1.4: Philip Zimbardo (1973)

Question 1

Zimbardo’s prison simulation study uses a participant observation study method.
Give one strength and one weakness of this type of study (4 marks)

Answer 1

One strength of the participant observation study method is that observers have access to much more material than researchers who make observations from outside a situation.
In Zimbardo’s study, the experimenter took part as the prison superintendent, and thus was able to see up close the reactions of the participants

Question 2

Zimbardo’s prison simulation study uses a participant observation study method.
Give one strength and one weakness of this type of study (4 marks).
One strength of the participant observation study method is that observers have access to much more material than researchers who make observations from outside a situation.
In Zimbardo’s study, the experimenter took part as the prison superintendent, and thus was able to see up close the reactions of the participants.

One weakness of this type of study

Answer 2

One weakness of this type of study is reactivity, where the participant observers become involved in the participants’ behaviour and thus may skew (affect) the findings

Question 3

Outline the procedures and findings of Zimbardo’s research into conformity to social roles (4 marks)

Answer 3

Zimbardo set up a mock prison and split the participants into prisoners and guards and observed how they behaved to see if they conformed to these social roles.
The findings are that there was increased passivity of the ‘prisoners’ in the face of increased brutality of the ‘guards.’
The study was abandoned after 6 days

Question 4

Briefly discuss two criticisms of Zimbardo’s research into conformity to social roles (4 marks)

Answer 4

One criticism is that Zimbardo was a participant observer, as he took the role of prison superintendent, so he played a ‘dual-role.’
Zimbardo’s own behaviour affected the way in which events unfolded, thus the validity of the findings could be questioned

Question 5

Briefly discuss two criticisms of Zimbardo’s research into conformity to social roles (4 marks).
One criticism is that Zimbardo was a participant observer, as he took the role of prison superintendent, so he played a ‘dual-role.’
Zimbardo’s own behaviour affected the way in which events unfolded, thus the validity of the findings could be questioned.

Another criticism

Answer 5

Another criticism is ethical issues.

There was deception and so informed consent could not be obtained