Conformity to social roles shown by Zimbardo

Question 1

Conformity to social roles: explanation

Answer 1

-Each social situation has its own social norms - expected way to behave
- Learn how behave by looking at social roles then conforming
-Identification, public and private acceptance

Question 2

Zimbardo experiment: aims+procedure (V-Rapid-Z)

Answer 2

Whether people would conform to the social roles of a prison guard or prisoner, when placed in a mock prison environment, and whether their behaviour was dispositional or situational

V – Volunteers: 21 male university students volunteered via a newspaper advert
R – Random allocation: Assigned randomly to prisoner or guard roles
A – Arrested: Prisoners were arrested by real police (Palo Alto PD)
P – Prison setup: Basement of Stanford Uni turned into mock prison
I – ID numbers: Prisoners were given ID numbers, and guards+prisoners uniforms -> deindividuation
D – Diseased?: all volunteers were physically and psychologically healthy
Z – Zimbardo: Acted as prison warden, actively involved in the study - constant observation video/audio recording

Question 3

Zimbardo experiment: findings and conclusion

Answer 3

-Quick identification with social roles from both groups- guards asserted their dominance over the prisoners and prisoners became submissive (limited interactions that usually hostile)
-Individual differences- some prisoners rebelled others passive
-5 prisoners released early due to extreme distress (crying,anxiety,rage)
-Terminated after 6 days instead of 2 weeks

Conclusion: people quickly conform to social roles, even when the role goes against their moral principles. Situational factors were largely responsible for the behaviour found, as none of the participants had ever demonstrated these behaviours previously.

Question 4

Zimbardo experiment:evaluation: Strength 1

Answer 4

PARTICIPANTS TRULY CONFORMED 90% of prisoners’ observed private conversations were on prison conditions, only 10% about life outside of the prison

Question 5

Zimbardo experiment:evaluation: Strength 2

Answer 5

REAL LIFE APPLICATIONS Zimbardo hoped through the study to highlight flaws of American prison systems and promote possible prison reforms (didn’t end up happening)

Question 6

Zimbardo experiment:evaluation: Limitation 1

Answer 6

RESEARCHER BIAS Zimbardo took part in the experiment as prison warden

Question 7

Zimbardo experiment:evaluation: Limitation 2

Answer 7

UNETHICAL no protection from harm, 5 of the prisoners left the experiment early physical and mental torment, lack of informed consent (arrested from homes without warning)