Social- Zimbardo (prison) Flashcards
Background
This study was funded by the US Navy.
The US Navy & the US Marine Corps were interested in investigating the causes of conflict between guards and prisoners in naval prisons.
Attempts to explain the violent and brutal conditions often found in prisons had previously used dispositional attribution.
The condition of prisons are due to the nature of the prison guards and the prisoners.
Dispositional Theory
Prison life is horrible because of the people that inhabit prisons
It is not the prison environment that makes people act in the ways that they do but rather the dispositions (character traits) of those who live and work there
Situational Theory
Might it be that the prisons are horrible places because of the physical environment?
The gates and bars and the fact that people are locked up
Might it be that the prisons are horrible places because of the social roles that people inhabit there?
The uniforms of prisoners and guards and the behavior that is expected of them
Aims
To test the dispositional hypothesis
“‘the deplorable conditions of our penal system and its dehumanizing effects upon prisoners and guards is due to the ‘nature’ of people who administrate it, the ‘nature’ of the people who populate it, or both?”
To show how the taking of social roles would lead to excessive conformity to those roles
Method
The study is usually described as an experiment
The study can also be described as a simulation as it was attempting to create a prison like environment
Independent Variable
The conditions the participants were randomly assigned: prisoner or guard
Dependent Variable
The resulting Behavior
Participants
Respondents to a newspaper ad: (Volunteer Sample)
“Male college students needed for psychological study of prison life. $15 per day for 1-2 weeks”
75 people responded- They completed a questionnaire: Family background, Physical & mental health, Any involvement in crime, Prior experiences & attitudinal tendencies in respect to psychopathology
24 men judged to be the most physically & mentally stable, the most mature, & the least involved in antisocial behaviors were chosen to participate
White (one asian), Middle class, Male, Healthy
The participants were described as “normal, healthy male college students who were predominantly middle class and white.” The 24 participants did not know each other prior to the study
Participants Consent
The participants signed a contract guaranteeing basic living needs
Adequate diet and medical care
The contract clearly stated that if they were to be assigned to the role of prisoner they would have to have some basic civil rights suspended.
Apparatus (Simulated Prison appearance)
The simulated prison was built in the basement of the psychology building at Stanford University.
~Three cells (6 x 9): 3 prisoners to a cell, a cot (with a mattress, sheet and pillow) for each prisoner
~‘Solitary confinement’- ‘The Hole’: A very small, unlit room (2 x 2 x 7 ft) across from the cells.
~Guards’ quarters: Rooms in an adjacent wing used to change in and out of uniform and for relaxation, interview rooms and a bedroom for the ‘warden’ & ‘superintendent’ (Zimbardo)
~ The Yard: A small, enclosed room
~Consulted with a former prisoner
Intercom system installed
No clocks or windows
Guards Uniform & symbolism
Khaki shirt & pants(convey military attitude), batons whistle(symbols of control and power), reflective sunglasses(to make eye contact impossible)
Prisoner Uniform & Symbolism
loss of personal identity, humiliate, dependency) Loose fitting smocks/dresses with id numbers(emasculation), no underwear, a lock and chain around one ankle(reminder of the oppressive environment), and stocking caps to cover their hair(removed any distinctiveness associated with hair color, style).
Pathology of Power
The oppressive behavior often displayed by people when they are given control over the lives of other human beings & do not have to justify their displays of power
Pathological Prisoner Syndrome
The loss of personal identity, The arbitrary control exercised by the guards, Dependency & emasculation
Evidence of pathological prisoner syndrome:
One prisoner left & a replacement prisoner was introduced. He went on a hunger strike as a protest about the treatment of the inmates, & as an attempt to be released. The other inmates saw him as a troublemaker rather than a fellow victim trying to help.
Strengths
Control?
Ecological validity?
Data collection
Quantitative & qualitative
Most data was qualitative & was attained through video, audiotape, direct observation, interviews, and questionnaires.
(control & ecological validity can be debated either way)
