You step into an elevator on the first floor. Inside are four people—all standing with their backs to the doors, staring at the rear wall. What do you do? Most people simply turn around and join them. It’s not politeness or coincidence. It’s a classic example of conformity that psychologists have been studying for over half a century.

The Experiment That Became a Meme

In the 1960s, American psychologist Solomon Asch conducted a series of studies on how people adjust to a group, even when they know the group is wrong. The most famous version involved lines of different lengths. But a lesser-known yet equally striking experiment, carried out by his followers, took place in real elevators.

Actors would enter the elevator and stand facing the back wall. When an unsuspecting participant walked in, they almost always (in 96% of cases) turned around to face the same way. People didn’t ask questions, didn’t laugh, didn’t ignore it—they just conformed. The experiment was repeated in different countries, and the result was always the same.

This isn’t about elevators. It’s about how the brain saves energy: “If everyone’s doing it, it must be right.” It’s an evolutionary adaptation. In a tribe, those who didn’t argue with the majority about which way to run from a lion were the ones who survived.

Why Do We Give In So Fast?

• Social norm — the brain automatically looks for the “correct” behavior in a group. When the norm isn’t obvious (like in an elevator), we copy others.
• Fear of standing out — even in an anonymous elevator, we’re afraid of looking weird. This is called normative influence.
• Informational influence — we think, “Maybe they know something I don’t?” (for example, that the doors open from the back).

Real-Life Consequences (Not Just in Elevators)

• Silence in meetings — when everyone nods along to a bad idea because “the boss said so.”
• Fashion — why we wear what “everyone” is wearing.
• Bullying — when a group ignores a victim, others join in because “that’s what everyone does.”

What Can You Do About It?

Psychologists suggest a simple trick: become aware of the moment of choice. When you feel yourself “just going along with the crowd”—pause for a second. Ask yourself: “Am I doing this because I want to, or because everyone else is?”

Asch’s research showed that just one ally resisting the group was enough to help a third of participants resist conformity. One person in the elevator facing the doors can “wake up” the others.

Sources:

• Asch, S. E. (1951). Effects of group pressure upon the modification and distortion of judgments. First published in Groups, Leadership and Men.
• Elevator studies: a series of field experiments based on Asch’s work, conducted in the 1960s–1970s (including by Milgram and others). Exact elevator videos are later reconstructions for educational purposes, but the phenomenon is well-documented.

Next time you’re in an elevator—try facing the doors. And see who turns around to follow you.