Conformity to Social Roles A03

Question 1

What are the five evaluation point for conformity to social roles?

Answer 1

• Control
• Lack of realism
• Lack of realism counter
• Exaggerates power of roles
• Alternative explanations

Question 2

Control of variables (strength)

Answer 2

• control over key variables
• random, assignment to roles increased internal validity
• if prisoner and guard behaviour is dff and roles allocated by chance then must be due to role itself

Question 3

Lack of realism (Limitation)

Answer 3

• ppt play acted according to roles, media derived stereotypes
• on ppt claimed based role on brutal character from film cool hand Luke
• Prisoners thought real prisoners rioted
• Doesn’t explain conformity to social roles in actual prisons

Question 4

Lack of realism (counter)

Answer 4

• evidence that prisoners thought prison was real to them, e.g. 90% of convo about prison
• McDermott
  Suggests study did replicate social roles and gives higher degree of internal validity

Question 5

Exaggerates the power of roles

Answer 5

• 1/3 of ppt were brutal so conclusions exaggerated (Fromm)
• minimised influence of dispositional factors (Personality)