question
from the experiment seemed to be; how much does the majority influence the individual? Asch’s
hypothesis for this research question was that individuals would ultimately conform to the
influence of the majority. The independent variables included the size of the majority, the
confederates in the case of this experiment being seven to nine. The amount of influence exerted
by the majority was also an independent variable. In condition 1, the amount of influence if
technically zero while in condition 2, the influence is more when the answer is said one by one
than when it is said unanimously. Dependent variables included the extent to which the subject
conformed, 32% in the second condition. The number of trials where the subject did not conform
and the rate of overall conformity were also dependent variables.
The control group is the baseline of comparison within groups in an experiment to
establish the effectiveness of an intervention. In Asch’s experiment the control group included
one real participant who was not exposed to peer pressure as seen in condition 1. In this case the
participant was asked the same questions, the same number of times by an experimenter but they
did not have the influence of fake participants. The experimental group on the other hand
