Stanford Prison Experiment Evaluation Flashcards
1
Q
Explain control as a strength
A
- Only emotionally stable individuals were chosen.
- Participants were randomly assigned to roles.
THIS MEANS IF PRISONERS AND GUARDS BEHAVED VERY DIFFERENTLY, IT WAS DUE TO THEIR ROLES, NOT PERSONALITY TYPES.
INCREASES INTERNAL VALIDITY
2
Q
Explain lack of realism as a limitation.
A
- BANUAZIZI and MOHAVEDI argued that participants were play-acting and based this of stereotypes. One guard said he was inspired by a movie character.
however - Quantitative data gathered showed that 90% of prisoner’s conversation’s were about the prison and they believed the prison was real and run by psychologists. Seems people thought it was real, adding to internal validity.
3
Q
Dispositional influences as a limitation
A
- Fromm accused Zimbardo for exaggerating the power of the situation.
- Only about a 3rd of guards were brutal.
- The differences in guards’ behaviour indicates they were able to tell right and wrong despite the situational pressure.
- So the extent to which participants were conforming to roles was over-stated.
- In which case the brutal people may have been cruel by nature just as some were kind by nature, not because of the situation.
- He minimised the role of personality factors - DISPOSITIONAL INFLUENCES
4
Q
Explain Richer and Haslam’s study as a limitation.
A
- 2006 - conducted a partial replication of Zimbardo’s study.
- Their findings were different
- The prisoners eventually too control as guards were unable to develop a shared social identity as a cohesive group and the prisoners did.
