1. Asch
1.1. investigate the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could affect a person to conform.
1.1.1. 50 male students from Swarthmore College in the USA participated in a ‘vision test. Some were given answers to questions and people were observed as to whether they would conform or not.
1.1.1.1. Asch measured the number of times each participant conformed to the majority view. On average, about one third (32%) of the participants who were placed in this situation went along and conformed with the clearly incorrect majority on the critical trials.
1.1.1.2. Over the 12 critical trials about 75% of participants conformed at least once, and 25% of participant never conformed. In the control group, with no pressure to conform to confederates, less than 1% of participants gave the wrong answer.
2. Milgram
2.1. made n experiment focusing on the conflict between obedience and authority.
2.1.1. interested in researching how far people would go in obeying an instruction if it involved harming another person.
2.1.1.1. to conduct this experiment a teacher and learner were selected. the learner was strapped to an electric chair. the learner was tested by the teacher after they were told to memorize a list of words. the teacher would administer an electric shock every time the person got a word wrong.
2.1.1.1.1. 65% (two-thirds) of participants (i.e. teachers) continued to the highest level of 450 volts. All the participants continued to 300 volts.
2.1.1.1.2. ordinary people will most likely listen to an authority figure when the are told to do so
3. Zimbardo
3.1. To investigate how readily people would conform to the roles of guard and prisoner in a role-playing exercise that simulated prison life.
3.1.1. a basement in Stanford was convert into a prison. People were given the role of either prisoner or guard. they were interviewed before they were selected as either prisoner or guard. they were then put in the basement and were to conform to their roles.
3.1.1.1. In the end the guards and prisoners conformed to their roles very quickly. The guards were very harsh to the prisoners and the program was shut down rather quickly.
3.1.1.2. later the guards would try to justify saying they were simply acting. Many did enjoy the control they had over the people that were prisoners.