3/3 Psychology experiment on adolescent conformity

Part 3 of my Solomon Asch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asch_conformity_experiments) social psych experiment. Done in New Canaan, CT, for an adolescent psychology course, the idea was to put people in an "awkward" situation where they would feel an internal conflict between conforming to a group which is obviously giving wrong answers to a test, or standing out as the only person to deviate and give correct responses. In order to offset suspicion, they were told this was a simple part 1 of an experiment for technical purposes, and that a "real" experiment was coming after.

Rather than compile statistical data as Asch did, I looked at each individual subject and proposed possible explanations for why they behaved the way they did, mostly relating to Erik Erikson's seven conflicts of adolescent identity formation.

Oh, and because I like funny stuff, it's not all serious, it's meant to be kinda entertaining regardless of academic benefit :-)

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• adolescent
• asch
• canaan
• conformity
• CT
• experiment
• group
• grumbles
• nchs
• new
• pressure
• psychology
• teenagers

[hypnotisedbabe]

Really, really interesting :)

[grumbles]

@hypnotisedbabe thank you =]

[Hythloday71]

I've heard / seen this a few times..... and whilst totally buying into the concept that people are weak willed schmucks..... I question whether this is a good test. The reason is, its so obviously a game. So its a simple choice on how to play that game, yes it is conformity to a degree, but when weighing up how ur gonna play this gm. A strong factor about how seriously to take it is the fact that you realise it is just a game........ I like the electric shock version better...... milgram is it ?

[grumbles]

@Hythloday71 yes, milgram's shock experiments are definitely monumental and incredibly important, but they measure different things. milgram studied how individuals obey the "authority" of one other person with perceived over them (his inspiration was "how could the nazi guards do such horrible things in the concentration camps?", and we could today think of things like abu gharib), whereas asch looked at how individuals feel persuaded by the actions of large numbers of equal peers

[grumbles]

@Hythloday71 I am a little confused as to what you mean by the "game", and playing the game. I think I understand what you're saying, but can you elaborate on this a bit?

[MegaCorrupted]

great experimentations, and yes it was preferable to stay on the same gender

grumbles is right, i'd even say there are already too many factors. i'd be interested in seeing more people of the same age and same school being experimented (maybe even classmates) to compare the results.

[grumbles]

thank you for the comments. my original plan was to do that, to have students in the public schools system from 7th, 9th, and 11th grades and compare the results. but, having limited time, and not going through the channels of making anything "official" with the school system, the best i could do was to grab a few kids here and there and work with it, haha

[Tranksdofuturo]

This is a litle sad...

[Serpico261]

god damnit this is just fascinating!!

[leanonme1]

AWSOME!!!

[heistsy]

Nolan would make an excellent Nazi

[dogon3]

Glad to have seen the 3 parts of the experiment. It may speak volumes on how much even adults conform if they haven't been given a good foundation to perceiving their own self worth.

Loved the last minute and a half of part 3.

[HolobytePictures]

This is a great experiment. Bathroom scene was a funny add in! SWEET!

[damian635]

I guess that Fag in the bathroom was supposed to be a joke.

[thegoonist]

@grumbles i think what hythloday71 meant was that it had nothing really much at stake. the subject could just conform even if he wouldnt have in other situations where the stakes were higher. so it is an effective experiment to an extent. it does not prove that people conform in all situations, just in this classroom setting without much at stake/at risk.

[stuff5514]

he looks old

[TheSirJecht]

I've seen this, basically the boy knows he's right but is unsure because no one else thinks he is, he conforms to the group so he doesn't feel wrong about being right, outcasted, etc. This is how many people function, and saying that "oh it was game, it's not srs" only proves that if the boy was so willing to give into a group for a silly game then he would probably give in to nearly anything with enough doubt.