psychology : evaluation - conformity to social roles : zimbardo's research

Question 1

what was the strength of SPE ?

Answer 1

• zimbardo had control over key variables

Question 2

what did he do to control the key variables ?

Answer 2

• the selection of participants
  –> made sure emotionally stable individuals were chosen and randomly assigned to the roles of guard and prisoners

Question 3

why was the control of the key variable important ?

Answer 3

• as the researcher tried to rule out individual personality differences as an explanation for the findings
  –> if the guards and prisoners behaved very differently , but were in those roles only by chance, then their behaviour must have been due to the pressures of the situation

Question 4

what does this overall suggest ?

Answer 4

• that they have control over the variables is a strength because it increases the internal validity of the study
  —> so we can be much more confident in drawing conclusions about the influence of roles on behaviour

Question 5

what was a major limitation of the SPE ?

Answer 5

• the fact that it breached many ethical guidelines , such as protection from harm and right to withdraw

Question 6

what is an example of where Zimbardo carried out the limitation ?

Answer 6

• on one occasion a student spoke to Zimbardo and asked if he could leave the study

Question 7

what did Zimbardo carry out ?

Answer 7

• due to Zimbardo’s dual roles within the experiment, he responded to the request like a prison superintendent would respond to a prisoner
  –> denying the request and thereby subjecting the participant to further psychological harm

Question 8

what does the limitation Zimbardo carries out overall suggest ?

Answer 8

• Zimbardo was also conforming to the social roles of prison superintendent
  –> he wasn’t able to fulfill his main ethical responsibility –> which should have been for the welfare of his participants
  –> making this a clear limitation of the research

Question 9

what was another limitation of Zimabrdo’s SPE ? (F)

Answer 9

fromm 1973 accused Zimbardo of exaggerating the power of the situation to influence behaviour –> minimising the role of behaviour

Question 10

what does Fromm mean by that ?

Answer 10

• in Zimbardo’s original experiment the behaviour of the guards varied dramatically

Question 11

how do the guards act ?

Answer 11

• there was extremely sadistic behaviour displayed around 1/3 of the participants in that role , but also a few guards who actually helped the prisoners by offering support , sympathy , offering them cigarettes and reinstating any privileges lost

Question 12

what does Fromm’s point overall suggest ?

Answer 12

• that situational factors aren’t the only cause of conformity to social roles and dispositional factors such as personality also play a role
  –> implying that Zimbardo’s conclusion could have been overstated