Famous ExperimentsConformity

The Line Test

Would you call a short line long because everyone else did?

Could you trust your own eyes if everyone else in the room calmly agreed on a different answer first?

You'll find out

  • Compare the lines for yourself
  • Watch a confident group go wrong
  • Keep your first read in a crowd

Why it matters

Protect your own read in a group by recording the evidence before other people's answers pile up.

About 3 min6 interactive slides · 5 questionsLesson 47 · Zone 6

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More in this zone

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  2. 48Research IntegrityThe Prison That Wasn't What We Were ToldFamous for proving power corrupts; the recordings tell another story
  3. 49Bystander EffectThe 38 Witnesses Who Weren'tThe murder that launched bystander research didn't happen the way the newspaper said
  4. 50HelpingThe Good Samaritan StudySeminary students rushing to give a talk about helping strangers walked past a man in need
  5. 51Group ConflictThe Robbers Cave CampTwo groups of boys became bitter rivals within days, then friends again
  6. 52Social LearningThe Bobo DollKids who watched an adult beat up a doll copied every punch
  7. 53ExpectationsPygmalion in the ClassroomTeachers were told some kids would bloom, and those kids did
  8. 54AttachmentLove Beats Food: Harlow's MonkeysBaby monkeys chose a soft cloth mother over a wire one that gave milk