Zimbardo et al (1973)

Question 1

Zimbardo et al set up a mock prison to see

Answer 1

if people would conform to the assigned roles of prisoner or guard

Question 2

Zimbardo et al date

Answer 2

1973

Question 3

Zimbardo et al study name

Answer 3

The Stanford Prison Experiment

Question 4

Method: what gender were the students?

Answer 4

male

Question 5

Method: the participants were

Answer 5

randomly assigned the role of either prisoner or guard

Question 6

Method: the idea was to monitor their behaviour to see

Answer 6

how they would behave in these roles

Question 7

Method: the participants were screened so

Answer 7

only the most mentally and physically stable took part

Question 8

Method: the prisoners were ‘arrested’ at home and

Answer 8

went through complete police procedure before going to ‘prison’

Question 9

Method: prisoners

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given slacks and a number instead of a name

Question 10

Method: guard

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given a uniform and mirrored glasses

Question 11

Results: initially the guards tried to

Answer 11

assert authority and the prisoners resisted by sticking together

Question 12

Results: the prisoners eventually became

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passive and obedient (one had a breakdown and had to be released early)

Question 13

Results: the guards invented

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more severe and abusive punishments (starving them, making them go to the toilet in buckets, not letting them sleep)

Question 14

Results: the experiment was abandoned early because

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the prisoners became incredibly distressed and Zimbardo’s team started to panic

Question 15

Conclusion: guards and prisoners adapted to their

Answer 15

social roles quickly

Question 16

Conclusion: Zimbardo claims that this shows that our

Answer 16

social role can influence our behaviour

Question 17

Conclusion: seemingly well-balanced men can become distorted and unmentally sound due to their

Answer 17

social role

Question 18

Evaluation: the study was an

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controlled observation

Question 19

Evaluation: because the study was a controlled observation

Answer 19

there was good control over the variables

Question 20

Evaluation: because the study is artificial, the results can’t be

Answer 20

generalised

Question 21

Evaluation: in terms of ethics,

Answer 21

some participants found the experience very distressing

Question 22

Evaluation: observer bias

Answer 22

Zimbardo ran the experiment himself (he was superintendent) and later admitted be became too personally involved