Sociology 1010: Asch Experiment 

ALM

Female Speaker:  The Asch experiment is one of psychology's oldest and most popular pieces of research.  A volunteer is told he's taking part of a visual perception test.  What he doesn't know is that the other participants are actors and he's the only person taking part in the real test, which is actually about group conformity.  

Researcher:  Please begin.  The experiment you will be taking part in today involves the perception of line length.  Your task will be simply to look at the line here on the left and indicate which of the three lines on the right is equal to it in length.  For example . . . 

Female Speaker:  The actors have been told to match the wrong lines.  The volunteer will be monitored to see if he gives the correct answer or goes along with the opinion of the group and gives the wrong answer.  In the first test, the correct answer is two.  

Male Speaker:  One.  

Male Speaker:  One.  

Male Speaker:  One.  

Volunteer:  Two.  

Male Speaker:  One.  

Female Speaker:  Once again, the correct answer is two.  

Male Speaker:  Three.  

Male Speaker:  Three.  

Volunteer:  Three.  

Male Speaker:   Three.  

Male Speaker:  Three.  

Male Speaker:  The Asch experiment has been repeated many times and the results have been supported again and again.  We will confirm to the group.  We are very social creatures.  We are very much aware of what people around us think.  We want to be liked.  We don't want to be seen to rock the boat.  We will go along with the group, even if we don't believe what people are saying.  We still go along.  

Male Speaker:  One.  

Male Speaker:  One.  

Male Speaker:  One.  

Female Speaker:  Group dynamics is one of the most powerful forces in human psychology.  

Male Speaker:  One.  

Male Speaker:  One.  

[End.]