In 1951, psychologist Solomon Asch invited college students to participate in a “vision test.”
The task was absurdly simple: look at a line, then choose which of three comparison lines matched its length.
The answer was obvious. A child could do it. There was no trick, no optical illusion.
Asch showed this card to the group:
Reference Line: |
Comparison Lines:
A: |
B: |||||
C: ||
The answer is clearly A. Anyone with working eyes can see it.
But here’s the setup: only one person in the room was an actual participant. The other 7-8 people were actors, instructed to give the same wrong answer.
The question wasn’t “Can you see?”
The question was: “Will you trust your eyes, or trust the group?”
The Results
On the first few rounds, the actors gave correct answers. The real participant relaxed. Easy test.
Then the actors started giving obviously wrong answers. All of them. Confidently.
“The answer is B,” said the first actor, pointing to a line that was clearly much longer.
“B,” agreed the second.
“B,” said the third.
The participant looked confused. They could see the answer was A. But everyone else said B.
When it was their turn, 75% of participants conformed to the group at least once, giving an answer they knew was wrong.
Over all the trials, participants conformed to the incorrect group answer 37% of the time.
Think about that. More than one-third of the time, people denied the evidence of their own eyes to fit in with strangers they’d never met before.
The Interviews
After the experiment, Asch interviewed participants:
Some genuinely doubted themselves: “I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.” “I figured everyone else must be seeing something I wasn’t.”
Others knew the group was wrong but went along anyway: “I didn’t want to be the odd one out.” “I thought maybe I’d misunderstood the instructions.” “I didn’t want to ruin the experiment.”
A few resisted: “I thought the group was wrong, so I gave my own answer.” But even resisters showed visible discomfort and anxiety.
The pressure to conform was intense, even though:
- The stakes were zero (no consequences for being wrong)
- The group members were strangers
- The correct answer was obvious
What Is Conformity?
Conformity is the tendency to change your behavior, beliefs, or perceptions to match those of a group—even when the group is obviously wrong.
Asch identified two types:
1. Normative Conformity (Fitting In)
You know the group is wrong, but you go along to avoid standing out.
- “I don’t want to look stupid”
- “What if they judge me?”
2. Informational Conformity (Self-Doubt)
You doubt your own judgment and assume the group knows better.
- “Maybe I’m missing something”
- “They all agree, so they must be right”
Both are powerful. Both override logic and evidence.
Variations Asch Tested
Asch ran variations to understand when conformity increases or decreases:
Group Size:
- 1 actor: Almost no conformity
- 3 actors: Conformity jumps dramatically
- 15 actors: Only slightly more than 3 (plateau effect)
Unanimity:
- All actors agree on wrong answer: 37% conformity
- One actor gives correct answer: Conformity drops to 5%
The presence of even one ally breaks the spell.
Writing Answers Privately:
- Public answers: 37% conformity
- Private written answers: Conformity nearly eliminated
People conform most when they have to state their answer publicly.
Modern Examples
The Asch Effect is everywhere:
1. Meetings Where Everyone “Agrees”
- Manager proposes flawed idea
- Everyone nods along
- You see the problem but stay quiet
- Result: Bad decision, groupthink
2. Fashion and Social Trends
- “Why is everyone wearing that?”
- You know it looks ridiculous
- You buy it anyway
- Result: Crocs, fidget spinners, NFTs
3. Applause and Laughter
- Laugh tracks on TV make unfunny jokes seem funny
- You clap because everyone else is clapping
- Result: Social proof overrides judgment
4. Stock Market Bubbles
- “Everyone’s buying crypto, I must be missing something”
- Ignore fundamentals, follow the herd
- Result: Tulip mania, dot-com crash, 2008 crisis
5. Political Echo Chambers
- Surround yourself with people who agree
- Dissenting views seem crazy
- Result: Polarization, extremism
In Software Engineering
Conformity sabotages engineering teams constantly:
Code Review Conformity
Senior dev approves PR with obvious bug
Other reviewers see it but don't want to contradict senior
Everyone approves
Result: Bug ships to production
Architecture Decisions
Tech lead proposes using [trendy framework]
Junior dev thinks it's overkill but stays quiet
Everyone "agrees"
Result: Overengineered, unmaintainable system
Interview Debriefs
First interviewer: "Hire"
Second interviewer had doubts but doesn't want to seem difficult
Everyone votes hire
Result: Bad hire, regret later
Estimate Conformity (Planning Poker Gone Wrong)
First person says "8 points"
Others think it's more like 3
Everyone adjusts to ~8 to avoid conflict
Result: Inflated estimates, broken velocity tracking
Technical Debt Rationalization
Team lead: "We'll ship now, clean up later"
Everyone knows "later" never comes
No one objects
Result: Permanent technical debt
The Emperor’s New Clothes: Complexity Edition
No one understands the new architecture
Everyone assumes others get it
No one admits confusion
Result: System no one can maintain
Why Engineers Are Vulnerable
You’d think engineers—logical, data-driven—would be immune.
