Conformity to social roles

• Stanford prison experiment

  Zimbardo et al

  Set up mock prison at Stanford University.

  Selected 21 men (student volunteers) who were randomly assigned to play the role of a prisoner or a guard.

  Encouraged to conform through uniforms and instructions.

  Uniforms created a loss of identity (de-individuation)
• Findings of SPE related to social roles

  Guards took up roles enthusiastically.

  -> treated the prisoners harshly, harassed them

  Prisoners rebelled within 2 days.

  Guards used 'divide and rule' tactics play prisoners off each other.

  After rebellion was put down, the prisoners became anxious, depressed and subdued.

  Some released due to effects.

  Guards identified more closely with the role and were enjoying the power.

  Zimbardo ended the study after 6 days, instead of 14.
• Conclusions related to social roles

  Social roles have a strong influence on individual's behaviour.

  Guards became brutal, prisoners became submissive.

  Some roles easily taken on by all participants.

  Started to behave as if they were within a prison and not a psychological study.
• Strength - control

  Had control over key variables

  e.g. selection of participants

  -> emotionally stable individuals had their roles randomly assigned.

  -> ruled out individual differences.

  Increased internal validity
• Limitation - lack of realism

  Wasn't a real prison

  Participant's were play-acting based on stereotypes rather than conforming.

  e.g. one guard claimed he based his role on a character.

  Could explain why the prisoners rioted, it is what they thought prisoners did.
• Counterpoint - lack of realism

  Argument that they did behave as if the prison was real.

  90% of conversations were about prison life.

  Discussed their 'sentences' and how they couldn't leave until it was over.

  One prisoner explained he thought it was a real prison run by psychologists and not the government.

  Suggests social roles were replicated.
• Limitation - exaggerates power of roles.

  Only 1/3 of the guards behaved in a brutal manner.

  Another 1/3 tried to be fair and the rest tried to help the prisoners.

  Symphathised, offered cigarettes and reinstated privileges.

  Suggests Zimbardo overstated how much is participants were conforming to the roles and minimised the influence of other factors such as personality.