conformity to social roles Flashcards
describe the procedure of Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment.
set up a mock prison in the psychology department basement at Stanford university. They selected 21 male students, who tested ‘emotionally stable’, with no criminal record. Students were randomly assigned to a role (guard/prisoner), and encouraged to conform through uniform. Uniforms meant a loss of personal identity - more likely to conform.
IV - social role.
DV - whether ptps conformed to their social role or not.
describe the findings of Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment.
guards:
enthusiastic, treating prisoners harshly. Harassed prisoners constantly (e.g. head counts at night). enforced rules and punishment. identified more and more with their role, becoming more brutal and aggressive as the experiment went on.
prisoners:
rebelled - ripped uniform, shouted, swore. Became subdued, depressed, anxious. Physical stress - rash, hunger strike.
study ended after 6 days rather than intended 14.
Give a strength of Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment.
Controlled key variables (e.g. selection of ptps - emotionally stable, no criminal record, roles assigned by chance).
Researchers ruled out individual personality differences as an explanation of findings. Increased internal validity of the study.
Give two limitations of Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment.
Lack of realism - ptps were play acting, rather than conforming. They played roles based on stereotypes (e.g. guards = brutal, prisoners = riots) which suggests little about conformity to social roles in actual prisons.
Zimbardo may have exaggerated the power of social roles to influence behaviour. For example, only one third of the guards actually behaved in a brutal manner. One third tried to enforce rules fairly. The rest actively tried to help and support the prisoners. They sympathised, offered cigarettes and reinstated privileges. Most guards were able to resist situational pressures to conform to the role. suggests Zimbardo overstated his view that ptps were conforming to social roles and minimised role of dispositional factors.
give a real life example of Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment that support his findings.
The acts of brutality can also be seen at ABU GHARIB - US military police committed serious human rights violations against prisoners. The prisoners were tortured, abused humiliated and some murdered.
Zimbardo noticed some similarities between the behaviour of the guards in Abu Gharib and in his study.
