Zimbardo’s research Flashcards
What was the purpose of the Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE)?
To investigate the effects of social roles on behavior, specifically in a prison setting
Conducted by Zimbardo in 1971.
How were participants assigned roles in the SPE?
Participants were randomly assigned to play the role of prison guard or prisoner
Ensured that personality differences did not influence the results.
What were the conditions for the guards in the SPE?
Guards were given uniforms, wooden clubs, handcuffs, and mirror shades
This reflected their authority and status in the experiment.
What behavior did the guards exhibit during the SPE?
Guards treated prisoners harshly and enforced rules with brutal tactics
Some guards appeared to enjoy the power they had over the prisoners.
What happened to the prisoners after their rebellion in the SPE?
They became subdued, depressed, and anxious
One was released due to psychological disturbance.
What conclusion can be drawn about social roles from the SPE?
Social roles have a strong influence on individual behavior
Participants easily conformed to their assigned roles.
What are the similarities noted between the SPE and Abu Ghraib?
Both involved the abuse of power and violation of human rights by individuals in authority roles
Zimbardo noted remarkable similarities in behavior.
What is one strength of the SPE related to control over variables?
Participants were emotionally stable and randomly assigned to roles
This increased the internal validity of the study.
What is one limitation of the SPE regarding realism?
The experiment lacked the realism of a true prison
Participants were accused of merely play-acting.
How did some participants perceive the SPE during the experiment?
Some prisoners believed the prison was real and felt trapped
90% of their conversations were about prison life.
What did Fromm (1973) criticize about Zimbardo’s conclusions?
Zimbardo may have exaggerated the power of roles to influence behavior
Some guards did not conform to brutal roles.
What alternative explanation did Reicher and Haslam (2006) provide?
They proposed social identity theory (SIT) as a better explanation for the guards’ behavior
Guards had to actively identify with their roles to act brutally.
Fill in the blank: The guards used _______ tactics to maintain control over the prisoners.
divide-and-rule
True or False: The SPE was intended to last for 14 days.
True
What resulted from the guards’ treatment of the prisoners?
Prisoners experienced psychological distress and some were released early
One prisoner went on a hunger strike.
How did the guards’ behavior change over the course of the SPE?
Their behavior became increasingly brutal and aggressive
They identified more closely with their roles.
What did Zimbardo conclude about the ease of conforming to social roles?
Conforming to social roles comes ‘naturally’ and easily
This was criticized for not accounting for non-brutal guards.
