P1 Social Influence: Zimbardo: Conformity To Social Roles Flashcards
What are social roles in psychology?
Social roles are patterns of expected behaviour associated with a person in a specific social position or category, such as a teacher, police officer, or prisoner.
What does “identification” mean in the context of social roles?
Identification is when individuals adopt behaviours of a group they value and wish to belong to, providing them with a social identity
What did Zimbardo believe caused aggression in prisons?
Zimbardo believed aggression in prisons was due to situational factors (the prison environment and social roles) rather than dispositional factors (personality traits of guards and prisoners).
What was the main aim of the Stanford Prison Experiment?
The aim of the SPE was to understand how situational factors, specifically social roles, influence individuals’ behaviour in a simulated prison environment.
Zimbardo’s Procedure (Part 1)
How was the Stanford Prison Experiment set up?
24 male students volunteered, were randomly assigned to the roles of guards or prisoners, and were paid $15 a day. Psychological screening ensured participants were healthy.
Zimbardo’s Procedure (Part 2)
What were the tasks for the guards and prisoners in the experiment?
Prisoners were arrested, deloused, and given uniforms. Guards wore uniforms, sunglasses, and carried clubs, and were instructed to manage the prison without harming prisoners.
Findings - Behavioural Changes in Prisoners
How did the prisoners behave in the Stanford Prison Experiment?
Prisoners initially resisted but later showed signs of stress, anxiety, and passivity, with some needing to be released early due to emotional breakdowns.
Findings - Behavioural Changes in Guards
How did the guards behave in the Stanford Prison Experiment?
Guards, empowered by their uniforms and anonymity, became aggressive, displaying sadistic and domineering behaviour towards the prisoners.
Conclusion - Role of Situational Factors
What conclusion did Zimbardo draw from the study?
Zimbardo concluded that situational factors, not personality traits, drove the behaviour of both guards and prisoners, as participants conformed to their assigned social roles.
What is a strength of the Stanford Prison Experiment’s setup?
The experiment was well-controlled, with careful participant selection and random assignment to roles, ensuring that the results were due to social roles, not individual differences.
Strength - Real-World Application
How is the Stanford Prison Experiment relevant to real-life situations?
The insights into how social roles influence behaviour have been used to explain abuse in real prisons and led to better training and oversight in law enforcement settings, such as the military.
Limitation - Ethical Issues
What ethical issues arose in the Stanford Prison Experiment?
Participants suffered significant psychological harm, and the experiment continued despite the extreme distress shown by both guards and prisoners, highlighting the need for stricter ethical controls.
Limitation - Experimenter Bias
What is the problem with Zimbardo’s involvement in the study?
Zimbardo acted as both the lead investigator and prison superintendent, which may have introduced experimenter bias, influencing participants’ behaviour to align with his expectations.
