Zimbardo's Investigation Into Comformity To Social Roles Flashcards
What are social roles?
The behaviours expected by an individual who occupies a given social position or status.
What year did Zimbardo conduct his research?
1973.
What was the aim of Zimbardo’s research?
Aimed to test wether ordinary people conform to social roles of prison guard and prisoner in a mock prison as part of the Stanford Prison Experiment.
What type of sample did Zimbardo collect?
A volunteer sample.
Who were the participants in his study?
24 male students who were the most ‘emotionally stable’ after screening.
How were the participants allocated into their social roles?
Randomly (Random Allocation).
How did the study start for the ‘prisoners’?
They were arrested at home by the local police and were blindfolded, strip-searched, deloused, given a uniform and a number upon entry.
How many rules were the prisoners given to follow?
16.
What were the guards given at the beginning of the study?
They were given uniforms, wooden clubs, handcuffs, keys, and wore reflective sunglasses.
Why did the guards wear protective sunglasses?
To prevent eye contact.
How did the guards refer to the prisoners?
Referred to them by their numbers.
How much power did the guards have over the prisoners?
Complete power.
How long was the experiment planned to last?
Two weeks.
How long did the experiment actually last?
6 days.
Zimbardo found that the guards grew increasingly _______.
Abusive.
After two days, what did the prisoners do?
They rebelled - ripped their uniforms, shouted and swore at the guards.
What happened to the prisoners after they rebelled?
They became subdued, depressed, and anxious.
How many prisoners had to leave early?
5.
What did all participants show to lose?
Their sense of personal identity.
In Zimbardo’s study, what occurred that showed de-individuation?
The prisoners referred to each other using their numbers instead of their names.
In Zimbardo’s study, what occurred that showed dehumanisation?
The guards became increasingly aggressive and the prisoners became increasingly passive and accepting of their treatment (fate).
What did Zimbardo conclude?
That social roles have a strong influence over behaviour.
What are the 7 evaluation points for Zimbardo’s research?
+ High degree of control.
- Not all guards were sadistic (good guards).
- Suffers from demand characteristics.
- Reicher and Haslam (2006 - BBC replication).
- Major ethical issues.
+ However, held many debriefing sessions for years.
+ Practical applications.
