conformity to social roles - zimbardo

Question 1

outline the procedure of zimbardo’s study

Answer 1

• basement of Stanford University psychology building was converted into a simulated prison
• volunteers were paid to take part + were randomly issued one of two roles of guard or prisoner
• prisoners were only referred to by their assigned number
• guards were given props e.g. handcuffs, sunglasses (reflective to eliminate eye contact + reinforce boundary)
• no one was allowed to leave the simulated prison, guards worked 8 hour shifts and other remained on call
• prisoners were only allowed in the hallway and to the toilet, guards were allowed to control this
• no physical violence was permitted

Question 2

outline the findings of zimbardo’s study

Answer 2

• identification occurred fast for both roles
• guards began to harass in harsh ways
• prisoners would only talk about prison issues + would snitch to please the guards -> suggests that the prisoners believed the prison was real and weren’t acting due to demand characteristics
• guards became more demanding of obedience and assertiveness while prisoners became more submissive -> suggests that the roles became increasingly internalised

Question 3

what are some strengths of zimbardo’s study

Answer 3

• real life application = changed the way US prisons are run e.g. young prisoners are no longer kept with adult prisoners to prevent bad behaviour from perpetuating
• debriefing = Ps were fully debriefed about the aims and results - this counteracts the deception used and lack of informed consent -> makes it more ethical but doesn’t effect the validity of the findings
• practical application = ethical issues led to formal recognition of ethical guidelines therefore ensuring future studies wee safer

Question 4

what are some weaknesses of zimbardo’s study

Answer 4

• lacks internal validity = suffered from demand characteristics e.g. Ps knew they were participating in a study + therefore may have changed their behaviour, qualitative data acquired from 1 P said he based his performance from the stereotypical guard role portrayed in the film ‘cool hand luke’ - further reducing the validity of the findings
• lacks population validity = androcentric and ethnocentric (american) therefore cannot be generalised to other genders and cultures
• ethical issues = lack of informed consent however zimbardo didnt even know what would happen so this is maybe justified, psychological harm as they weren’t protected from stress