Social Influence : Zimbardo Flashcards
Social role
Behaviours expected of an individual who occupies a social position or status
What was Zimbardo’s aim?
To investigate how readily people would conform to the roles they’re given due to stereotypes and to see whether conformity was down to dispositional factors or situational factors
What was Zimbardo’s procedure?
• converted a basement of Stanford Uni psychology building into a mock prison (lab experiment)
•24 of the 75 who responded to the newspaper ad took part and were given $15 a day
• all were given diagnostic tests and personality interviews to eliminate those this psychological problems, medical disabilities and a history with crime/ drug abuse
• prisoners treated like ready prisoners
• arrested in own home, printer printed, booked, given ball and chain, stripped naked, devoured, personal belongings taken and only referred to by number
• guards were told to wherever they thought necessary to maintain law and order (no physical violence)
• all wore green khaki and dark sunglasses
• Zimbardo observed as a prison warden
What were Zimbardo’s key findings?
• Prisoners behaviours got out of hand quickly and guards punished them by taking away privileges (sleep, food, bedding)
• prisoners became subdued, depressed and anxious
• experiment ended after 6 days vs the 2 weeks it was planned to run
What was Zimbardo’s conclusion?
People will readily conform to social roles they’re expected to play, especially is roles are strongly stereotyped. The results support the situational theory.
Deindividuation
A state where you become so emerged in the norms of the group you lose your sense of identity (explains actions of guards)
Learned helplessness
Prisoners learnt that whatever they did he little effect of what happened to them and the unpredictable nature of the guards ;ed the prisoners to guide up responding (explains prisoners behaviour)
Social identity theory (SIT)
Our self identity is based on our membership in social groups
