Conformity To Social Roles Content Flashcards
What did the Stanford Prison experiment investigate?
Conformity to social roles: the behaviours expected of an individual who occupies a given social position of status
What was Zimbardo’s role in the Stanford Prison experiment?
He was the prison warden, not just the researcher
What research method is Stanford Prison Experiment?
Controlled observation
How was the Stanford Prison Experiment set up?
Mock prison in the basement of the psychology department at Stanford Uni (Heaney et al 1973)
How were volunteers for the SPE acquired?
Through advertisements saying it was a ‘psychological study of prison life’ and they were paid $15 a day
How many volunteers wanted to take part in the SPE and how many were ‘healthy’ enough to be chosen?
More than 70 young men assessed, only 24 chosen for the experiment
How were the 24 participants of the SPE chosen to be a guard or prisoner?
Random allocation by a coin flip - 12 guards vs 12 prisoners
How was the realism of the SPE heightened straight from the start?
The ‘prisoners’ were arrested in their homes by the local police and taken to the ‘prison.’ They were blindfolded, strip-searched, deloused and issued a uniform and a number
How did the guards underline their roles?
Had their own khaki uniform, with wooden clubs, handcuffs, keys and mirror shades. They were told they had complete power over the prisoners
What were the guards ordered NOT to do?
Physically abuse prisoners - pretty much the only constraint
Why did the guards wear mirror sunglasses?
To prevent any eye contact
How were the prisoners’ routines heavily regulated?
They had 16 rules to follow, which were enforced by the guards who worked in shifts, 3 at a time
How did the guards refer to the prisoners?
Never by their names, only their numbers
How long did the SPE last before it was terminated and how long was it intended to last?
Only lasted 6 days, was meant to last 14
How did the prisoners lose their self-identity from the start?
. Blindfolded
. Strip-searched
. Given a smock (prison clothes) and number
What is deindividuation ?
A loss of self-identity, leading to behaviour in ways that is different to the real you
How did the guards act in the experiment?
Had a slow start, laughed at by the prisoners who thought it was a bit of a joke, but the guards then quickly conformed with enthusiasm to their roles
What was the state of the SPE by 2 days?
The prisoners rebelled against the harsh treatment of the guards:
. Ripped their uniforms
. Shouted and swore at the guards
How did the guards react to the ‘prisoner’ rebellion?
. Used fire extinguishers on the prisoners
. Used ‘divide and rule tactics’ by playing the prisoners off against each other
. Constantly harassed the prisoners to remind them they were constantly being monitored
What is an example of how the guards harassed the prisoners?
Conducted frequent headcount’s, sometimes in the middle of the night, when the prisoners would stand in line and call out their numbers
How did the guards highlight the conformity in social roles?
Enforced the rules as often as possible and punished the smallest problems
What happened to the prisoners after the rebellion was put down?
They became subdued, depressed and anxious
When did prisoners leave the experiment and why?
One was released on the first day as he showed signs of genuine psychological disturbances
Two more released on the fourth day for similar reasons
How did the guards treat one of the prisoners particularly awfully?
One of the prisoners went on hunger strike. The guards attempted to ‘forced-feed’ him and punished him by putting him in ‘the hole’ - a small dark closet
Instead of being considered a hero by the prisoners, he was shunned upon
