Conformity to social roles

Question 1

Sample

Answer 1

21 emotionally stable male volunteers randomly assigned

Question 2

Guard uniform

Answer 2

real guard uniform, baton, mirror shades, handcuffs

Question 3

Prisoner uniform

Answer 3

Smock, cap, badge number

Question 4

Findings

Answer 4

-guards became brutal
- prisoners became depressed and submissive
- rebellion after 2 days
- 3 participants released by fourth day
- study ended after 6 days
- both groups conformed to social roles

Question 5

Control

Answer 5

Randomly assigned roles, reduces effect of individual difference and increases internal validity

Question 6

Lack of realism

Answer 6

Banuazizi and Movahedi: participants were play acting
- based guard behaviour on movie character
- explains riot
- decreases validity

Question 7

Realism counterpoint

Answer 7

McDermott
- 90% of prisoner conversation was about prisoner life
- participant believed it was a prison run by psychologists not government

Question 8

Exaggerates power of roles

Answer 8

Fromm
1/3 brutal guard
1/3 fair guard
1/3 empathetic

Question 9

Social identity theory

Answer 9

Reicher and Haslam
- Zimbardo’s explanation doesn’t account for non-brutal guards
- Guard’s behaved violently as they identified with the role