Zimbardo Flashcards
UK prison population
87.9k, 5k females. As of Dec 21. Many report sexual abuse, high levels of drug adiction with many saying it developed during their sentence, 10% of UK prison population conists of former armed forces personel
Background
Zim and Milgram were mates at high school, Zimbardo had work prior on deindividualisation. Influenced by reports of indoctrination and brain washing coming out of Korean war. Inspired by work of walter mischel and david Rosenhan. Origins of study was a 1971 undergrad exercise. He wanted to disprove dispositional factors
Aims
Create a realistic prison simulation. “How dosmen adapt to the novel and alien situation in which those called ‘prisoners’ lose their liberty, civil rights, and privacy…” “…while those called ‘guards’ gain power and social status?.” Why alleged brutality and violence in US prisons, When can a role plating simulation become so real that its more than just a game.
Participants
Palo Alto Cali, ad placed for Ps to take part in experiment on prison life, 15 a day, 25 selected from 75. Half Ps assigned to guards and half prisoners (11,10. 4 dropped due to unusal pretest results). All were male college students, Ps assigned to prisoner role were told to be available at home on the day of study, suspensions of some civil rights.
Arrest
Basement corridor of stanford uni USA, 3 small cells with steel doors, only furniture was a bed, solitary confinement made from cupboard measuring 2x2x7 ft. Several rooms in adjacent wing of building used as guards quarters, bedroom for warden and superintendant and an interview room
Orientation
Prison open 24/7 and remianed in cells, Ps told theyd be in their roles for 2 weeks, when all cells occipied warden greeted them and read the rules, guards attended the meetong the day before prisoner orientation. Introduced to experiemnters, superintendant Zimbardo and warden David Jaffe. Told the aim was to simulate a prison experinece, within the limits of ethical considerations. Their task was to maintain order within the prison for necessery functioning. Speicifics of how this duty should be implemented was not specified guards generally believed primary focus of interest was on the prisoners. Guards worked in shifts and did not live at the prison. Explicit prohibition of violence
Uniforms
In order to promote anonymity identical uniforms provided, Promotes perception of each other as apart of a group and deindividualises everyone.
Guards: – khaki shirt, trousers, whistle, police night stick, reflective sunglasses (eye contact impossible)
Prisoners: – Loose fitting muslin smock, ID number on front and back, no underwear, chain and lock around one ankle, sandals, cap made from a nylon stocking
Observations
Video tape taken for 12 hours, interviews, diaries, observations records also used for both roles. Pen and paper tests administered, F scale and personality measures.
Guards became more aggressive over time - every guard was abusive and about a third considered as sadistic. Prisoners suffered anguish, there was authoitarianism, prisoner conversations, parole board. Results were infamous
Extremeties
quotes
“…pathology was rampant in this prison environment; for the guards it was through abuse of power, for the prisoners it was manifest in their pervasive display of learned helplessness. It seems reasonable to conclude that in the contest between the forces of good men and evil situations, the situation triumphed.”
“Unknown to us at the time, we were as much ‘subjects’ imprisoned in our roles of prison staff as we were experimenters directing the events of the study.”
“…the metamorphosis of a group of average, healthy, intelligent individuals into a mass of pathetic prisoners and a block of guards perverted by the pathology of power…” (Zimbardo, 1975)
Apparent guard sadism
Guards retaliated strongly to rebels, phys punishment, degraded prisoners, solitary cofninement, tried to split prisoners, sometimes denied basic rights
Power
Neglected variable in social psych
Diary entry 1 of a guard; – “As I am a pacifist and non-aggressive individual I cannot see a time when I might guard and/or maltreat other living things”
Diary entry day 4 - “…The psychologist rebukes me for handcuffing and blindfolding a prisoner…and I resentfully reply that it is both necessary security and my business anyway”
Diary entry day 5 – “The new prisoner refuses to eat his sausage…we throw him into the ‘hole’…[we] tell the new one that all the others will be deprived of visitors if he does not eat…I decided to force feed him, but he wouldn’t eat. I let the food slide down his face. I didn’t believe it was me doing it…”
Calling time
Came to a halt at 6 days, 5 of ten prisoners had to be released due to extremem emotions, Gs enjoyed power, Pathology of power, pathological prisoner syndrome.
Reception (2)
Phenomenological significance ?
Anonymity
“…conditions that reduce a person’s sense of uniqueness, that minimize individuality, are the wellsprings of antisocial behaviors…” (Zimbardo, 1975)
Anonymity in prisons:-
– Uniforms, numbers, standard hair cuts, limits on personal property and personalising cells
– Limited possessions become things to fight for
– The ‘ecology of de-humanisation’ – prison design – minimising privacy, mass eating, mass exercise
Time
Institutionalisation breaks up continuity, Apparent circularity of time
People overreact to minor stimuli and fail to plan for major events.
