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The Asch Conformity Experiment

Prep Time:

30-40 minutes

Cook Time:

  • Ensure a supportive atmosphere to manage any discomfort or stress among participants.

  • Debrief participants afterward to explain the experiment's purpose and alleviate any feelings of deception or embarrassment.

Serves:

13-17 years old

Level:

To demonstrate the power of social influence and how it can lead individuals to conform to a group, even when the group is clearly wrong.

About the Recipe

  • Understand the influence of group pressure on individual decision-making.

  • Explore the psychological concept of conformity within peer groups.

Ingredients

  • A set of printed cards or a slideshow featuring lines of varying lengths

  • Answer sheets for participants

  • A room suitable for a group setting

Preparation

  • Setup: Arrange the seating so that the confederates sit before the actual participant, who doesn't know the true nature of the experiment.

  • Introduction: Briefly explain to the group that they will participate in a visual perception test to judge the length of lines.

  • Trial Run: Show a practice slide to let everyone understand the task.

  • Experiment Start: Display the line comparison tasks. Each slide should show one standard line and three comparison lines. Participants must state aloud which comparison line matches the standard line in length.

  • Confederate Cue: The confederates give their answers first, deliberately choosing the same wrong answer.

  • Participant Response: The real participant gives their answer last.

  • Repeat: Conduct several rounds with different sets of lines to measure consistency in responses.

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