Solomon Asch Conformity
|GE 347 Group Dynamics |Solomon Asch experiment: A study of conformity
After reading the social psychological experiment on Solomon Asch’s study of conformity, I now understand why so many people conform even when they know the answer is wrong. It was apparent that the subjects in this particular study feared rejection from the others, so they agreed against what they knew what was right. If I were a subject in this study, I
would stick to my guns and continue with my answer even if that means upsetting the other constituents.
In recent decades, the cause of conformity has long been debated and researched. It is said that it causes sound-minded individuals to go against their better judgments, to engage in behavior which they usually would not engage in, even accept and welcome an idea they internally disagree with, all in order to not be deviant from the group. People usually conform when it is something socially accepted, when it is desirable and when it is required. They conform usually just for simplicity… to allow for their lives to fit the lives of other people around them.
I think it is absurd to follow the direction of others; we all need to be our own unique selves. What’s wrong with thinking out of the box or doing what you know is right? Why the fear of ridicule from your peers when the outcome of the matter is the ultimate goal? Trick to that is to recognize that even though you may be going against the grain doesn’t mean you aren’t conforming. There is a difference between being socially unacceptable for the benefit of the whole(in other words you are standing out in hopes of being a positive influence and causing others to want to become better or have more positive actions on their own behalf), than being an idiot and being the cause of problems.
Reference:
Unkown (date unknown). Why Do People Conform? OPPAPERS. Retrieved on November 17, 2008, from http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Why-Do-People-Conform/98964
After reading the social psychological experiment on Solomon Asch’s study of conformity, I now understand why so many people conform even when they know the answer is wrong. It was apparent that the subjects in this particular study feared rejection from the others, so they agreed against what they knew what was right. If I were a subject in this study, I
would stick to my guns and continue with my answer even if that means upsetting the other constituents.
In recent decades, the cause of conformity has long been debated and researched. It is said that it causes sound-minded individuals to go against their better judgments, to engage in behavior which they usually would not engage in, even accept and welcome an idea they internally disagree with, all in order to not be deviant from the group. People usually conform when it is something socially accepted, when it is desirable and when it is required. They conform usually just for simplicity… to allow for their lives to fit the lives of other people around them.
I think it is absurd to follow the direction of others; we all need to be our own unique selves. What’s wrong with thinking out of the box or doing what you know is right? Why the fear of ridicule from your peers when the outcome of the matter is the ultimate goal? Trick to that is to recognize that even though you may be going against the grain doesn’t mean you aren’t conforming. There is a difference between being socially unacceptable for the benefit of the whole(in other words you are standing out in hopes of being a positive influence and causing others to want to become better or have more positive actions on their own behalf), than being an idiot and being the cause of problems.
Reference:
Unkown (date unknown). Why Do People Conform? OPPAPERS. Retrieved on November 17, 2008, from http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Why-Do-People-Conform/98964