What influenced participants' compliance in Asch's study according to the findings?

The influence of normative social influence in Asch's study highlights how individuals often conform to the group's behavior to fit in or be accepted, even when they privately disagree. This aspect of social psychology reveals that participants were motivated to align their responses with the group's, prioritizing group harmony over their own perceptions. It shows that the desire to be liked or accepted can lead individuals to conform publicly, despite knowing the correct answer.

In the context of Asch's experiment, this suggest that participants were swayed by the group's incorrect responses, reflecting a powerful social desire to conform rather than a need to be accurate or informed. Normative social influence centers on the human tendency to adhere to social norms and behaviors, which was clearly demonstrated in Asch's findings, as many participants changed their answers to align with the group's despite being aware of the actual correct choice.