Social Roles

Question 1

Who investigated social roles?

Answer 1

Zimbardo in the Stanford Prison Experiment

Question 2

What was Zimbardo’s procedure?

Answer 2

• 21 male student volunteers, given $15 a day
• Randomly assigned to the role of the guard or prisoner
• Prisoners made to wear loose smocks and caps to cover hair. - - Identified by numbers (creates a loss of person identity (de-individuation)).
• Prisoners spent 23 hours a day in their cell
• Guards were given uniform with wooden club, handcuffs and mirror shades
• Participants encouraged to conform to social roles through uniforms and instructions

Question 3

What were Zimbardo’s findings?

Answer 3

• Guards treated prisoners harshly
• By day 2 the prisoners had rebelled against the guards
• Guards used punishment and harassment such as doing head counts at night
• One prisoner was released as he shows signs of psychological disturbance
• By day 4 a prisoner had gone on a hunger strike and was punished by being shut into a tiny room and not let out
• Experiment ended on day 6 instead of day 14 as it was out of hand

Question 4

What was Zimbardo’s conclusions?

Answer 4

Social roles have a strong influence on a person’s
behaviour. Guards became brutal, prisoners became
submissive.