Date of Birth: September 14, 1907
Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Date of Death: February 20, 1996
Biography
Solomon Eliot Asch was an influential American psychologist best known for his groundbreaking work in social psychology. Born in Warsaw, Poland, Asch immigrated to the United States with his family when he was 13 years old. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the City College of New York and later obtained his Ph.D. from Columbia University under the mentorship of Max Wertheimer, a founder of Gestalt psychology. Asch is most renowned for his experiments on conformity, which demonstrated the power of social influence on individual judgment. His classic study in the early 1950s involved participants being asked to match line lengths, revealing how individuals often conformed to group pressure even when the group was clearly wrong. This work laid the foundation for understanding social behavior and has had a lasting impact on psychology. Throughout his career, Asch held various academic positions, most notably at Swarthmore College, where he collaborated with other prominent psychologists like Wolfgang Köhler. Later, he became a professor at Rutgers University and continued his research into social psychology until his retirement. Asch’s contributions to psychology have earned him a distinguished place in the field, and his work continues to be studied and cited extensively.
5 Interesting Facts about Solomon Asch
1. Solomon Asch’s conformity experiments are considered some of the most influential studies in social psychology.
2. He was a student of Max Wertheimer, a founder of Gestalt psychology, which influenced his holistic approach to understanding human behavior.
3. Asch served as president of the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1968.
4. He wrote a seminal book titled “Social Psychology,” which has been used as a textbook in numerous psychology courses.
5. Asch’s work has influenced various fields beyond psychology, including sociology, political science, and behavioral economics.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Solomon Asch
1. “Life in society requires consensus as an indispensable condition.”
2. “The tendency to conform to group pressure is a universal phenomenon.”
3. “Most social acts have to be understood in their setting, and lose meaning if isolated.”
4. “We must respect the power of the situation.”
5. “Human beings are social creatures, and we are constantly influenced by the people around us.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
Solomon Asch’s net worth was never publicly documented, but his contributions to psychology have been invaluable.
Children
Solomon Asch had one son, Peter Asch, who pursued a career in academia like his father.
Relevant Links
1. [Biography of Solomon Asch on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Asch
4. [Psychology Today Article on Asch](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/solomon-asch
5. [Asch’s Impact on Social Psychology](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Solomon-Asch
