If people are conforming rationally, then the opinion of 15 other subjects should be substantially stronger evidence than the opinion of 3 other subjects.
This doesn’t seem true; the data correlate pretty strongly, so more wouldn’t provide much evidence.
Adding a single dissenter—just one other person who gives the correct answer, or even an incorrect answer that’s different from the group’s incorrect answer—reduces conformity very sharply, down to 5–10% of subjects.
This doesn’t seem true; the data correlate pretty strongly, so more wouldn’t provide much evidence.
This is irrational, though.