The Ash experiment

The Ash Experiment, conducted by Solomon Asch in the 1950s, explored how social pressure influences individual judgment. Participants were shown a line and asked to compare it with three others to find the matching one. When confederates (actors) intentionally chose the wrong line, many participants conformed to the group's incorrect answer, despite knowing it was wrong. This experiment illuminated the power of conformity and demonstrated how social influence can override personal belief, drawing important conclusions about human behavior, group dynamics, and the challenges of maintaining independent thought in social situations.