Paper 1 - Social Influence - Topic 1 - Conformity To Social Roles

Question 1

1.3 - What was the aim of Zimbardo’s research?

Answer 1

To understand why prison guards behave brutally - is it due to sadistic personalities or the social role of a prison guard?

Question 2

1.3 - What is the Stanford Prison Experiment?

Answer 2

A study conducted by Zimbardo et al. (1973) in a mock prison to investigate the effects of social roles on behaviour

Question 3

1.3 - How were participants selected for SPE?

Answer 3

21 Emotionally stable male student volunteers were randomly assigned to the roles of prison guard or prisoner

Question 4

1.3 - What uniforms were given to prisoners and guards in the SPE?

Answer 4

Prisoners wore loose smocks and caps, identified by number.
Guards wore uniforms with wooden clubs, handcuffs, and mirror shades

Question 5

1.3 - What is de-individuation in the context of SPE?

Answer 5

The loss of personal identity due to uniform, making participants more likely to conform to their social roles

Question 6

1.3 - What behaviours did the guards exhibit during the SPE?

Answer 6

Guards treated prisoners harshly, used divide-and-rule tactics, and highlighted the powerlessness of prisoners

Question 7

1.3 - What conclusion can be drawn about social roles from the SPE?

Answer 7

Social roles strongly influence behaviour; guards became brutal while prisoners became submissive

Question 8

1.3 - What was a strength of the SPE regarding control?

Answer 8

Zimbardo had control over key variables, ruling out individual personality differences as an explanation for findings

Question 9

1.3 - What was a limitation of the SPE related to realism?

Answer 9

Participants were seen as play-acting rather than genuinely conforming to their roles, based on stereotypes

Question 10

1.3 - What counterpoint exists regarding the realism of the SPE?

Answer 10

Participants behaved as if the prison was real, discussing prison life and believing in their sentences

Question 11

1.3 - What criticism did Fromm (1973) have regarding the SPE

Answer 11

Zimbardo may have exaggerated the power of social roles, as not all guards behaved brutally

Question 12

1.3 - What alternative explanation did Reicher and Haslam (2006) provide for guard behaviour?

Answer 12

They argued that guards had to actively identify with their social roles, rather than conforming naturally