Social Influence - Conformity: Zimbardo's research Flashcards
Where did the experiments take place?
In the basement of Stanford universities psychology building
How many participants were recruited to take part in the experiment?
24
12 prisoners and 12 guards
How were the participants recruited?
Volunteer sampling
What was the basis of the participants being selected?
That they were in good psychological condition
How were the participants allocated to their roles?
Randomly allocated
How did Zimbardo heighten the realism of the experiment?
The participants who were ‘prisoners’ were blind folded, strip searched, deloused and assigned a uniform and number.
How many rules did the prisoners have to follow?
16
“How were prisoners deindividuated to emphasize their role?”
-Uniform
- Given a number instead of name
How were guards deindividuated to emphasize their role
- Uniform
- Sunglasses to hide their face
How many days did the experiment last and how many days was it meant to last?
It was meant to last 2 weeks and it actually lasted 6 days
How many days did it take for the prisoners to rebel?
2 days
Give an example of how prisoners rebelled.
- Ripped their uniforms and swore and shouted at guards
Give an example of how guards put down the prisoners rebellion
They used ‘divide-and-rule’ tactics, playing the prisoners off against each other, and completing headcounts, sometimes at night
What can we conclude from SPE?
1)Social roles appeared to have a strong influence on individuals’ behaviour in this study
2)Power may corrupt those who wield it i.e. the guards over the prisoners
Institutions may brutalise people and result in deindividuation (for both guards and prisoners)
Strength of SPE : Practical application
Point: The study led to changes in U.S. prison practices to protect vulnerable inmates and improve safety.
Evidence: Such as increased training and oversight in military and law enforcement settings to prevent abuses
Explain: The study highlighted risks for certain inmates, prompting measures like better staff training and monitoring.
Link: This shows the study’s real-world impact on prison policies and inmate safety.
Strength 2 - High control
Point: Random assignment of prisoners and guards increased the study’s internal validity.
Evidence: Zimbardo used random assignment to ensure that any differences in behavior were due to the prison environment, not pre-existing traits.
Explain: This method controlled participant variables and helped ensure that the study measured the impact of the prison setting on behavior.
Link: This strengthened the internal validity, making the study’s findings more reliable.
Weakness 1 - Ethical issues
Point: The study had major ethical issues, causing psychological harm and making it hard for participants to withdraw.
Evidence: One participant had a breakdown after 36 hours, and Zimbardo’s role as superintendent made it difficult to leave.
Explain: Participants experienced severe stress, and the dual role of Zimbardo blurred authority lines. These ethical problems led to stricter guidelines for future psychological research.
Link: Therefore is a issue as zimbardo failed to fulfil the guidelines by not protecting participants from harm and not giving them the right to withdraw
Weakness 2 - Lack of realism
Point: Participants acted based on stereotypes, which undermined the study’s realism.
Evidence: A guard admitted to imitating a brutal character from a film, and critics said the study lacked real prison complexity.
Explain: Actions were more about role-playing than true responses, reducing the study’s validity.
Link: This questions the applicability of the findings to real prison conditions and dynamics.
what are social roles?
the parts individuals act when they belong to a social group e.g. Doctor, lawyer, Grandma etc..
What was the aim of the Zimbardo SPE?
To understand the psychological impact of situational forces
Situational factors
What does the research suggest?
Zimbardo spe
That sutuational factors rather than dispositional (personality traits) can drive behaviour.
As all participants despite being deemed heathly and normal conformed to their assigned social role.
