← all facts
social
You look to strangers to decide which path is correct.
Asch's (1951) study showed that participants gave incorrect answers in approximately one-third (35.7%) of trials to match the consensus, though the majority of responses remained correct.
The claim uses the word 'often' to imply a majority, when the actual conformity rate was 35.7%.
You are biologically tuned to prioritize group harmony over your own perception.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Solomon Asch, 1951, Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology
- What the check found
- While Asch's study demonstrated a notable level of conformity, the majority of answers provided by participants were correct, and the 'social exclusion' motivation is not the sole, undisputed interpretation.
- Confidence
- Solid, with limits
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.