Social Roles Flashcards
What are social roles?
Social roles are the different roles someone will play within society
What is deindividuation?
Losing our individuality and self-awareness in a group, leading to a change in behaviour
What factors lead to deindividuation?
Anonymity- Clothing that will make the group the same. Masks, uniforms, etc. Makes you feel invisible/blends in to the group so you feel less responsible for your behaviour
Group size- Larger group size means you will blend in so you feel less responsible for the behaviours you portray
What can deindividuation lead to?
Anti-social behaviour- Behaviour that is unkind and causes distress to others
Pro-social behaviour- Behaviour that is kind and caring, that it will benefit others
What experiment is linked to the conformity of social roles?
Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment
What is the aim of the Stanford Prison Experiment?
To investigate how freely people would conform to the roles of guards and prisoners in a role-playing exercise that re-created prison life
What is the sample of the Stanford Prison Experiment?
A volunteer sample of 24 ‘emotionally stable’ US male university students
What is the procedure of the Stanford Prison Experiment?
- Volunteers were randomly allocated to the role of prisoner or guard
- Prisoners- arrested in their homes, taken to the prison, searched, deloused and dressed in smock uniforms. They were referred to by numbers rather than by name
- Guards- given uniforms, a ‘nightstick’ and mirrored glasses. They were instructed to keep the prisoners under control but no physical violence
- These uniforms created a loss of personal identity encouraging participants to conform to their social roles
- The basement of the Psychology Department at Stanford University was converted into a mock prison
- Prisoners were placed in cells and a regular routine of shifts, meal times, etc was established, as well as visiting times, a parole and disciplinary board and a prison chaplain. Zimbardo took the role of Prison Superintendent. If a ‘prisoner’ wanted to leave, they had to go through a parole process
What are the findings of the Stanford Prison Experiment?
- Within a day the prisoners rebelled and ripped off their numbers, the guards responded by locking them in their cells and confiscating their blankets
- As the experiment continued the punishments by the guards escalated. Prisoners were humiliated and deprived of sleep by the guards conducting headcounts
- Identification was noticeable by prisoners referring to each other and themselves by their prison numbers instead of their names
- The prisoners rapidly became subdued and depressed with some showing serious stress-related reactions to the experience. 3 prisoners were released early due to showing symptoms of psychological disturbance
- The role-play had been intended to run for 2 weeks but was called off after 6 days
What did Zimbardo conclude from the Stanford Prison Experiment?
- Guards, prisoners and researchers conformed to their social roles within the prison
- Social roles have an extraordinary power over individuals, making even the most well-adjusted capable of extreme brutality towards others
What are the strengths of the Stanford Prison Experiment?
- Controlled (all assessed for normal mental health, environment)
- High ecological validity (prisoners started to think it was real, some aspects very realistic too like the arrests)
- Theory of deindividuation was supported by the research
- Real-life applications. Helps explain real-life evil and anti-social behaviour
What are the weaknesses of the Stanford Prison Experiment?
- Gender bias (males)
- Sample bias (age- University students)
- Cultural bias (US)
- Lacks ecological validity (fake prison, not real prisoners or guards)
- Unethical- People were harmed, mentally abused
