Conformity to social roles: Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment

Question 1

Conformity to social roles: Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment
Procedure

Answer 1

└Zimbardo set up mock prison in Stanford University psychology basement (Haney et al 1973)
└students volunteered- emotionally stable participants selected
└randomly assigned: prisoners/guards
└prisoners- arrested, strip searched, deloused, uniform, number, rules
└guards: uniform (handcuffs, keys, shades), power over prisoners

Question 2

Conformity to social roles: Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment
Findings

Answer 2

└study stopped at 6/14 days- guards behaviour threat to prisoners psychological and physical health
└rebellion on day 2
└harassed prisoners, punished for small misdemeanours
└releases: 1 on first day, 2 on fourth day
└prisoner on hunger strike in ‘the hole’

Question 3

Conformity to social roles: Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment
Conclusions

Answer 3

└guards+ prisoners conformed to roles in prison

Question 4

Who investigated Conformity to social roles

Answer 4

Zimbardo

Question 5

Zimbardo’s research into Conformity to social roles
Strengths
Summary

Answer 5

Control

Realism

Question 6

Zimbardo’s research into Conformity to social roles
Strengths
Control

Answer 6

└participant selection
└emotionally stable chosen and randomly assigned to roles
└reduce individual differences
└increase internal validity

Question 7

Zimbardo’s research into Conformity to social roles
Strengths
Realism

Answer 7

└quantitative data- 90% of prisoners conversations about prison life
└prisoner 416- prison run by psychologists not government
└increase internal validity

Question 8

Zimbardo’s research into Conformity to social roles
Limitations
Summary

Answer 8

• Lack of realism- Banuazizi and Mohavedi (1975), stereotypes
• Role of dispositional influences- Fromm (1973), Zimbardo (2007)
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• Ethical issues, psychological harm

Question 9

Zimbardo’s research into Conformity to social roles
Limitations
Lack of realism

Answer 9

└Banuazizi and Mohavedi (1975)
└participants acting not conforming- stereotypes
└e.g. guard based character on guard from Cool Hand Luke
└decrease internal validity

Question 10

Zimbardo’s research into Conformity to social roles
Limitations
Role of dispositional influences

Answer 10

└Fromm (1973)
└accused Zimbardo of exaggerating the power of the situation to influence behaviours, and minimising the role of dispositional influences (personality)
└e.g. a minority of guards behaved brutally a third, the other thirds applied rules fairly or sympathised with and tried to help the prisoners (offered them cigarettes e.g.) Zimbardo (2007)

Question 11

Zimbardo’s research into Conformity to social roles
Limitations
Ethical issues

Answer 11

└Zimbardos dual role- researcher/superintendent
└e.g. when student wanted to leave
└psychological harm