Zimbardo’s Prison Experiment Flashcards
When was the Stanford Prison Experiment carried out?
1971, results published in 1973
Who were the participants of the prison experiment?
24 white male college students
How was the sample collected for this study?
Volunteer sampling
How long was the experiment due to run for and how long did it actually run for?
Meant to run for 2 weeks, lasted 6 days
How were the conditions split?
12 guards, 12 prisoners
How did they pre-test participants?
They gave a questionnaire to test for any pre-existing mental health issues
Why did the guards wear sunglasses?
Prevented anyone from seeing their eyes and seeing their emotions which promoted anonymity
What was the aim of this experiment?
To examine whether people would conform to social roles when placed in a mock environment
How did both the prisoners and the guards react?
The prisoners began rebelling against the guards within the first 2 days and as a result the guards became increasingly hostile and even abusive
Which ethical issues were broken in Zimbardos experiment?
Protection from harm
Deception
Right to withdraw
Informed consent
How many participants were released early and why?
5, because of their adverse reactions to the physical and mental torment, for example, crying and extreme anxiety
What was the conclusion of this experiment?
People quickly conform to social roles, even when the role goes against their moral principles
Situational factors were largely responsible for the behaviour found, as none of the participants had ever demonstrated these behaviours previously
What are the strengths of zimbardos experiment?
High internal validity
Participants did react to the situation as if it was real
What are the weaknesses of Milgram’s study?
Low ecological validity
Demand characteristics
Research evidence (Reicher and Hallam, 2006)
Ethical issues
