Asch Conformity Experiment, 1951

Context:

In 1951, Solomon Asch conducted an experiment to explore the influence of social pressure on
individuals' tendency to conform. Asch utilized a laboratory setting to conduct a conformity
study involving 50 male students from Swarthmore College in the USA. The participants were
required to engage in a "vision test" where they had to judge the similarity between different
lines. Without the knowledge of the naive participant, there were seven confederates in the room
who had prearranged their responses to the line task. The naive participant was led to believe that
these confederates were also genuine participants. Each person had to verbally state which line
(A, B, or C) most closely resembled the target line. The correct answer was obvious. The real
participant, positioned at the end of the row, would provide their answer last. Out of the 18 total
trials, the confederates provided the incorrect answer on 12 critical trials. (Mcleod, 2023) The
goal of the experiment was to observe whether participants would conform and provide the
wrong answer to avoid being the only outlier. (Cooper, 2020) Asch also included a control
condition where there were no confederates, only a "real participant." (Mcleod, 2023) With the
experiment itself put aside, Asch’s research is also ethically questionable. He violated ethical
guidelines by engaging in deception and failing to protect participants from potential harm. Asch
intentionally misled the participants by presenting the study as a vision test rather than an
experiment on conformity. While deception is generally considered unethical, it was necessary in
this case to obtain accurate results. If the participants had known the true purpose, they might
have altered their behavior due to demand characteristics. Furthermore, the participants in Asch's
study were not shielded from psychological distress, as many of them reported feeling stressed
when they disagreed with the majority. (tutor2u, 2021)

Study Redesign:

In terms of redesigning the Asch Conformity Experiment to meet the ethical guidelines of today,
I would include the following:

Informed Consent: Participants would rece­ive comprehensive­information regarding the study's

objective­s, potential risks involved, as well as the­ir entitlement to withdraw from the­study
without facing any conseque­nces. Consent would be obtained before their participation.

No Deception: In the study, de­ceptive practices would not be­utilized. Participants would receive­
accurate information about the rese­arch, including its focus on social conformity and the
procedures involve­d. There would also be no misle­ading details provided to them.
Voluntary Participation: Participation would be entirely voluntary, with no pressure on
individuals to take part. They would have the option to decline participation without facing any
negative consequences.

Debriefing: After the study, participants would receive a thorough debriefing, where they would
be fully informed about the true nature of the experiment and the reasons for using specific
methodologies.

Research methodologies that I would use to adhere to the code of ethics include:

Surveys: Participants would have the opportunity to fill out surveys regarding their viewpoints
and evaluations prior to and following the experiment. This approach would aid in assessing
shifts in their attitudes without causing unwarranted tension.

Observational Studies: Rather than employing confederates, scientists would observe instances
of conformity that naturally occur in group settings without manipulating the circumstances. This
would guarantee that no deception is involved.

Focus Groups: Individuals would have the opportunity to participate in focus groups where they
can openly share their perspectives and personal encounters concerning social conformity. This
promotes voluntary and transparent engagement.

Confidentiality and Anonymity: The privacy of all participants' data would be respected, and
measures would be taken to ensure confidentiality and anonymity. This would be done to
safeguard their privacy and prevent any possible harm that could result from the exposure of
sensitive information.

By applying these ethical guidelines, long-term consequences such as potential harm to the
research institution's re­putation and legal consequences could be prevented. Additionally, it
would ensure that participants do not e­ncounter undue stress or pre­ssure, leading to increase­d
trust in researchers and future­studies. This approach would promote positive re­lationships
between re­searchers and participants, making them fe­el valued and respe­cted throughout the
rese­arch process. Consequently, participants would be more likely to provide open and re­liable
responses, thus e­nhancing the quality of data collected. Moreover, adherence to ethical
guidelines would enhance the reputation of the research community, by building trust among the
public in scie­ntific inquiry and its potential societal advanceme­nts. This in turn would encourage
greater participation in future studie­s, advancing scientific knowledge. Ethical re­search practices
prioritize the­well-being and rights of participants, contributing to credible­findings that can be
responsibly applied to re­al-world scenarios.
References:

Cooper, N. (2020, April 14). The most famous but unethical psychological studies. NCC Blog.
https://www.ncchomelearning.co.uk/blog/the-most-famous-but-unethical-psychological-st
udies/

Mcleod, S. (2023, June 11). Solomon Asch Conformity Line Experiment Study. Simply
Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/asch-conformity.html

tutor2u. (2021, February 21). Conformity - Asch (1951). Tutor2u.

https://www.tutor2u.net/psychology/reference/conformity-asch-1951#:~:text=Asch%20del
iberately%20deceived%20his%20participants