Haney (topic 6 effects of imprisonment (social) Flashcards
Background
Psychologists suggested shocking conditions of American Penal system and its dehumanising effects on prisoners and guards was due to nature of people in prisons
dispositional hypothesis
Proposes both prisoners and guards have personalities making conflict inevitable.
Prisoners lack respect for law and order.
Guards have to be domineering and physically forceful to control aggressive inmates.
Haney’s claim on the dispositional hypothesis
Claimed that hypothesis could not be studied in existing prison settings ‘because such naturalistic observation necessarily confounds the acute effects of the environment with chronic characteristics of inmate and guard populations’
What must be done to support the dispositional hypothesis
Must separate effects of prison environment from dispositions of those who are in prison, if behaviour in mock prison is not aggressive, this supports dispositional hypothesis.
Not support dispositional hypothesis if…
If same behaviour shown by ‘normal’ individuals then environment is clearly influencing behaviour.
AIM
To investigate effects of a prison environment on group of students, and to see if roles randomly assigned to play would influence behaviour.
Also investigates possible effects of imprisonment and possibilities for prison reform (changing/improving behaviour)
Method
Lab experiment, designed like a real prison as much as possible.
Independent measures design.
Design of the ‘prison’
35 ft section of basement of psychology building in University of Stanford.
3 small cells (6x9ft)
Prison yard.
Small closet for solitary confinement.
Adjacent wing had guard quarters, bedroom for ‘warden’ and ‘superintendent’
And interview room.
Sample
22 males.
24 in total-2 on stand-by.
All college students.
Mainly white & middle class.
Did not know each other.
Randomly allocated role by flipping coin.
Chosen from 75 who answered newspaper ad asking for male volunteers to take part in psychological study of ‘prison life’ for $15 a day for up to 2 weeks.
One ps withdrew before start of study- standbys were not called.
How they filtered out the sample from the 75 who responded
Questionnaires completed, 24 considered most physically and mentally stable, most mature, least involved in anti-social behaviours were chosen.
How many prisoners and guards were there?
(IV)
10 prisoners
11 guards
DV
Their behaviour in the ‘prison’ which was observed from behind an observation screen.
Procedure
Prisoners remained in prison 24hrs a day.
Guards worked 3-man 8 hr shifts going home in between.
All paid $15 a day.
Prisoners agreed some of their human rights would be suspended.
Once all in their cells, were greeted by warden (research assistant) who read them prison rules.
Allowed 3 bland meals, 3 supervised toilet visits, 2 hours for reading or letter writing a day, work assignments were issued, 2 visits a week, movie rights and exercise periods also allowed, 3 times a day lined up for a count.
What happened to prisoners a day before the study started
Palo Alto City Police dept helped by unexpectedly arresting ‘prisoners’ from their homes day before study due to start.
Charged on suspicion of burglary or armed robbery, handcuffed and taken off in police car.
Fingerprinted and put in detention cell at station, blindfolded and taken to mock prison.
Stripped, deloused, given uniform, had ID photo taken, put in cell and ordered to remain silent.
What guards did prior to study
Attended orientation meeting where met Zimbardo (one of authors) who played ‘superintendent’ role, and research assistant ‘warden’ role.
They were not told how to behave, only to maintain ‘reasonable degree of order for effective functioning’ without using physical punishment or physical aggression.
To help guards get into their roles they assisted in the final stages of completing prison complex.
Uniforms
Identical uniforms given to create anonymity.
Prisoners= loose fitting muslin smocks with ID number, nylon stocking cap, no underwear, rubber sandals, light lock and chain around one ankle.
Washing equipment and bed linen was also provided.
Guards= plain khaki shirts and trousers, reflective sunglasses, given wooden bat and whistle.
RESULTS
Terminated after 6 days, meant to be 2 weeks.
Pathological reactions of ps.
Interactions between guards and prisoners became increasingly negative, hostile, affrontive and dehumanising.
