Journal Exercise # 1 pg 352 (9)

            Solomon Asch’s line study in 1951 was where people set up an experiment with one person who didn’t know the experiment was taking place.  The other participants were in on the experiment and were “playing” along with the tests.  A number of cards were held up with 3 or 4 different lengths of lines on them and the instructor asked which line was the shortest or longest.  The people who were in on it started answering, but instead of answering with the correct answer they said a different line was the correct line.  The person who wasn’t in on it began conforming to the group and was answering the same answers as the rest of the group, even though they were wrong.  This person answered the same as the group for the rest of the experiment.  This showed how people conform to society and the group.  It shows how people start thinking like each other and not thinking for themselves.  Asch said this was the social pressure conformity experiment.