... participants. After hearing the estimates of other participants (the group situation) the estimates of different participants converged to form a group norm which represented the average of individual estimates. According to Sherif, the participants used others estimates as a frame of reference in what was an ambiguous situation. When participants were asked to individually make a second estimate their answers closely resembled the norm. Asch (1951) was critical of Sherif's findings and claimed that the task used by Sherif was ambiguous which made it difficult to draw any conclusions about conformity. He believed that conformity should be measured in terms of the individual's tendency to agree with other group members who unanimously give the wrong answer when the solution is obvious. If people yield to group pressure under these conditions then this is a much stricter test of conformity. In 1951, Asch performed the Asch paradigm where he gave participants ...

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