conformity to social roles Flashcards
aim of the study
investigate how readily people would conform to social roles in a simulated environment and to explore why ‘good people do bad things’
number of ppts
24 American male undergraduate students
location
simulated prison in the basement of the Stanford University psychology building
What roles were participants randomly assigned to
Guard
Prisoner
prisoners uniform
prisoners were only referred to by their assigned number
props given to guards
Handcuffs
Sunglasses
purpose of the guards wearing sunglasses
make eye contact with prisoners impossible and to reinforce the boundaries between the two social roles
what restrictions were placed on leaving the simulated prison
no one was allowed to leave the simulated prison
how long were the shifts for the guards
eight hours
areas prisoners were allowed access to
hallway (acting as their yard) and the toilet
ethical guideline regarding physical violence
no physical violence was permitted
How quickly did identification with roles occur
Identification occurred very fast
what aggressive behaviors did guards exhibit towards prisoners
Guards began to harass and torment prisoners in harsh and aggressive ways
how did guards feel about their new-found power
they reported to have enjoyed doing so and relished in their new-found power and control
behavior prisoners adopted regarding prison issues
would only talk about prison issues
snitch on other prisoners to please the guards
what does the prisoners’ behavior suggest about their perception of the prison
suggests that the prisoners believed the prison was rea
what change occurred in the dynamic between guards and prisoners
Guards became more demanding of obedience while prisoners became more submissive
what does the internalisation of social roles indicate
suggests that the respective social roles became increasingly internalised
real world applications
Abu Gharib prison scandal 2003-04
US soldiers abused prisoners
suggests social roles and situational factors can lead to extreme behaviour
ethical issues
Zimbardo 1973
prisoners experienced psychological distress, one had to leave after 36 hours
lack of protection from harm
lack of realism
- acting based on stereotypes
Banuazizi and Movahedi 1975
ppts played stereotypical roles e.g guards acting tough like in movies
individual differences
zimbardo 1973
not all guards were aggressive
some were kind
conformity to social roles may be based on personality rather than the situation
