Consensus and conformity

Abstract

Group consensus was broken either by a partner agreeing exactly with the subject (Social Support) or by a dissenter giving a response even more incorrect than the group's (Extreme Dissent). Using the Crutchfield apparatus, 157 male and female subjects responded to visual, information, and opinion items. Results disclosed that Extreme Dissent, in comparison with a unanimous group, significantly decreased conformity on visual and information items but not on opinion items. Social Support, on the other hand, significantly reduced conformity on all three types of items. The results cast doubt on Asch's contention that breaking group consensus, per se, is responsible for the effectiveness of Social Support in reducing conformity.