What are some key studies on the effect of social influence on behavior?

There have been several key studies on the effect of social influence on behaviour.

One of the most famous studies on social influence is the Asch conformity experiment. Solomon Asch conducted a series of experiments in the 1950s in which participants were asked to judge the length of lines. The participants were then surrounded by a group of confederates who intentionally gave incorrect answers. Asch found that participants were likely to conform to the group's incorrect answer, even when it was obvious that it was wrong.

Another influential study is Milgram's obedience experiment. In this study, participants were instructed to deliver electric shocks to a learner every time they made a mistake on a memory task. The shocks increased in intensity with each mistake. Despite the learner's pleas for mercy, the majority of participants continued to deliver shocks up to the highest level.

Zimbardo's Stanford prison experiment is also a well-known study on social influence. In this experiment, participants were randomly assigned to be either guards or prisoners in a simulated prison environment. The guards quickly became abusive and authoritarian, while the prisoners became passive and submissive. The experiment was terminated early due to the extreme behaviour of the participants.

These studies illustrate the powerful effect of social influence on behaviour and highlight the importance of understanding the role of social influence in our daily lives.