The Asch Experiment and its Relation to Information Cascades
Information cascades might be a simple concept to observe, but it is definitely a strong force we face on a daily basis when it comes to conformity. In 1951, Solomon Asch conducted a social psychological experiment to find out to what extent does a majority group’s social pressure impact an individual to conform. The setup of the experiment was quite simple: each participant was given two diagrams to look at and were asked to state which line in the right diagram matched the reference line provided in the left diagram.
Figure 1. The diagrams provided in the Asch Experiment. Credits to simplepsychology.org.
It was obvious that the reference line clearly matched one of the provided lines in the right diagram labeled A, B, and C. However, there was a catch in this experiment. Each group consisted of 8 to 10 students, where only one of the participants was the real subject and the rest were confederates who had been ordered to state two correct answers and then some incorrect answers on the staged trials. The real participant would be the last one to answer after hearing all of the incorrect answers.
While the participants were informed by Asch that this was an experiment to evaluate visual perception, the truth was to evaluate the impact of social group pressure to conform. The results were astounding. When the real participant was surrounded by people giving an incorrect answer, on average, over one-third of the subjects also answered incorrectly. Furthermore, at least 75% of the participants answered the question incorrectly to at least one question, and while some experimental error may have occurred, it was obvious that social group pressure does indeed cause conformity.
The Asch Experiment is simple, yet strongly conveys the power of conformity in society. The conclusion of this experiment directly relates to information cascades, and can even be considered as an application of it. Information cascades occur when people make decisions based on observing the actions of the people before them. Ultimately, a cascade occurs when a person decides to change their decision in favor of the information provided by the actions of the people before them. In this experiment, informational effects play a critical role: one incorrect answer from a confederate made little impact, but if multiple incorrect answers were provided, the subject was more likely pressured to conform and answer the question incorrectly. On the other hand, if one other participant disagreed with the confederates, the subject was more likely to resist social group pressure. In essence, the power produced from a majority’s action was extremely difficult to resist, which made the results of this experiment extremely fascinating.
Information cascades are so powerful, and in the context of social conformity, it can be visibly observed in everyday life. From an example like a teenager drinking alcohol for the first time ever due to peer pressure to another example like purchasing an Apple iPhone just because everyone else is doing it too, the information passed on from one to another is so influential. While it may seem ideal to follow the information cascade and conform socially when we are caught up in the moment, sometimes we need to be more cautious and aware of the decisions we make. Following the majority is not always a good thing; it always important to trust your own instincts and to follow through with your own beliefs and ideas despite what others say and believe in. Sometimes, being different is what makes us humans: unique and powerful.
Source: https://www.simplypsychology.org/asch-conformity.html