The Asch Experiment

Human beings can be very contentious when in the presence of others. Our actions are altered by what we believe others will think. There are very few people who want to separate themselves from others and remain alone. The majority of us always want to feel accepted. That is why sometimes a person might not speak their mind. This, known as group conformity, is perfectly demonstrated by an experiment known as The Asch Experiment. In the experiment there are five men who are selected to take a test. Four of the five men are actually actors who were told to answer incorrectly on purpose. The fifth person is the only real participant and is free to answer any way he wants too. The point of the experiment is to demonstrate that even though the answer is obvious the participant will be psychologically manipulated to choose the incorrect answer because he wants to fit in with the group. As the experiment is performed the results end up being exactly as predicted.