Conformity to Social Roles

Question 1

What was the aim of the Stanford Prison study?

Answer 1

To examine whether people would conform to the social roles of a prison guard or prisoner, when placed in a mock prison environment

Question 1

Stanford Prison experiment procedure

Answer 1

A mock prison was set up with 24 psychologically screened (mentally stable) Stanford students playing either prisoner or guard. They were unexpectedly arrested at home and deloused. The study was meant to last 2 weeks

Question 2

Stanford Prison study findings

Answer 2

Guards were increasingly tyrannical. They woke prisoners at night and made them clean toilets with their bare hands. Participants seemed to forget that it was a study. 5 prisoners had to be released early. Study terminated after 6 days

Question 3

Reicher and Haslam (2006) procedure

Answer 3

Same as Stanford Prison but in the UK. 15 male participants separated into 5 groups of 3, matched with personality. 1 from each group was chosen to be a guard. Study was run for 8 days

Question 3

Reicher and Haslam (2006) findings

Answer 3

Prisoners increasingly identified as a group and challenged the authority, and guards didn’t fully identify with their role. a more egalitarian system was set up

Question 4

Conformity to roles is not automatic

Answer 4

Haslam and Reicher later challenged Zimbardo’s idea that guards became increasingly sadistic as they got into their roles as some of his guards were also good. Shows guards chose how to behave rather than blindly conforms to their role

Question 5

Ethics of the prison studies is questionable

Answer 5

Whilst the study was clearly not ethical and should’ve been stopped sooner, Zimbardo offered debriefing sessions for some time after the study ended. Ethics was still a huge issue in the study