Zimbardo's Stanford Prison experiment Flashcards
What is a social role?
The parts people play as members of various social groups. These are accompanied by expectations we and others have of what is appropriate behaviour in each role
Where did Zimbardo conduct his study?
Zimbardo converted a basement of the Stanford University psychology building into a mock prison
How did he get his participants for the study?
He advertised asking for volunteers to participate in a study of the psychological effects of prison life - 75 applicants answered and they were given diagnostic interviews and personality tests
24 men who were judged to be the most physically and mentally stable, most mature, and the least involved in antisocial behaviours were chosen
What did the diagnostic interviews and personality tests do?
Eliminated candidates with psychological problems, medical disabilities, or a history of drug crime or abuse
How much were participants paid to take part in the experiment?
$15 per day
How were the participants assigned their roles of either prisoner or guard?
The participants were randomly assigned
How were the participants in the roles of prisoners arrested?
The prisoners were treated like any other criminal, being arrested at their homes, without warning and taken to the local police station.
They were blindfolded ad taken to the mock prison, which had barred doors and windows, bare walls and small cells
What happened when the prisoners arrived at the mock prison?
When the prisoners arrived they were stripped naked, deloused, had all their possessions removed and locked away, and they were given prison clothes and bedding. They were given a number and referred to only as that
How were the guards dressed?
All of the guards were dressed in identical uniforms, they carried a whistle around their neck and a billy club that was borrowed from the police. The guards also wore sunglasses, so eye contact with the prisoners wasn’t possible.
What did Zimbardo do in the experiment?
Zimbardo observed the behaviour, he acted as a prison warden
What were the 6 findings from Zimbardo’s study?
Asserting authority
Physical punishment
Asserting independence
Putting down the rebellion
Special privileges
An end to the experiment
What was the finding of asserting authority?
Within hours of the experiment beginning , some guards began to harass prisoners.
The prisoners soon adopted prisoner-like behaviour. They ‘told tales’ on each other to the guards.
What was the finding of physical punishment?
A common form of physical punishment for the prisoners was push ups. One of the guards stepped on the prisoners’ backs while they did push ups, or made other prisoners sit on the backs of fellow prisoners doing their push ups.
What was the finding of asserting independence?
On the second day of the experiment, the prisoners removed their stocking caps, ripped off their numbers, and barricaded themselves inside the cells by putting their beds against the door
What was the finding of putting down the rebellion?
The guards retaliated by using a fire extinguisher and forced prisoners away from the doors. The guards then broke into each cell, stripped the prisoners naked and took the beds out.
What was the finding of special privileges?
One cell was designated as a “privilege cell”. The three prisoners that were least involved in the rebellion were given special privileges. The guards gave them back their uniforms and beds and let them wash their hair and brush their teeth.
Privileged prisoners also got to eat special food in front of the other prisoners who had temporarily lost the privilege of eating. They did this to break the solidarity among prisoners.
What was the finding of an end to the experiment?
Zimbardo had intended for the experiment to run for two weeks, but it was terminated on the sixth day, due to the prisoners suffering from emotional breakdowns and the guards showing excessive aggression
