zimbardo study

Question 1

Stanford prison experiment:major question

Answer 1

do prisons guards behave brutally because they have sadistic personalities, or is it the situation that creates the behaviour?

Question 2

what was the produce

Answer 2

Set mock prison in Stanford uni
Sececled emnitionally stable after testing
Students were randomly assigned roles as guards or prisoners
Were arrested and delivered to prison only ever referred to by numbers
Guards worked in three
They selected 21 men
They were encouraged to conform to social roles both through the uniforms they wore and also instructions about their behaviour

Question 3

Uniform:

Answer 3

The prisoners names were never used 
Guards had a different uniform 
The prisoners were identified by numbers
What did the uniform create?
The uniform created a loss off personal identity called de individuation and meant they would be more likely to conform to the perceived social role 

Instructions about behaviour
Rather than leaving the study market prisoners could apply fir parole
The guards were reminded that they had complete control over the prisoners

Question 4

Findings:

Answer 4

Prisoners rebelled on day 2
What happened during prisoners rebel on day 2?
They ripped their uniform and shouted and swore at the gurds who retailed with fire extinguishers.
The guards used ‘divide and rule’ tactics by playing the prisoners off against each other.

When did zimbardo end the study
After 6 days instead of 14

Question 5

Conclusion:

Answer 5

Social roles appear to have a strong influence on individuals behaviour. The guards become brutal and the prisoners became submissive.
Such roles were very easily taken on by all participants like prison Chaplin acting like they were in a prison rather than a study

Question 6

Evaluation

Control

Answer 6

One strengths was that he had control over key variables
Firstly was the selection of participants who where emotionally stable who were chosen at random nd assigned to roles. As a result they pulled out individually personality difference because if they changed but were only by chance, then their behaviour must shave been due to the role itself
This degree of control over variables increased the internal validity of the study so we can trust it a lot more

Question 7

Lack of realism

Answer 7

One limitation that it did not the the realism of a true prison.
Ali Banuazzi and Siamak Movahedi (1975) argued the participants were merely play acting rather than genially conforming top a role. Based on stroytypes. It would explain why the prisoners rioted - they though that was what real prisoners did.

Question 8

what 1975

Answer 8

Ali Banuazzi and Siamak Movahedi (1975) argued the participants were merely play acting rather than genially conforming too a role

Question 9

what about prisoner 416

Answer 9

prisoner 416 explained how he believed the prison was a real one but run by psychologist

Question 10

Counterpoint:

Answer 10

However Mark Mcdermott (2019) argues that the participants did behave as if the prison was reek to them, 90% of prison conversation were about prison life even prisoner 416 explained how he believed the prison was a real one buy run by psychologist . This suggests that replicated the social roles of prisoners and guards in a real prison giving the high degree of internal validity

Question 11

Exaggerates the power ropes

Answer 11

Another lilmation is that zimabverdo may have exaggerated the power of social roles to influence behgavuor from(1973)
Only a third of guards were brutally
A third tried to apply the riles fairy
Another three tried to help and support the prisoners (they sympathised, offered cigarettes and reinstated privialeds (zimbardo 2007) most guards were able to resist situational pressure to cornform to brutally roles
This suggest that zimnbardo overstated his view that SPE participants were conforming to social roles and minimised the influence of dispositional factors like personality

Question 12

What did the guards highlights? findings

Answer 12

The guards highlighted the differences in social roles by creating opportunities to enforce the rules and administer pushiments.

Question 13

What happened to the prisoners after the rebellion?findings

Answer 13

The prisoners become subdued depressed and anxious. One was released cause showing psychological disturbance and two more on the forth day
The guards identified more and more closely with their role . Their behvaiour became increasingly brutal and aggressive.