C: Social Roles Zimbardos

• What was Zimbardo's research?

  The Stanford prison experiment
• Where did Zimbardo set up his mock prison?

  basement of the psychology department of Stanford University
• When did Zimbardo do the SPE?

  the late 1960's
• How did Zimbardo assign roles to the volunteers in the SPE?

  randomly
• How did Zimbardo choose his volunteers?

  those who seemed emotionally stable
• what did Zimbardo do to heighten the realism of the study?

  'prisoners' were arrested in their homes by the local police where they were delivered to the 'prison'.

  • blindfolded, strip-searched and issues a uniform and number
• what were the social roles of the prisoners in the SPE?

  The daily routine was heavily regulated.

  • 16 rules they had to follow which were reinforced by the guards
  • prisoners' names were never used only their number
• What were the social roles of the guards in the SPE?

  they were told they had complete power over the prisoners

  • had their own uniform, complete with wooden club and handcuffs, keys and mirror shades
• how long did the SPE last?

  6 days but it was intended for 14
• how long until the prisoners rebelled against the guards?

  days
• How did the guards treat the prisoners in the SPE?

  'divide and rule' tactics

  • pinning the prisoners against each other
  • harassed the prisoners and reminded them that they were being monitored all the time
  • created penalty opportunities at the smallest misdemeanour
• How did the prisoners react after the rebellion?

  they became subdued, depressed and anxious

  • one prisoner was released on the first day because he showed signs of psychological disturbance
  • one prisoner went on a hunger strike
• how was the prisoner who was on a hunger strike treated in the SPE?


  guards attempted to force-feed him and put him into solitary confinement

  • got shunned by the other prisoners
• what was Zimbardo's conclusion>

  all prisoners and guards ended up comfoming to social roles
• S: Zimbardo had control over the variables

  all emotionally stable volunteers were selected which helps control individual personality differences as an explanation for the findings.

  • increases the internal validity
• L: SPE had a Lack of realism

  psychologists argued the participants were nearly play-acting rather than genuinely conforming to the role

  • their performance was based on stereotypes
  • a lot of the guards said they based their character on a film
• counter argument: SPE had a lack of realism 


  Zimbardo pointed to the evidence of the situation stating that was real for the participants

  • quantitative data gathered during the procedure showed that 90% of the prisoner's conversations were about prison life
  • adding to its high internal validity