Solomon Asch Conformity

Conformity is compliance with standards, rules, or laws. It is behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions or standards. Polish Gestalt Psychologist, Solomon Asch, tested the limits of conformity and the people it affected. His experiments are widely known and used for studies in social psychology today. He is seen as a pioneer in social psychology in the United States. The early life of Solomon Asch is one of many struggles and hardships. He was born in Warsaw, Poland to a poor Jewish family. He grew up in Lowicz, Poland and emigrated to the United States at age thirteen. He and his family lived on the Lower East side of New York in a small, diverse community along with other Jewish, Italian, and Irish immigrants. His friends …show more content…
He performed three different types of experiments such as Prestige Suggestion, Impression Formation, and effects of conformity. Prestige suggestion is studying the effects of influence through literature. The study asks the question “how do we get people to believe what we want them to believe.” The studies found that the more prestige an author has the more likely a reader is to believe whatever message they are trying to convey. Asch’s main conclusion on prestige suggestion is that a change in evaluation requires a change in the the content and meaning of the response as a result of the change in context. He is saying that the meaning of the message depends on the author. The experiments in prestige suggestion were influenced greatly by the propaganda of World War II. Many psychologists including Asch were intrigued by the motivation and persuasiveness of the propaganda of the …show more content…
He administered a “line test” to willing participants and actors. The experiment consisted of a sample line A and three lines following. One of the following three lines is the same length as line A but the actors in the room are asked to say that a different line is the same line as line A so the participant will become confused and choose the wrong answer to follow what the group has decided. This study is to see if the participant will ignore the popular answer and go with what they know is correct or if they choose to follow the crowd because they fear humiliation because they answered incorrectly. His experiments created a sense of doubt in all of the participants that caused unrest when the experiment was over. He says that his interest in conformity experiments is brought about by his experiences as a boy in Poland. His grandmother would pour an extra glass of wine for the prophet Elijah on the night of passover and he then conformed to believe what their religion was based on. Solomon Asch’s impact on psychology today is one of a pioneer onto the interpersonal relationships of all people. Conformity is seen in all people in all cultures and is now more widely studied than ever. His original ideas about the way social psychology is studied changed the way psychologists study relationships and people of all cultures. His cognitive research center at Rutgers is still in place today and his experiments