Evaluation

• Fromm (1973) accused Zimbardo of exaggerating the power of the situation to influence behaviour and minimising the role of personality factors

  Only the minority of the guards behaved brutally, others tried to enforce the rules fairly and the rest actively tried to help and support the prisoners

  This could suggest that Zimbardo's conclusion was overstated as the guards with showed right and wrong decisions
• Strength - Controlled environment
• Strength - emotionally stable participants
• Strengths - Randomly assigned roles

  Meant behaviours were due to pressure of the situation which increases internal validity
• Limitations - Zimbardo possibly limiting the role of personalities
• Limitation - Ethical issues - abusing, demeaning, one participant gaining psychosis
• Limitation - Lack of research support
• Limitation - Lacks realism
• Right to withdraw - participants were told they could leave at any time but were encouraged to stay, and the prisoner with psychosis felt he couldn't leave
• Protection from Harm - subjected to distressing experiences, one prisoner went on a hunger strike

  Zimbardo held dual roles in his study - he was unable to perform his professional duties and did not do enough to protect participants