A Nonconformist Account of the Asch Experiments: Values, Pragmatics, and Moral Dilemmas

This article offers a new approach to Asch's (1956) influential studies relating physical and social perception. Drawing on research on values, conversational pragmatics, cross-cultural comparisons, and negotiation, the authors challenge the normative assumptions that have led psychologists to...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Personality and social psychology review 2006-01, Vol.10 (1), p.2-19
Main Authors: Hodges, Bert H., Geyer, Anne L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Humans
Morals
Negotiating
Personality
Psychology, Social
Research methodology
Social Conformity
Social Control, Formal
Social Identification
Social Perception
Social psychology
Social Values
Stereotyping
Truth Disclosure
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Summary:This article offers a new approach to Asch's (1956) influential studies relating physical and social perception. Drawing on research on values, conversational pragmatics, cross-cultural comparisons, and negotiation, the authors challenge the normative assumptions that have led psychologists to interpret the studies in terms of conformity. A values-pragmatics account is offered that suggests that participants attempt to realize multiple values (e.g., truth, social solidarity) in an inherently frustrating situation by tacitly varying patterns of dissent and agreement to communicate larger scale truths and cooperative intentions. Alternative theories (e.g., embarrassment, attribution) are compared and empirical implications of the values-pragmatics account are evaluated. The possibility of multiple strategies promoting group survival and the proper role of moral evaluation in social psychological research are considered.
ISSN:1088-8683
1532-7957
DOI:10.1207/s15327957pspr1001_1