Zimbardo

• What is a social role?

  The part we play in a social group
• What do social situations have that guide individual behavior?

  Norms that dictate expected actions
• What were the aims of the mock prison study?

  • Investigate conformity to social roles of prisoner and guard
  • Test dispositional vs situational explanations of prison brutality
• Describe the setup of the mock prison.

  • Office rooms with prison doors
  • Three beds in each room
  • "The Hole" for solitary confinement
• Who participated in the mock prison study?

  Students without psychological abnormalities
• How were participants selected for the study?

  They responded to a newspaper ad and screened
• How much were participants paid for the study?

  $15 a day for 2 weeks
• What happened when a prisoner left the study?

  Alternates were brought in to replace them
• How many guards and prisoners were there in the study?

  12 guards and 12 prisoners
• What were the procedures for prisoners in the study?

  • Arrested at home by real police
  • Blindfolded and stripped in the basement
  • Lived in cells 24 hours a day
  • Addressed guards as "Mr Correctional Officer"
  • Dehumanization through numbers and caps
• What were the procedures for guards in the study?

  • Wore military uniforms and sunglasses
  • Maintained order without physical violence
  • Worked 8-hour shifts
  • Equipped with handcuffs and truncheons
• What behaviors did guards exhibit during the study?

  • Harassed prisoners and woke them at night
  • Made prisoners perform physical activities
  • Dominated and ridiculed prisoners
  • No intervention from "good" guards
• What behaviors did prisoners exhibit during the study?

  • Initially rioted and barricaded doors
  • Used profanity against guards
  • Lost sense of identity, became numbers
  • Some broke down and requested to leave
• How long did the study last before it was stopped?

  5 days, stopped on day 6
• How did participants feel about their behavior during the study?

  Both guards and prisoners felt guilt and shame
• Why was the study stopped early?

  Concerns about harm and aggression were raised
• What conclusions were drawn from the study?

  • Supports situational hypothesis for prison brutality
  • Shows conformity to social roles of guard and prisoner
  • Indicates roles can override moral beliefs
• What are the evaluations of the study?

  • (+) Practical applications (e.g., Abu Ghraib)
  • (-) Ethical issues (privacy, consent, harm)
  • (-) Contradictory research (Haslam & Reicher)
  • (-) Demand characteristics