Asch: Aims & Context

Context

Conformity - 'yielding to group pressure'

• Jenness study 1932 
• Students had to estimate number beans in a jar. 
• Asked to discuss in a group, then make individual estimates
• Found answers converged to group norm. 
• Asch criticized - ambiguous task - no obvious answer 

• Sherif study 1935 
• Auto-kinetic effect - visual illusion stationary dot appears to move…