5 - conformity to social roles (zimbardo) ao1 Flashcards
why did zimbardo want to investigate conformity to social roles?
followed reports of brutality by guards in prisons across america in the late 1960s
what did zimbardo want to know about brutality by guards in prisons?
do prison guards behave brutally because they have sadistic personalities or is it the situation that creates such behaviour?
what was the setting for zimbardo’s experiment
a mock prison in the basement of stanford university
how many participants did zimbardo have
24
how did zimbardo select his sample?
advertised for students willing to volunteer and selected those deemed emotionally stable after extensive testing
how were students assigned to their roles as guards or prisoners in zimbardo’s experiment?
randomly
how did the prisoners get transported and fit into their roles in zimbardo’s experiment?
the prisoners were arrested in their homes by the police. when they arrived they were blind folded, strip searched, deloused and issued a uniform and a number. from them on they were only referred to as their numbers
how did the guards work in zimbardo’s experiment
in shifts
how many rules did prisoners in zimbardo’s experiment have to follow?
16
what was the guards uniform and equipment in zimbardo’s experiment
wooden club, hand cuffs, keys and mirrored sunglasses
what amount of control did guards have over the prisoners in zimbardo’s experiment?
total control, decided when prisoners ate, slept and went to the toilrt
what tactic did the guards in zimbardo’s experiment use to play the prisoners against eachother
a divide and rule tactic
how did the guards behaviour towards prisoners highlight their different in social roles in zimbardo’s experiment
the guards found every opportunity to punish the prisoners. would even do head counts in the middle of the night. they would remind them constantly that they were being monitored
the guards behaviour in zimbardo’s experiment started to affect what health of the prisoners?
physical and psychological
within how many days did the prisoners start to rebel in zimbardo’s experiment
within two days
how did the prisoners in zimbardo’s experiment rebel?
they ripped their uniforms, shouted and swore at the guards, retaliating with fire extinguishers
after the rebellion was put down what happened to the prisoners (with examples) in zimbardo’s experiment
the prisoners became depressed and anxious. one was removed after the first day as he showed signs of psychological disturbance. two more were released on the 4th day
although there was a slow start, the guards in zimbardo’s study soon took up their roles with what?
enthusiasm
zimbardo’s experiment was stopped after how many days?
6 days
how many days was zimbardo’s experiment planned for?
14 days
what happened when one prisoner in zimbardo’s study went on hunger strike? (punishment by guards)
the guards attempted to force feed him and punish him by putting him in the hole (a small dark cupboard)
in zimbardo’s study how did the other prisoners react to the hunger strike prisoner m?
the other prisoners shunned him rather than supported him (for not conforming)
the guards in zimbardo’s study were so enthusiastic they offered to do what?
hours without pay
when one prisoners wanted to witnesses from zimbardo’s study what did he ask for?
parole
what did zimardos stanford prison experiment reveal about conformity to social roles?
it revealed how people will readily conform to social roles they are expected to play, especially if the roles are as strongly stereotypes as those of the prison guards
why was the prison environment in zimbardo’s study an important factor in creating the guards brutal behaviour?
none of the participants who acted as guards showed sadistic tendencies before the study
what explanation of conformity does the findings of zimbardo’s study support?
situational explanation of behaviour rather than the dispositional one
