As the research session begins, the participants are seated around a table.
The person seated in the last position is the only real participant.
All the others are accomplices or “confederates” of the experimenter.
The experimenter, seated on the other side of the table, explains the instructions.
On the first trial, the participants study the standard line, and then choose the comparison line (A, B, or C) that is the same length as the standard line.
One at a time, the confederates call out “Line B”. The real participant agrees, so they have consensus on Trial 1.
On the second trial, the answer is clearly Line A and all the participants choose Line A.
So far, so good. All the participants are agreeing on the correct answer.
But what will happen when the experimenter's accomplices begin calling out the wrong answer? You'll find out on the next screen.