Conformity to Social Roles

Question 1

Social Roles

Answer 1

The parts we play as members of various social groups. These roles are accompianed with expectations of what is acceptable.

Question 2

Zimbardo et al (1971) - Aim

Answer 2

To see whether people will conform to new social roles.

Question 3

Zimbardo et al (1971) - Procedure

Answer 3

Participants were all male psychology students at Stanford University in California. They were volunteers; they were randomly allocated the role of either prisoner, or prison guard. They were to spend two weeks locked in ‘cells’, or controlling the prisoners. Prisoners were randomly arrested at home, then stripped, deloused, and given uniforms and numbers - they were only referred to by numbers. They spent 23 hours a day in the cell. Guards were given uniforms, sticks, and sunglasses, working in shifts.

Question 4

Zimbardo et al (1971) - Findings

Answer 4

The experiment was called off after 6 days due to the brutality of the guards. The prisoners began to have nervous breakdowns, one had a nervous rash, and one went on hunger strike. Prisoners became apathetic, doing as they were told.

Question 5

Zimbardo et al (1971) - Conclusion

Answer 5

Participants conformed strongly to the social roles they were assigned.

Question 6

Deindividuation

Answer 6

A state when you become immersed in the norms of a group so you lose your sense of identity and personal responsibility.

Question 7

Zimbardo et al (1971) - Strengths

Answer 7

• Zimbrado only selected participants who were emotionally available - good variable to control, good validity.
• Participants responded to the situation as if it was real.
• Practical application - research led to improvements in US prisons.
• Led to formal recognition of ethical guidelines by the APA - application.
• Zimbardo defends the ethical issues in the study: deception was required for prisoners to assume their roles, approval was given for the study from many associations, debriefs were held, extreme reactions could not have been predicted, participants were granted withdrawal.

Question 8

Zimbardo et al (1971) - Limitations

Answer 8

• Lacks population validity - all male, American, psychology students.
• Performances of prisoners and guards were based on stereotypes, showing demand characteristics.
• Individual differences of participants played a role as only 1/3 of guards acted brutally - some tried to help the prisoners.
• Extensive ethical issues: no informed consent was given to being arrested at home, extreme distress and psychological harm caused to participants, deception, and not explicitly informed of their right to withdraw.

Question 9

Reicher and Haslam (2006) - Summary

Answer 9

Replicated Zimbardo’s research on the BBC. Findings were very different to Zimbardo’s - the prisoners eventually took control of the guards as they had formed a cohesive group (the guards had not). This challenges Zimbardo’s conclusions about social roles as prisoners refused to accept the limits of their roles.