Zimbardo

Question 1

Stanford prison experiment AO1

Answer 1

• set up a mock prison in the basement of psychology department at Stanford
• selected 21 men (volunteers) -> who tested as emotionally stable
• prisoner or guard were randomly assigned to
• were encouraged to conform to social roles both through uniforms and instructions about their behaviour

Question 2

Uniforms

Answer 2

• prisoners: loose smock, cap to cover hair and identified by number
• guards: wooden club, handcuff and mirrored glasses
• uniforms created a de-individuation, more likely to conform to the perceived social role

Question 3

Zimbardo findings

Answer 3

• guards: enthusiasm, treating prisoners harshly, adapted much quicker and asserting independence, giving prisoners physical punishments
• prisoners also adopted the roles, some began siding with guards against prisoners who didn’t obey the rules: rebelled on the 2nd day
• rule was to permit no physical violence
• one was on hunger strike, and one was released because of psychological disturbance
  -> social roles have a strong influence on individuals behaviours

Question 4

Strength of Zimbardo

Answer 4

• had control over certain variables
• participants were tested for their emotional stability to ensure they were fit for the experiment
• removed confounding variables which could’ve had an effect such as personality
• high level of internal validity

Question 5

Limitation of Zimbardo

Answer 5

• many ethical isssues
• psychological harm
• confidentiality: arrested in front of their families and neighbours, cause them potential distress
• deception
• informed consent
• cost/benefit analysis: were the results worth the amount of money spent into conducting the experiment