We’re not. We’re more vulnerable in some ways:
- Imposter Syndrome - “Everyone else seems to understand, so I must be wrong”
- Hero Worship - “The 10x engineer said so, they must be right”
- Jargon Overload - “I don’t understand, but I’ll pretend I do”
- Expertise Hierarchy - Junior devs fear challenging seniors
- Fast-Moving Tech - “Maybe this is the new best practice and I’m behind”
How to Resist Conformity
1. Find One Ally
Asch proved: one dissenting voice cuts conformity by 87%.
If you have doubts, find someone else who might too.
Before meeting: "Hey, do you also think this microservices
approach is overkill? Want to bring it up together?"
2. Make Voting Anonymous
Public votes create conformity. Private votes reveal true opinions.
Instead of: "Thumbs up if you agree?"
Try: Anonymous poll or written votes
3. Speak First if You Disagree
The first dissenter breaks the spell. Be that person.
"Before we all agree, I want to raise a concern..."
4. Create Psychological Safety
Leaders must reward dissent, not punish it.
"Thanks for pushing back. That's exactly the kind of
critical thinking we need."
5. Ask “What Am I Missing?”
Assume you might be wrong, but verify.
"Everyone seems sure this is right. Can someone explain
why [specific concern] isn't a problem?"
6. Use Data, Not Opinions
“I think X” is easy to dismiss. “The metrics show X” is harder.
Not: "I feel like this will be slow"
But: "The load test showed 2-second latency"
7. Normalize “I Don’t Know”
If you don’t understand, say so. Others probably don’t either.
"Can someone explain this architecture? I'm not following."
(Usually 3 others: "Oh thank god, me neither.")
The Cultural Dimension
Asch’s original experiments were in the U.S. in the 1950s.
Later research showed culture matters:
Individualist Cultures (US, UK, Netherlands):
- Lower conformity (~25-30%)
- “Be yourself” is valued
Collectivist Cultures (Japan, China, Korea):
- Higher conformity (~40-60%)
- Group harmony is valued
Neither is “better”—they’re trade-offs:
- Individualism → innovation, but also chaos
- Collectivism → harmony, but also groupthink
Tech teams are increasingly global. Understanding these differences matters.
The Deeper Lesson
The Asch experiments reveal something profound: most of us are not as independent as we think.
We like to believe:
- “I think for myself”
- “I follow the data”
- “I don’t care what others think”
But when the group disagrees, 75% of us fold at least once.
Even on a simple vision test. With strangers. With no stakes.
Social pressure overrides perception, logic, and evidence.
This isn’t a bug. It’s evolutionary. Humans survived by sticking with the tribe. Being cast out meant death.
So our brains are wired to conform, even when it’s irrational.
The Programmer’s Perspective
As engineers, we build systems. We debug code. We pride ourselves on logic.
But we’re still human.
And humans are social creatures who will literally deny what they see to fit in.
Next time you’re in a meeting and you think:
- “Am I the only one who sees this problem?”
- “Maybe I’m wrong and everyone else is right”
- “I don’t want to be the one to slow us down”
Remember Asch’s participants, confidently saying line B matches line A.
The group can be wrong. Loudly. Unanimously. Confidently.
And if you stay silent, you’re conforming—even if you know better.
Key Takeaways
- ✅ 75% of people conform to group at least once, even when obviously wrong
- ✅ Public settings increase conformity; private voting reduces it
- ✅ One ally cuts conformity by 87%
- ✅ Social pressure overrides evidence and logic
- ✅ Speaking up breaks the conformity spell for others
The line didn’t change. The answer didn’t change.
What changed was the social pressure.
And that was enough to make people deny their own eyes.
The next time you’re in a room and everyone agrees, ask yourself:
Are we all right? Or are we all just conforming?
Because sometimes, the emperor has no clothes.
And someone needs to say it.