Conformity to social roles

Question 1

What is a social role?

Answer 1

A pattern of behaviour that is expected of a person in a given setting or group.

Question 1

Outline the procedure of the Stanford prison study by Zimbardo (1973).

Answer 1

• A mock prison was set up at Stanford uni.
• Male students randomly assigned to play role of prisoner or guard.
• prisoners wore smock uniform and assigned ID no, reffered to.
• guards given uniforms,clubs and whistles and wore reflective sunglasses.
• arrested at home by real police.
• study planned to last 2 weeks.

Question 2

Outline the findings of the Stanford prison study by Zimbardo (1973).

Answer 2

• The guards grew increasingly tyrannical and abusive towards prisoners and made them carry out degrading activities.
• prisoners and guards conformed to roles even when they were unaware of being watched.
• 5 prisoners released early because of extreme reactions.
• study ended after 6 days due to interventionn of Christins Maslach.

Question 3

A03- Conformity to roles is not automatic Haslam and Reicher (2012)

Answer 3

P- H+R challenged Z belief that the guard’s behaviour was simply a concequence of embracing their role.
E- Pointed out, although some of guards behaved sadistically towards prisoners, others ‘good guards’ who didn’t degrade/harass.
L- This shows that guards choose how to behave, rather blindly conforming to social roles as suggested by Z.

Question 4

A03- Study suffered problem of demand characteristics Banuazizi and Movahedi (1975)

Answer 4

P- B+M claimed ppts acted the way they did as they guessed how researchers wanted them to behave.
E- presented details of study to a large sample of students, the vast majority guessed purpose and predicted guards would act in hostile way, domineering way and prisoners in a hostile way.
L- Suggests behaviour less to do conformity to social roles and more to do with demand characteristics of artificial situation.

Question 5

A03- Z study regarded as unethical.
Link to R+H

Answer 5

P- Despite Z followed stanford uni ethical guidelines, ppts suffered distress.
E- Z acknowledged study should have been stopped earlier. However, debriefing sessions over years found no lasting neg effects due to participation.
L- R+H reacted to issue and took greater steps to min potential harm for their ppts. BBC study testing not harmful.

Question 6

A03 PLUS - RWA Stanford prison experiment can explain events at Abu Ghraib

Answer 6

P- Z argues conformity to social roles effect can explain abuse of iraqui prisoners by US military personnel ay Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
E- Z beleives guards commited these absuses victim of situational factors ( lack of training/ accountability to higher authority) present in his study and at Abu Ghraib.
L- He concludes these factors combined with opp to misuse power associated with role led guards to abuse prisoners in both situ.