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Daring to disagree

Solomon Asch’s experiments on conformity are famous. But this month’s article from the FT online takes a different perspective on the findings. The author notes that the participants demonstrated a variety of behaviours, depending on the context, and the most remarkable one was that it only took one dissenting voice to reduce conformity drastically. This has excellent links to perspectives on conformity research and to group behavior

The power of disagreement

If you haven't already, visit the Financial Times online and sign up your students and yourself for free access to FT articles. This is an excellent way to get everyday examples of psychological theories and concepts. This month, the article is discussing conformity. 

Your students should click on the link to read The refreshing power of disagreement. Right or wrong, dissent gives us permission to think for ourselves.

My article for a school DP psychology class related this to group behavior in human relationships and also to the concept of perspective. For more discussion about perspectives and Asch’s research see the InThinking page here. Once students have read the original article, and the InThinking discussion on perspectives taken on conformity, they should answer the questions I pose. Suggested answers are in this blog.

Questions

  1. Read the author's summary of Asch’s experiments. What was the role of the “debrief”? In what way was it an example of method triangulation?
What is called a “debrief” in the article is really a follow-up interview. The participants who conformed were asked why they did this, as were those who did not conform. Of course, this involved them in reflecting on their actions and trying to explain the meaning of them. This is qualitative research, in addition to Asch’s original quantitative experiments, and is triangulation of methods. This gives a deeper understanding, by looking at the “why” of what happened.

2. Why did the naïve participants (i.e. not a confederate) have a rate of agreement that dropped to below 10% whether the dissenting confederate gave the correct answer or an obviously wrong answer?

Just having somebody that showed opinion was not unanimous and that disagreement was possible was enough for the naïve participants to stop conforming. The dissenter did not have to be correct; they just had to disagree with the majority.

3. What does this suggest about the power of disagreement?

It suggests that it is very powerful, and one one person feels able to express disagreement, then others will follow.

4. What other factors could be involved in either conformity or dissent, and how? Explain how at least two other factors, rather than just the addition of someone who disagrees with the majority, could influence the decisions of a minority.

One factor that can affect levels of conformity is culture. Usually, in more individualist cultures, disagreement is seen as a way of opening up discussion. Whereas, in more collectivist cultures it can be perceived as threatening to harmony. (Note that this is a broad statement and there can also be many variations within cultures.)

Another factor is a power imbalance. It is much harder to voice disagreement with your boss than it is with your partner or friend.

Personal confidence can also affect one’s ability to disagree or tendency to conform. The less confident we are, the less likely we are to disagree with a majority opinion.

[I am sure students can think of many more examples.]

5. Why, according to the author, does disagreement have to be authentic rather than role-played?

The author points out that if we know the person who disagrees has been told to do so, or is only playing a role, then we take less notice of them. Disagreement is a serious matter and should be used to make us reconsider an option; it is not just a stage that has to be gone through in our planning.

6. Perspective is a key concept in psychology. How does this article present a different perspective on conformity?

While 2/3 of Asch’s participants conformed at least once during the 18 trials, that leaves 1/3 who did not conform at all. This is rarely discussed. This article looks at disagreement, and shows that over 90% of participants did not conform to the wrong answer when just one person in the group dissented. They are looking at the experiments from the perspective of “Why didn’t people conform?” rather than “Look how many people conformed.”

7. Think of an example of when you conformed with a majority when you actually believed they were wrong. Why did you do it? What might have made you dissent instead of conforming?

Students will give differing answers to this. Some may look at the quality of the act itself: if their peers are doing something illegal, then they may feel strong enough to dissent. If it’s an insignificant thing that holds little personal importance (like Asch’s matching lines task) then conformity is more likely.

8. Do you agree with the title of the article, that disagreement has a “refreshing power?” Explain your answer.

Again, students may choose to agree or disagree. More thoughtful answers will maybe refer to the necessity of trying to falsify hypotheses and only when we cannot do that can we accept them as true, for now. School debates rely on the power of disagreement, and often it is only by exploring the counter-arguments that you can strengthen your own.

Extension

Students who are interested in the power of disagreement might like to watch this TED talk by Margaret Heffernan. She is a retired CEO of five companies, a broadcaster and an author of books on business. She believes that daring to have constructive disagreement is positive for research, relationships and businesses. As teachers, it is what we are trying to encourage through classroom debate and critical thinking.

References

Asch, S. E. (1956). Studies of independence and conformity: I. A minority of one against a unanimous majority. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied, 70(9), 1-70 https://cynlibsoc.com/clsology/pdf/people-will-conform.pdf

Harford, Tim  (25 February 2026). The refreshing power of disagreement. Right or wrong, dissent gives us permission to think for ourselves, Financial Times online, Accessed 01 March 2026 at https://www.ft.com/content/f94c83f6-8d30-49c2-8280-b71af8095b4e

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