Zimbardo - Conformity to social roles

• How did Zimbardo investigate social roles?

  Mock prison in Stanford university
• How many participants took part?

  • 21 male student volunteers
  • Selected by psychological testing that showed them to be ‘emotionally stable’
  • Randomly allocated guard or prisoner
• How were social roles encouraged?

  • UNIFORM - prisoners strip searched, given uniform and number, encouraged de-individualisation. guards had own uniform with handcuffs and mirrored sunglasses
  • INSTRUCTIONS - prisoners told couldn’t leave, had to ask for parole. Guards told they had complete power over prisoners
• What were the findings of the study?

  • Guards played role enthusiastically, treated prisoners harshly
  • Prisoners rebelled within 2 days, guards retaliated and harassed prisoners
  • Guards behaviour threatened prisoners psychological and physical health
• How did the guards behaviours threaten the prisoners psychological and physical health?

  • After rebellion prisoners became subdued, anxious and depressed
  • 3 prisoners released early as showed signs of psychological disturbance
  • one went on hunger strike
  • study stopped after 6 days in stead of intended 14
• What were the conclusions of Zimbardos experiment?

  • Social roles are powerful influences on behaviour, most conformed strongly
  • Guards became brutal, prisoners submissive
• Strength of the SPE?

  • Control over key variables - emotionally stable ps, random allocation.
  • Roles by chance which increases internal validity
• Limitations of the SPE?

  • Lacked realism of true prison - Banuazizi and Mohavedi suggested Ps were play acting, their performances reflected stereotypes
  • COUNTERPOINT behaved as if it was real, 90% of conversations were about prison life, suggests role replication
  • Exaggerated power roles - only 1/3 of guards behaved brutally, another third applied rules fairly. rest supported prisoners