Asch Experiments Concept
Asch Experiments, developed by Solomon Asch, consists of a meeting with groups of seven or eight people to whom are shown two cards. One of the cards has only one line and the other three lines, each one with a different length. The aim is for each group to identify which one of the three lines has the same length as the line on the first card. The length of the lines was such that the correct answer was obvious and in normal conditions all people can be correct. However, in these experiments all people were in agreement with the experiment responsible except one and this one was who truly was being the object of the experiment. In each experiment that person was always the last one to denote which the line whose length was the same as the length of the line on the first card. As to the remaining elements, one by one, all gave the wrong answer. In nearly 35% of the cases the experiment’s target person agreed with the rest of the group even though the answer was clearly wrong. Asch Experiments therefore prove that the pressures of agreement with the group can lead an individual to make the wrong choices as a way to feel integrated.
