Asch Conformity

A classroom at Swarthmore College, 1951. You and seven other students sit around small desks. Two screens at the front — on the left, a reference line; on the right, three comparison lines (A, B, C). The task is simple: which line matches the reference? The answer is obvious. It's B. The other two are clearly different lengths. There are 18 trials, and each person answers aloud. The first six rounds go smoothly. Then, on the seventh, the first student answers confidently: 'A.' But to you it's plainly B. The second student also says 'A.' So does the third. The fourth. Fifth, sixth, seventh — all 'A' in unison. Now it's your turn. The person beside you glances over. The lines on the screen haven't changed. B is obviously correct. But seven pairs of eyes are turning to you, and you have to speak.