Conformity to social roles - Evaluation Flashcards
1
Q
What are strengths of SPE?
A
- Zimbardo and colleagues had control over variables
> selected emotionally stable participants
> randomly assigned groups (rule out individual personality differences) - Guards and prisoners acting different in randomly assigned roles = behavior due to situation pressure
- control increased internal validity
- confidence in concluding the influence of roles on behavior
- Zimbardo argued that prison was very real to participants
> quantitative data found that 90% of conservation about prison life
2
Q
What psychologists critique SPE?
A
Banuazizi and Mohavedi
Fromm
BBC
3
Q
What did Banuazizi and Mohavedi say?
A
Participants were playacting, not genuine conformity
- performances were based on stereotypes of how prisoners and guards were supposed to act
- One guard committed to basing his role on a brutal character from ‘cool hand luke’
- explains why prisoners noted as they thought that’s what real prisoners did
4
Q
What did Fromm say?
A
- accused Zimbardo of exaggerating the power of the situation
> minimized the role of personality factors - Only 1/3 of the guards acted in a brutal manner
- 1/3 were keen on applying rules fairly
- rest actively tried to help prisoners by offering cigs or reinstating privileges
- suggest Zimbardo conclusion may be over stated
- differences in guards behavior = able to exercise right and wrong choices despite situation pressure
5
Q
What did BBC do?
A
- different findings, prisoners took control and subjected the guards harassment and disobedience
- social identity theory, guards failed to develop a shared social identity
- prisoners actively identified as mentors of a social group, refusal to accept limits of assigned prisoner roles
6
Q
What are ethical issues for SPE?
A
- one participant wanted to leave, went to speak to Zimbardo, conversation based on the basis that he was a prisoner, not a participant