Almost from start prisoners adopted generally passive role, guards took very active, initiative role.
Indirect aggressive behaviour frequently shown by guards, verbal insults common.
5 prisoners released early due to ‘depression, crying, rage and acute anxiety’.
When ended early, remaining prisoners delighted, most of guards seemed distressed by decision and reluctant to give up roles.
No guards were ever late for shift, many occasions some remained on duty overtime unpaid.
-One guard reported upset by seeing suffering of prisoners, considered changing his role but did not happen.
Some guards were creative in their cruelty and harassment, few were passive and rarely sought control over prisoners.
90% prisoner conversations were about prison life, only 10% about outside lives.
In breaks guards usually discussed prisoners/prison.
Post experimental data
Showed harassment greater when out of range of recording equipment.
Video analysis showed daily escalation in aggression toward prisoners, even after stopped resisting and deterioration was clear.
One guard kept prisoner in solitary confinement all night; against rules, attempted to conceal from experimenters.
When guards questioned of their behaviour, said ‘just playing the role’ of tough guard, although none ever doubted validity of prisoners’ emotional response.
Prisoners referred to selves by prison number not name.
3/5 said would forfeit all money earned if they were to be paroled and all 5 prisoners got up quietly and were escorted by guard back to cell to await parole board’s decision.
Post experimental data: Prisoner & Guard behaviour
Went from disbelief to being rebellious, once rebellion failed, half became ‘sick’ as a passive way of demanding attention & help.
Other half excessively obedient trying to be ‘good’.
Negativity shown through depression/obedience known as ‘pathological prisoner syndrome’ due to loss of personal identity, arbitrary control showed from guards, feelings of dependency and emasculation.
Guards showed ‘pathology of power’ enjoying and misusing their power. Shown by increasingly extreme sanctions, punishment and demands made on prisoners, rights became privileges; sleeping, eating and going toilet became rewards.
Pathological prisoners syndrome
Negativity shown by prisoners through depression, anxiety, crying, or excessive obedience due to loss of personal identity, arbitrary control shown by guards and feelings of dependency and emasculation.
Pathology of power
Most guards seemed to enjoy and misuse their positions of power and control, became increasingly hostile (sanctions, punishments and demands on prisoners). e.g eating and sleeping
Rights became privileges, despite corresponding intensification in prisoner distress.
Conclusions
Confinement to a prison environment can negatively affect prisoners and guards and the interpersonal processes between them.
Pathological prisoner syndrome & pathology of power will develop in the two groups.
‘normal people’ can play given roles to extremes, but there are individual differences in ways people cope in such novel situations.
Haney concluded imprisonment does not ‘fit the crime’ for most prisoners; in fact exceeds it.
They suggest prison environment locks guards and prisoners into dynamic, symbiotic relationship which is destructive to human nature of both groups.
Usefulness
Extremely useful for understanding effects of imprisonment.
In 1970s America purpose of prison was to punish offenders, therefore guards behaved brutally towards prisoners to conform to role of guard, while conditions such as guards wearing sunglasses and prisoners being given ID numbers created sense of deindividuation, promoted brutality further.
Recently rehab programmes have become alternative with goal to reduce reoffending, rather than to punish.
Validity
Experiment took place in basement of Stanford Uni, mock prison.
Question ecological validity, argue ps only behaved as they did because experiment required them to do so.
Max sentence of 2 weeks and absence of other negative aspects of prison life made unrealistic.
However experiment was true to life as possible with prisoners being arrested at home.
High levels of control in selection of ps and random allocation of roles, although group of ‘normal’ american students is hardly generalisable to wider population.
Ethical considerations
Can be heavily criticised on ethical grounds from embarrassment and lack of consent being unexpectedly arrested at home to high levels of psychological harm which led to study being terminated early.
However study approved by ethics committees and was terminated early for wellbeing of ps.
Individual and group debriefs were given and ps were regularly monitored after study.
