Conformity and independence revisited

This study aimed at investigating whether conformity in the experimental setting suggested by Asch was particularly related to American culture and less likely to be replicable elsewhere - e.g. in Portugal - as has been suggested more recently. Thus, Asch's classic conformity and independence experiment was replicated, using women psychology students in a Portuguese university as minority of one, unanimous majority group, and control Ss. The original procedure was re-enacted as similarly as possible using a computer program. Among "critical" Ss 59% conformed at least once, 28% yielded three to twelve times. Among control Ss 27% erred at least once, 3.3% made more than three errors. These differences between critical and control Ss were significant. Thus, recent university students in Portugal showed that the degree of conformity to a unanimous peer-group opinion remains observable. They reported considerable distress under the group pressure.