Conformity To Social Roles Content

Question 1

What did the Stanford Prison experiment investigate?

Answer 1

Conformity to social roles: the behaviours expected of an individual who occupies a given social position of status

Question 2

What was Zimbardo’s role in the Stanford Prison experiment?

Answer 2

He was the prison warden, not just the researcher

Question 3

What research method is Stanford Prison Experiment?

Answer 3

Controlled observation

Question 4

How was the Stanford Prison Experiment set up?

Answer 4

Mock prison in the basement of the psychology department at Stanford Uni (Heaney et al 1973)

Question 5

How were volunteers for the SPE acquired?

Answer 5

Through advertisements saying it was a ‘psychological study of prison life’ and they were paid $15 a day

Question 6

How many volunteers wanted to take part in the SPE and how many were ‘healthy’ enough to be chosen?

Answer 6

More than 70 young men assessed, only 24 chosen for the experiment

Question 7

How were the 24 participants of the SPE chosen to be a guard or prisoner?

Answer 7

Random allocation by a coin flip - 12 guards vs 12 prisoners

Question 8

How was the realism of the SPE heightened straight from the start?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

How did the guards underline their roles?

Answer 9

Had their own khaki uniform, with wooden clubs, handcuffs, keys and mirror shades. They were told they had complete power over the prisoners

Question 10

What were the guards ordered NOT to do?

Answer 10

Physically abuse prisoners - pretty much the only constraint

Question 11

Why did the guards wear mirror sunglasses?

Answer 11

To prevent any eye contact

Question 12

How were the prisoners’ routines heavily regulated?

Answer 12

They had 16 rules to follow, which were enforced by the guards who worked in shifts, 3 at a time

Question 13

How did the guards refer to the prisoners?

Answer 13

Never by their names, only their numbers

Question 14

How long did the SPE last before it was terminated and how long was it intended to last?

Answer 14

Only lasted 6 days, was meant to last 14

Question 15

How did the prisoners lose their self-identity from the start?

Answer 15

. Blindfolded
. Strip-searched
. Given a smock (prison clothes) and number

Question 16

What is deindividuation ?

Answer 16

A loss of self-identity, leading to behaviour in ways that is different to the real you

Question 17

How did the guards act in the experiment?

Answer 17

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

Question 18

What was the state of the SPE by 2 days?

Answer 18

The prisoners rebelled against the harsh treatment of the guards:
. Ripped their uniforms
. Shouted and swore at the guards

Question 19

How did the guards react to the ‘prisoner’ rebellion?

Answer 19

. 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

Question 20

What is an example of how the guards harassed the prisoners?

Answer 20

Conducted frequent headcount’s, sometimes in the middle of the night, when the prisoners would stand in line and call out their numbers

Question 21

How did the guards highlight the conformity in social roles?

Answer 21

Enforced the rules as often as possible and punished the smallest problems

Question 22

What happened to the prisoners after the rebellion was put down?

Answer 22

They became subdued, depressed and anxious

Question 23

When did prisoners leave the experiment and why?

Answer 23

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

Question 24

How did the guards treat one of the prisoners particularly awfully?

Answer 24

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

Question 25

How were the participants of the SPE selected from the initial >70 sample size?

Answer 25

A questionnaire was used to determine how psychologically and psychically healthy the volunteers were: included questions such as the individuals history with drugs.

Question 26

What can be said about all the participants of the SPE?

Answer 26

All white, middle class, healthy males

Question 27

What conclusions can be made from the SPE?

Answer 27

. The power of the situation influences behaviour - this is clear as the questionnaire at the beginning meant the participants had all started off psychologically healthy
. The guards, prisoners and researchers all conformed to their roles easily
- even volunteers who had to boredom certain functions such as a ‘prison chaplain’ found themselves behaving as if they were in a real prison