Social Influence- Zimbardo, Conformity To Social Roles

Question 1

What did Zimbardo investigate?

Answer 1

If the reason for high levels of aggression observed in American prisons was due to the prisoners and guards dispositions (personalities) OR the situation of the prison environment itself

Question 2

Describe the selection process in Stanford Prison Experiment by Zimbardo

3 key things

Answer 2

1= created fake prison in the basement of Stanfod uni
2= 21 male students rated as moist ohsycially and mentally stable chosen from 75 volunteers whi responded to newspaper advert
3=random selections of 10 guards and 11 prisoners

Question 3

what tactics were used to increase mundane realism in Zimbardo’s Stanford Experiment

Answer 3

=Prisoners given realistic arrest by local police, fingerprinted, stripped and deloused

=given a prison uniform & no. in an attempt to dehumanise

=had to follow strict rules during day

=guards had complete control % given a uniform, clubs, handcuffs and sunglasses to avoid eye contact

Question 4

What were the behaviours + conformity of prisons and guards like?

Answer 4

Ps & Gs conformed to their social roles quickly
-in 2 days the prisoners revolted against poor treatment by the guards
-in 6 days the experiment was cancelled early due to fears for the prisoners mental health

Question 5

Everyone involved in the experiment

Answer 5

conformed to their social roles w/in the prison showing the situational power of the prison environment to change behaviour

Question 6

Give a study which can be used for evaluation

Answer 6

Reicher & Haslam (2011)

Question 7

Is Reicher & Haslam (2011) evaluative study critical or supportive?

Answer 7

Critical

Question 8

Reicher & Haslam (2011)

Answer 8

-attempted recreation for BBC
-However, in this situation the prisoners become more dominant over the guards and become disobedient to the guards who were unable to control their behaviour

Question 9

Statistical evaluation point for Zimbardo’s experiment

Answer 9

Zimbardo used his study to argue that the prison situation causes guard to become aggressive, however only 1/3 of the participant guards were excessively aggressive

Question 10

Evaluation point about Zimbardo real-life application

Answer 10

Futile and failure

-despite Z’s findings, American prisons, remain places of excessive violence on the part of both Ps and Gs

Question 11

criticalExtra evaluation point

Answer 11

Ps &Gs may have been acting in stereotypes not actually conforming to social roles

EVIDENCE
-Ps & Gs may be imitating depictions of P+Gs they had seen in the media

SUCH AS FILM at the time called ‘COOL HAND LUKE’, showing controlling and aggressive guards