An Easily Changed Mind

Solomon Asch’s article “Opinions and Social Pressure” says that social influences shape every person’s practice, judgments, and beliefs. Asch asks how and to what extent do social forces constrain people’s opinions and attitudes? How do people respond to group pressure? Which aspect of the influence of a majority is more important-the size of the majority or its unanimity? Studies were conducted to answer these questions, and most studies results were similar. Many …showed first 75 words of 307 total…

…showed last 75 words of 307 total…two, the subject accepted wrong answers 13.6 percent of the time. It was found that further increases in the size of the majority apparently did not increase the weight of the pressure substantially. The size of opposition is important up to a point. According to Asch, tendency to conformity in our society is so strong that reasonably intelligent and well-meaning young people are willing to call white black, and it should be a matter of concern.