Conformity to social roles

Question 1

what is a social role

Answer 1

• part we play as members of various social groups accompanied by various social expectations we and others have of what is appropriate behaviours
  eg. parent, child, passenger, student, teacher

Question 2

stanford prison exp aim

Answer 2

investigate how readily people will conform to the role of guard or prisoner in a role playing exercise that simulated prison life

Question 3

stanford prison exp sample

Answer 3

24 male university undergrad students

Question 4

how were the roles of prisoner and guard allocated

Answer 4

randomly

Question 5

stanford prison exp location

Answer 5

basement of stanford prison

Question 6

stanford prison exp duration

Answer 6

2 weeks

Question 7

deindividuation

Answer 7

becoming so immersed in the norms of the group you lose self identity

Question 8

why were the guards and prisoners dressed the way they were

Answer 8

to promote deindividuation

Question 9

where were the prisoners arrested?

Answer 9

at home by the police and then taken to the prison

Question 10

what were the guards instructed

Answer 10

given no specific rules
maintain order
one rule: NO VIOLENCE

Question 11

what were the shifts of the guards and the prisoners

Answer 11

guards:
- 8 hour shifts in groups of 3
prisoners:
- 24 hours a day

Question 12

stanford prison study findings: guard behaviour

Answer 12

within hours of the beginning of the experiment, some guards started to harass prisoners
they behaved in a brutal and sadistic manner apparently enjoying it

Question 13

stanford prison study findings: prison behaviour

Answer 13

the prisoners soon adopted prison like behaviour
some became passive in responce to guard brutality, they talked about prison issues a lot of the time, they snitched on each other to the guards and some sided with the guards against those who didnt follow rules

Question 14

stanford prison study findings: signs of emotional disorder

Answer 14

one prisoner had to leave within 36 hourd because of bursts of screaming, crying and anger
within the next few days, 3 more prisoners had to leave due to showing sings of lasting emotional disorder

Question 15

stanford prison study findings: returning to baseline behaviour

Answer 15

prisoners returned to emotional baseline quicker than the guards

Question 16

when did Zimbardo shut down the study

Answer 16

Zimbardo shut down the study on day 6 due to real danger of someone being physically or mentally damaged if the study continued

Question 17

Stanford prison study AO3: ethical issues

Answer 17

study was given ethical approval in the 70s
lack of informed consent - impossible to give due to not knowing how bad the experiment would get
lack of protection from harm

Question 18

Stanford prison study AO3: culture / gender bias

Answer 18

androcentric - results would be extremely different if run on women
low population validity - sample bias, cannot be generalised, western culture

Question 19

Stanford prison study AO3: lack of ecological validity

Answer 19

not enough like a prison

Question 20

Stanford prison study AO3: control and reliability

Answer 20

:) selection of ppts –> emotional stability test
:) role selection –> random allocation, controls for individual differences
:) random allocation reduces likelihood of EVs

Question 21

Stanford prison study AO3: lack of realism

Answer 21

ppts acting on stereotypes of roles
however, 90% of ppts conversations about prison life suggests realism for ppts - McDermott 2019

Question 22

Stanford prison study AO3: demand characteristics

Answer 22

ppts were paid / knew they were part of the exp
Dave Eschleman

Question 23

Stanford prison study AO3: lack of research support

Answer 23

cannot be run again without breaching some form of ethical guideline

Question 24

Stanford prison study AO3: role of dispositional factors

Answer 24

suggestions that Zimbardo has overlooked role of personality (disposition) and exaggerated the power of the situation