Zimbardo - the Stanford prison experiment Flashcards
What was Zimbardo testing?
Conformity to social roles
When did his experiment take place?
1973
What did Zimbardo want to know when conducting this experiment?
How social roles influence behaviour. Zimbardo wanted to know why prison guards behave brutally - was it because they have sadistic personalities or was it their social role (as a prison guard) that created such behaviour?
What should the Stanford prison experiment actually be referred to as?
An ‘observation’
Where was Zimbardo’s prison experiment set up?
The prison was set up in the basement of the psychology department at Standford university.
What people were selected in Zimbardo’s prison experiment?
21 men (student volunteers) who tested as ‘emotionally stable’.
Explain the procedure of Zimbardo’s Standford prison experiment
The students were randomly assigned to play the role of prison guard or prisoner. Prisoners were arrested in their homes, blindfolded and strip-searched. They were insulted and humiliated. The prisoner’s routine was regulated and controlled using rules. If they rebelled in any way, they were put in ‘the hole’. Prisoners and guards were encouraged to conform to social roles both through the uniforms they wore and also instructions about their behaviour.
What instructions were the prisoners and guards given in the Zimbardo experiment?
Prisoners were encouraged to identify with their role by several procedures - e.g rather than leaving the study early, prisoners could ‘apply for parole’.
The guards were encouraged to play their role by being reminded that they had complete power over the prisoners
What were the guards uniform like in Zimbardo’s experiment?
The guards had wooden clubs, handcuffs and mirrored shades to remove the humanity from the guards eyes.
What were the prisoners uniform like in Zimbardo’s experiment?
The prisoners were given a loose smock to wear and a cap to cover their hair, and they were identified by number. The uniforms caused a loss of personal identity (called de-individualisation), and meant they would be more likely to conform to the percieved social role.
What were Zimbardo’s findings related to social roles?
The guards took up their roles with enthusiasm, treating the prisoners harshly. They conducted frequent headcounts, sometimes at night, when the prisoners would stand in line and call out their numbers. They would be aggressive and violent with them, and humiliate them. Within 2 days, the prisoners rebelled - they ripped their uniforms and shouted and swore at the guards, who retaliated with fire extinguishers.
After the prisoner’s rebellion, what happened?
The prisoners psychological and physcial health suffered:
- the prisoners became subdued, anxious and depressed
- 3 prisoners were released early
- 1 prisoner went on hunger strike - guards tried to force feed him and then he was punished in the cupbopard/ the ‘hole’
How long was the Zimbardo study meant to go on for, and how long did it actually go on for?
It was meant to go on for 14 days, but stopped after 6
What were the conclusions from Zimbardo’s prison experiment?
Social roles appear to have a strong influence on individual’s behaviour - the guards became brutal and the prisoners became submissive. The observation showed how the power of the situation can influence people’s behaviour. Guards, prisoners and researchers all conformed to their social roles.
Give a strength of Zimbardo’s experiment
Researchers had control over the variables - The participants were recruited and randomly assigned to prisoner/ guard by chance. Because of this, their behaviour was due to the pressure of the situation and not their personalities. This increases the internal validity of the study.
