In Asch's conformity research, what was the effect of having an ally who disagrees with the majority on conformity levels?

In Asch's conformity research, what was the effect of having an ally who disagrees with the majority on conformity levels?

• A. Conformity remains the same
• B. Conformity decreases from 36.8% to 5.5%
• C. Conformity increases to 50%
• D. Conformity increases to 90%

Answer: (B)

Introducing an ally who disagrees with the majority cuts the social pressure to conform. In the classic Asch studies, people went along with the incorrect majority about 36.8% of the time when there was no dissenter. But when a single ally expressed disagreement, conformity dropped dramatically to about 5.5%. The ally breaks the sense of unanimous agreement, giving others a cue that dissent is acceptable and reducing the normative push to conform. This demonstrates how even a small amount of social support for independence can substantially increase the likelihood of individuals sticking with their own judgment, even in the face of group opinion.

Introducing an ally who disagrees with the majority cuts the social pressure to conform. In the classic Asch studies, people went along with the incorrect majority about 36.8% of the time when there was no dissenter. But when a single ally expressed disagreement, conformity dropped dramatically to about 5.5%. The ally breaks the sense of unanimous agreement, giving others a cue that dissent is acceptable and reducing the normative push to conform. This demonstrates how even a small amount of social support for independence can substantially increase the likelihood of individuals sticking with their own judgment, even in the face of group opinion.