Editing Asch conformity experiments (section)

=== Results ===

In the control group, with no pressure to conform to actors, the error rate on the critical stimuli was less than 0.7%.<ref name="Asch1951" />

In the actor condition also, the majority of participants' responses remained correct (64.3%), but a sizable minority of responses conformed to the actors' (incorrect) answer (35.7%). The responses revealed strong individual differences: 12% of participants followed the group in nearly all of the tests. 26% of the sample consistently defied majority opinion, with the rest conforming on some trials. An examination of all critical trials in the experimental group revealed that one-third of all responses were incorrect. These incorrect responses often matched the incorrect response of the majority group (i.e., actors). Overall, 74% of participants gave at least one incorrect answer out of the 12 critical trials.<ref name="Asch1951" /> Regarding the study results, Asch stated: "That intelligent, well-meaning young people are willing to call white black is a matter of concern."

==== Interview responses ====
Participants' interview responses revealed a complex mixture of individual differences in subjects' reaction to the experimental situation, with distinct reactions linked to factors such as confidence, self-doubt, the desire to be normative, and resolving perceived confusion over the nature of the task.

Asch's report included interviews of a subject that remained "independent" and another that "yielded". Each provided a descriptive account following disclosure of the true nature of the experiment. The "independent" subject said that he felt happy and relieved and added, "I do not deny that at times I had the feeling: 'to go with it{{spaces}}[...] I'll go along with the rest.{{'"}}{{r|n=Asch1951 manual|p=182|r=Asch, S.E. (1951). Effects of group pressure on the modification and distortion of judgments. In H. Guetzkow (Ed.), ''Groups, leadership and men'' (pp. 177–190). Pittsburgh, PA:Carnegie Press.}} At the other end of the spectrum, one "yielding" subject (who conformed in 11 of 12 critical trials) said, "I suspected about the {{nowrap|middle{{px2}}{{mdash}}{{px2}}}}but tried to push it out of my mind."{{r|n=Asch1951 manual|p=182}} Asch points out that although the "yielding" subject was suspicious, he was not sufficiently confident to go against the majority.

==== Attitudes of independent responders ====
Subjects who did not conform to the majority reacted either with "confidence": they experienced conflict between their idea of the obvious answer and the group's incorrect answer, but stuck with their own answer, or were "withdrawn". These latter subjects stuck with their perception but did not experience conflict in doing so. Some participants also exhibited "doubt", responding in accordance with their perception, but questioning their own judgment while nonetheless sticking to their (correct) response, expressing this as needing to behave as they had been asked to do in the task.

==== Attitudes of responders conforming on one or more trials ====
Participants who conformed to the majority on at least 50% of trials reported reacting with what Asch called a "distortion of perception". These participants, who made up a distinct minority (only 12 subjects), expressed the belief that the actors' answers were correct, and were apparently unaware that the majority were giving incorrect answers.

Among the other participants who yielded on some trials, most expressed what Asch termed "distortion of judgment". These participants concluded after a number of trials that they must be wrongly interpreting the stimuli and that the majority must be right, leading them to answer with the majority. These individuals were characterized by low levels of confidence. The final group of participants who yielded on at least some trials exhibited a "distortion of action". These subjects reported that they knew what the correct answer was, but conformed with the majority group simply because they didn't want to seem out of step by not going along with the rest.<ref name="Asch1951 manual"/> All conforming respondents underestimated the frequency with which they conformed to the majority.<ref name="Asch1955" />