Zimbardo - The Prison Situation And Roles Flashcards
What was the aim of Zimbardo’s study?
To investigate the effects of the situation of being in prison and being assigned to the role of either being a prison guard or prisoner
How was the sample collected?
The participants were respondents to a newspaper advertisement, which asked for male volunteers to participate in a psychological study of prison life in return for a payment of $15 per day
Who was the sample?
24 males college students who were judged to be the most physically and mentally stable, most mature and least involved in anti-social behaviours
How were the participants assigned to their roles?
Randomly
Where was the prison located?
It was built in the basement of the psychology building at Stanford University
What were the guards told before the study?
They were told how to behave apart from being explicitly told that they were not allowed to use physical punishment or physical aggression
What was the purpose of the uniforms that were given to the prisoners and guards?
They were intended to increase group identity and reduce individuality within the two groups
What did the guards uniform consist of?
A plain khaki shirt and trousers, a whistle, a police night stick and reflecting glasses that aimed to dehumanise the guards by preventing eye contact
What did the prisoners uniforms consist of?
A loose fitting smock with a light chain and lock around their ankle and an identification number
How were the prisoners treated prior to the study?
They were unexpectedly ‘arrested’ at their homes and they were blindfolded and driven to the mock prison where they were stripped, deodorised and given their uniform and having a mug shot taken
What was the purpose of the prisoners uniform?
It de-individuated the prisoners, humiliated them and acted as symbols of subservience and dependence
What changed about the guards during the course of the study?
They became more and more verbally and physically aggressive
How did Zimbardo explain the changes in the behaviour of the guards?
He explained it as the pathology of power
How did the behaviour of the prisoners change during the course of the study?
They became increasingly depersonalised and several experienced extreme emotional depression, crying, rage and anxiety
After how many days did the study have to be stopped?
6, as opposed to a planned 14 days
