Reicher and Haslam Study

Question 1

What are the aims of Reicher and Haslam (2006)?

Answer 1

• To construct an artificial institution and over a period of 8 days, examine the factors that determine how people respond when a system of inequality is imposed upon them by others

Question 2

What is the contemporary study for social psychology?

Answer 2

Reicher and Haslam

Question 3

What sampling method was used for Richer and Haslam?

Answer 3

• Voluntary

- Advert in several British Newspapers which asked for men to take place in a social science experiment shown on TV

Question 4

How many ppts were there in Reicher and Haslam?

Answer 4

15 men were chosen from 332 after 3 stages of screening

Question 5

How many groups were the ppts put into during Richer and Haslam?

Answer 5

5 groups

3 ppts in each group

Question 6

What were the ppts matched by in their groups? (Reicher and Haslam)

Answer 6

key psychological dimensions (eg authoritarianism and modern racism)

Question 7

How were guards chosen for Reicher and Haslam?

Answer 7

Randomly chose 1 ppts from each group of 3

Question 8

Why were the guards chosen randomly from the ppts? (Reicher and Haslam)

Answer 8

To ensure the guards and prisoners were psychologically similar so any differences that arose could be explained their group position and not individual differences

Question 9

How was data gathered during Reicher and Haslam?

Answer 9

cameras and microphones
daily questionnaires
saliva swabs to measure cortisol levels

Question 10

Was the prison a set or a real prison? (Reicher and Haslam)

Answer 10

It was a purpose-built set

It wasn’t designed to be completely realistic to a prison

Question 11

How were the guard’s status and power shown in Reicher and Haslam?

Answer 11

Good meals, better living conditions, privileges, smart uniform, multiple bases of power (keys to all doors)

Question 12

How was the prisoner’s low status shown during Reicher and Haslam?

Answer 12

bad food, poor conditions, bad uniform, having to follow guards orders, assigned a 3-didgit number for identification, had to shave their heads

Question 13

What were the guards told before the experiment started? (Reicher and Haslam)

Answer 13

Told them their task was to make the prison work and had to come up with the rules but no physical touching.

Told they were specifically chosen due to them being particularly reliable, trustworthy and able to use their initiative.

Question 14

What were the 3 stages of Reicher and Haslam?

Answer 14

Permeability
Legitimacy
Cognitive alternatives

Question 15

What happened during the permeability stage of Reicher and Haslam?

Answer 15

On the first day, all ppts told 1 prisoner would be made a guard on day 3, chosen by the guards.

After the promotion, they were told no one else would be promoted.

Question 16

What happened during the legitimacy stage of Reicher and Haslam?

Answer 16

3 days after the promotion, ppts were told there was no difference between the prisoners and guards but they had to remain in the groups

Question 17

What happened during the cognitive alternatives stage of Reicher and Haslam?

Answer 17

The day after the legitimacy stage, a new prisoner was brought in.
They were specifically chosen due to their background as a trade union official.

Question 18

What were the results of phase 1 of Reicher and Haslam?

Answer 18

Guards didn’t develop a strong group identity
Prisoners didn’t identify as a group till day 3 and were generally unhappy
On day 6, prisoners broke out (masterminded by 3 individuals that became close following day 3)

Question 19

What were the results of phase 2 of Reicher and Haslam?

Answer 19

Ppts decided to become a self-governing commune

The 3 rebellious prisoners plotted to destroy the system and return to old system with them in charge

Met with minimal resistance from prisoners as they though researchers were upset with them due to food mishap

Question 20

Why was Reicher and Haslam stopped on day 8?

Answer 20

The researchers though the new regime would bring direct force and violence.

Question 21

What were the results of social identification (Reicher and Haslam)?

Answer 21

Guard’s scores stayed low

Prisoner’s scores steadily increased compared to guards

Question 22

What were the results of depression (Reicher and Haslam)?

Answer 22

Guard’s score increased over the duration

Prisoner’s scores steadily decreased from day 1

Question 23

What were the conclusions of Reicher and Haslam?

Answer 23

People don’t inevitably conform to the roles they’ve been assigned.

A range of factors determines whether people identify with their role and the social identity of their group.

When groups fail to form a social identity people are more inclined to accept ideals of a different group, even if it goes against their morals. (eg Germany during WW2)

Tyranny arises because of group failure.

Question 24

Weaknesses of Reicher and Haslam

Answer 24

Genralisbailty:

• small sample
• androcentric (but ethical as there could be males and females in the same prison)

Validity:

• ecological validity (not used to being in an artificial environment with strangers)
• social desirability

Question 25

Strengths of Reicher and Haslam

Answer 25

Generalisability:
-Not ethnocentric

Reliability:

• standardised procedure
• multiple types of data

Application:
-Hitler’s rule over Germany

Ethics:
-protection from harm due to medical and psychological checks