Conformity To Socal Roles- Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment

Question 1

Define social roles

Answer 1

The behaviours expected of an individual who occupies a given social position

Question 2

Outline what is meant by conformity to social roles

Answer 2

When an individual adopts a certain behaviour and belief when in a particular social situation, but stop when they are out of that situation

Question 3

State the year Zimbardo conducted the Stanford Prison Experiment

Answer 3

1973

Question 4

State the sample used in Zimbardo’s study

Answer 4

24 American, male undergraduate students

Question 5

Describe the procedure of Zimbardo’s study

Answer 5

• all participants were psychologically and physically screened to ensure they were fit to partake in the experiment
• participants were randomly assigned either the role of prisoner or guard
• prisoners were arrested at home and given a uniform and assigned ID numbers
• guards were given uniform, mirrored glasses and wooden clubs and told they had complete power over prisoners

Question 6

Describe how the prison guards showed conformity to their roles

Answer 6

Guards abused and harassed prisoners- frequent headcount’s in middle of night, forcing prisoners to clean toilets with their bare hands, punishing for smallest misdemeanour

Question 7

Describe how the prisoners showed conformity to their roles

Answer 7

Prisoners wholly accepted the harsh treatment and became passive and subdued- five participants withdrawn early for mental distress

Question 8

What was the planned experiment length? After how many days was the experiment stopped?

Answer 8

14 days; stopped after 6

Question 9

Describe the overall conclusion and findings of Zimbardo’s study

Answer 9

Demonstrate the power of social roles on people’s behaviour- both guards and prisoners conformed to roles even when went against moral principle