Editing Asch conformity experiments (section)

=== Normative influence vs. referent informational influence ===
The Asch conformity experiments are often interpreted as evidence for the power of conformity and [[normative social influence]],<ref name="Turner (1985)">{{cite journal |last1=Turner |first1=J.C. |editor-last=Lawler |editor-first=E. J |year=1985 |title=Social categorization and the self-concept: A social cognitive theory of group behavior |journal=Advances in Group Processes: Theory and Research |volume=2 |pages=77–122 |location=Greenwich, CT}}</ref><ref name="Turner, J. C. et al. (1987).">Turner, J. C., Hogg, M. A., Oakes, P. J., Reicher, S. D. & Wetherell, M. S. (1987). Rediscovering the social group: A self-categorization theory. Oxford: Blackwell</ref><ref name="Turner, J. C. (1991)">Turner, J. C. (1991). Social influence. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.</ref> where normative influence is the willingness to conform publicly to attain social reward and avoid social punishment.<ref name="Deutsch">{{cite journal |last1=Deutsch |first1=M. |last2=Harold |first2=G. |year=1955 |title=A study of normative and informational social influences upon individual judgement |journal=Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology |volume=51 |issue=3 |pages=629–636 |doi=10.1037/h0046408 |pmid=13286010}}</ref> From this perspective, the results are viewed as a striking example of people publicly endorsing the group response despite knowing full well that they were endorsing an incorrect response.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Aronson|first1=T. D.|last2=Wilson|first2=R. M.| last3=Akert|first3=E.|title=Social Psychology|year=2010|publisher=Pearson|edition=7}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Anderson|first1=C.A.|title=Social Psychology|year=2010|publisher=Wiley}}</ref>

Similarly, Jerry M. Burger admits the normative influence effect of the experiment in Chapter 21 of Noba online book.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rhodes |first=Marjorie |title=NYU: Introduction to Psychology Spring 2019 |url=https://nobaproject.com/textbooks/marjorie-rhodes-new-textbook |access-date=2023-05-08 |website=Noba |language=en}}</ref> He mentioned that people follow the crowd to avoid potential criticism. During Asch's experiment, participants choose the wrong answer to keep the association with the group. The demonstration in this experiment broadens people's understanding of the large application of normative influence. To stay consistent with other group members, people may follow a trend that is apparently wrong. Moreover, the behavior of normative conformity may reduce when the individual response is not accessible to other people.<ref>Bond, R., & Smith, P. B. (1996). Culture and conformity: A meta-analysis of studies using Asch’s (1952b, 1956) line judgment task. Psychological Bulletin, 119, 111–137.</ref> This phenomenon further stresses the social role in normative influence.

In contrast, [[John C. Turner|John Turner]] and colleagues argue that the interpretation of the Asch conformity experiments as normative influence is inconsistent with the data.<ref name="Turner (1985)" /><ref name="Turner, J. C. et al. (1987)." /><ref name="Turner, J. C. (1991)" /> They point out that post-experiment interviews revealed that participants experienced uncertainty about their judgement during the experiments. Although the correct answer appeared obvious to the researchers, this was not necessarily the experience of participants. Subsequent research has demonstrated similar patterns of conformity where participants were anonymous and thus not subject to social punishment or reward on the basis of their responses.<ref name="Turner & Hogg (1987)">{{cite journal|last1=Hogg|first1=M. A.|last2=Turner|first2=J. C.|title=Social identity and conformity: A theory of referent informational influence|journal=Current Issues in European Social Psychology|year=1987|volume=2|pages=139–182|editor1-first=W.|editor1-last=Doise|editor2-first=S.|editor2-last=Moscivici|location=Cambridge}}</ref>  From this perspective, the Asch conformity experiments are viewed as evidence for the [[self-categorization theory]] account of [[social influence]] (otherwise known as the theory of [[Self-categorization theory#Social influence|referent informational influence]]).<ref name="Turner (1985)" /><ref name="Turner, J. C. et al. (1987)." /><ref name="Turner, J. C. (1991)" /><ref name="Turner (1982)">{{cite journal| last1=Turner| first1=J.C.| editor-last  =Tajfel| editor-first =H.| year=1982| title=Toward a cognitive redefinition of the social group| journal=Social Identity and Intergroup Relations| pages=15–40| location=Cambridge, UK}}</ref><ref name="Haslam, A. S. (2001).">[[Alex Haslam|Haslam, A. S.]] (2001). Psychology in Organizations. London, SAGE Publications.</ref><ref name="Haslam, et al. (2011).">{{cite book |last1=Haslam |first1=S. Alexander |last2=Reicher |first2=Stephen D. |last3=Platow |first3=Michael J. |title=The new psychology of leadership: Identity, influence and power |year=2011 |publisher=Psychology Press |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-1-84169-610-2}}</ref> Here, the observed conformity is an example of [[self-categorization theory#Depersonalization and self-stereotyping|depersonalization]] processes, whereby people expect to hold the same opinions as others in their [[Ingroups and outgroups|ingroup]] and will often adopt those opinions.