Conformity to Social Roles

Question 1

Zimbardo’s research

Answer 1

• Zimbardo wanted to know why prison guards behave brutally

Question 2

The Stanford prison experiment

Answer 2

• Zimbardo set up a mock prison in the basement at Stanford University
• 21 men tested as emotionally stable
• Students were randomly assigned to play the role of prison guard and prisoner
• Prisoners and guards were encouraged to conform to social roles through the uniforms and also instructions about behaviour
• Prisoners were given a loose smock to wear and a cap - identified by number (names never used)
• Guards has their own uniform - with wooden club, handcuffs and mirror shades
• loss of personal identity - more likely to conform to the social role
• Prisoners were encouraged to identify their role by several procedures
• Guards were encouraged to play their role by being reminded that they were in complete power

Question 3

SPE Findings

Answer 3

• Guards took up their roles with enthusiasm and treated the prisoners harshly
• Prisoners, within 2 days rebelled - ripped their uniforms and shouted and swore at the guards - retaliated with fire extinguishers
• Guards conducted frequent headcounts where the prisoners would stand in a line and call out their numbers
• Prisoners became subdued, depressed and anxious
• One released due to psychological disturbance, one went on a hunger strike and then put in a dark cupboard as refused food
• Guards behaviour became increasingly brutal and aggressive and some of them loved the power

Question 4

Conclusions related to social roles

Answer 4

• Social roles appear to have a strong influence on behaviour - guards became brutal and prisoners became submissive

Question 5

Strength

Answer 5

• Zimbardo and his colleagues had control over key variables
• Example: the selection of the participants (emotionally stable)
• If guards and prisoners had behaved differently then their behaviour must have been due to the role itself
• This degree f control increased the internal validity so we can be much more confident in drawing conclusions about the influence roles on conformity

Question 6

Limitations

Answer 6

• Did not have the realism of a real life prison
• Banuazizi and Movahedi argued that participants were merely play acting rather than genuinely conforming to a role.
• This suggests that the findings tell us little about conformity to social roles in actual prisons.
• Zimbardo may have exaggerated the power of social roles to influence behaviour
• Only one third of the guards actually behaved in a brutal manner - the other applied to the rules fairly
• This suggests that Zimbardo overstated his view that participants were conforming to social roles and minimised the influence of dispositional factors (personality)

Question 7

Counterpoint

Answer 7

• Mcdermot argues that participants did behave as if the prison was real to them
• 90% of the prisoners conversations were about prison life
• This suggests that SPE did replicate the social roles of prisoners and guards in a real prison - study has high internal validity