Conformity to Social Roles: Zimbardo's Research

• Aim:

  To investigate whether people would conform to the social roles of a prison guard or prisoner, when placed in a mock prison experiment
• Sample:

  24 young, healthy, psychologically normal men were randomly assigned to be "prisoners" or "guards" in a stimulated prison environment
• Procedure:

  • Zimbardo set up a mock prison in the basement of the psychology department at Stanford University (Haney et al. 1973)
  • They advertised for students willing to volunteer and selected those who were deemed 'emotionally stable' after extensive psychological testing
  • The students were randomly assigned the roles of guards or prisoners
  • To heighten the realism of the study, the 'prisoners' were arrested in their homes by the local police and were then delivered to the 'prison.' They were blindfolded, strip-searched, deloused and issued a uniform and number
• Procedure: (2)

  • The social roles of the prisoners and the guards were strictly divided. The prisoners' daily routines were heavily regulated. There were 16 rules they had to follow, which were enforced by the guards who worked in shifts, three at a time. The prisoners' names were never used, only their numbers
  • The guards, to underline their role, had their own uniform, complete with wooden club, handcuffs, keys and mirror shades. They were told they had complete power over the prisoners, for instance deciding when they could go to the toilet
• Results:

  • After a slow start to the stimulation, the guards took up their roles with enthusiasm. Their behaviour became a threat to the prisoners' psychological and physical health, and the study was stopped after 6 days instead of the intended 14 days
  • Within 2 days, the prisoners rebelled against their harsh treatment by the guards. They ripped their uniforms and shouted and swore at the guards, who retaliated with fire extinguishers
  • The guards employed 'divide-and-rule' tactics by playing the prisoners off against each other
• Results: (2)

  • They harassed the prisoners constantly, to remind them they were being monitored all the time, e.g. they conducted frequent headcounts. The guards highlighted the differences in social roles by creating plenty of opportunities to ensure the rules and punish even the smallest misdemeanour (wrongdoing)
  • After their rebellion was put down, the prisoners became subdued, depressed and anxious. The guards identified more and more closely with their role. Their behaviour became more brutal and aggressive, with some of them appearing to enjoy the power they had over the prisoners
• Conclusion:

  • The simulation revealed the power of the situation to influence people's behaviour. Guards, prisoners, and researchers all conformed to their roles within the prison
  • These roles were very easily taken on by the participants - even volunteers who came in to perform certain functions (such as the 'prison chaplain') found themselves behaving as if they were in a prison rather than a psychological study
• 3 ethical issues in Zimbardo's research & how they could be dealt with:

  • Protection of participants: protect participants playing the role of prisoners from psychological harm
  • Withdrawal: remind participants playing prisoners that they are allowed to leave the experiment when they wish
  • Debriefing: ensure the process of providing participants with additional information about the study after their involvement is complete (purpose, goals, nature of research they participated in)