Zimbardo's research into conformity Flashcards
What is Dispositional?
It is explaining behaviour
in terms of an individual’s personality.
What is Situational?
explaining behaviour in
terms of environmental factors.
What is Deindividualization?
it is when an
individual loses their sense of self (their individuality), this can occur when wearing a uniform for example, as people conform to the social role of the uniform.
What are Social roles?
They are the ‘parts’ people play as members of various social groups.
Everyday examples include parent, child, student, passenger etc. These are accompanied by expectations we and others have of what is appropriate behavior in each role.
Where did Zimbardo’s inspiration for his conformity experiment come from?
Zimbardo’s inspiration for his research came from reports of brutality by
guards in prisons across America in the late 1960’s.
What was the aim of Zimbardos experiment?
To examine whether people would conform to the social roles of a prison guard or prisoner when placed in a mock prison environment. Furthermore, he wanted to examine whether the behavior displayed in prisons due to internal dispositional factors (the people themselves) or external situational factors (the environment and conditions of the prison).
What was the type of experiment Zimbardo used in his experiment?
Type of investigation: controlled observation under a lab setting (mock prison setting), however Zimbardo argued that he conducted a lab experiment. The situation was watched by the researchers 24/7: they took notes, some data was videotaped, conversations were recorded and regular questionnaires about mood were given out.
What were the variables in Zimbardo’s experiment?
The experiment has been subject to criticism because Zimbardo was not clear on the IV and DV, however it is assumed to be IV = prisoner or guard, DV = conformity (there was no control group).
What was the sampling technique used in Zimbardo’s experiment?
Sampling technique: Volunteer sampling, through newspaper advertisement where they were offered/paid $15 a day.
What was the procedure for Zimbardo’s experiment into conformity?
24 participants selected, mock prison set up in basement of Stanford uni, checked for criminal record, 12 guards and 12 inmates, ‘arrested by police and taken into hall, guards given glasses and taught how to act, prisoners striped and given uniforms, was to last 14 days. Zimbardo and his colleagues took the role of superintendent and wardens.
What were the findings for Zimbardos reserach into conformity?
Very quickly the guards’ interaction with the prisoners were reduced to giving orders. They soon started to humiliate the prisoners, for example by doing pointless counts on prisoners making them line up and state their numbers. They also made them carry out degrading acts.
The prisoners became submissive and several showed signs of real mental distress with one prisoner having a breakdown and being ‘released’ after only 36 hours.
When the prisoners referred to themselves (for example in discussions with a priest) they used the number they were given and talked about parole rather than withdrawal from the study.
The study was cancelled after 6 days when Zimbardo’s fellow researcher visiting for the first time was appalled by the situation and objected on ethical grounds to what was happening.
What was the conclusion for Zimbardos experiment into conformity?
Conclusions: The situation caused normal young men to become either abusive or submissive according to the role they were assigned. One third of the guards showed genuinely sadistic behaviour, which showed that the roles had the power to change people.
