Conformity to social roles Flashcards
Where did Zimbardo conduct his study?
The basement of Stanford University’s psychology department
How long was Zimbardo’s study supposed to last?
2 weeks
What was Zimbardo’s role in his study?
Prison superintendent
How many participants were in Zimbardo’s study?
24
Who were Zimbardo’s participants?
American male undergraduates
How were Zimbardo’s participants screened?
Physically and mentally
How were Zimbardo’s participants assigned their roles?
Randomly
What were Zimbardo’s ‘guards’ provided with?
Mirrored sunglasses, uniforms, clubs + whistles
What were Zimbardo’s ‘prisoners’ provided with?
Numbers and uniforms
What did Zimbardo observe about the ‘guards’ behaviour?
They became increasingly abusive and tyrannical over the first few days
Give an example of the tyrannical behaviour displayed by Zimbardo’s ‘guards’
They woke prisons + made them clean toilets with their bare hands
What observed behaviour suggested that Zimbardo’s participants forgot it was a study?
They continued to act like their roles even when unaware they were being watched
How many of Zimbardo’s participants had to be let go early?
5
How long did Zimbardo’s study actually last?
6 days
What concepts do Zimbardo’s findings support?
Identification + conformity to social roles
What are the 4 AO3 points of conformity to social roles?
1) Unethical
2) RWA to Abu Ghraib
3) Demand characteristics
4) Methodological issues
What were the 2 main ethical issues with Zimbardo’s study?
Lack of informed consent + not protected from psychological harm
How did Zimbardo attempt to neutralise the psychological effects of his study?
He conducted debriefing sessions for years after the experience + concluded there were no long term effects
Why can Zimbardo’s study be classed as ethical?
It was in line with Stanford University ethical guidelines + approved by the psychology committee
Which real world situation can Zimbardo’s findings be applied to?
Abu Ghraib
What was Abu Ghraib?
A military prison
What was Abu Ghraib notorious for?
The torture + abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of US soldiers
Give 2 example of the torture that occurred in Abu Ghraib?
Prisoners were subjected to soldiers pouring acid on them + urinating on them
What 3 factors did Zimbardo suggests were the cause of the US soldiers behaviour in Abu Ghraib?
lack of training, boredom + no accountability
What did one study find that suggests Zimbardo’s participants may have responded to demand characteristics?
The details of the SPE were presented to a large sample of students + the vast majority correctly guessed the aim of the study
What type of human behaviour reactivity may have been present in Zimbardo’s study?
Hawthorne effect
What did one guard admit to basing his behaviour?
A film called ‘Cool Hand Luke’ where a prison guard acted tyrannically
What is the issue with Zimbardo’s sample?
Entirely male + American - findings cannot and should not be generalised to other genders and cultures
Why may Zimbardo’s findings not generalise to collectivist cultures?
As they may be more conformist to prescribed social roles due to emphasis of the importance of group needs
