Zimbardo : Conformity to social roles

• What is the main focus of Zimbardo's study?

  Conformity to social roles
• What are social roles?

  The parts people play in social groups
• Who conducted the Stanford Prison Experiment?

  Philip Zimbardo
• What was the aim of the Stanford Prison Experiment?

  To investigate conformity to new social roles
• What two explanations did Zimbardo explore regarding guard behavior?

  Dispositional and situational explanations
• How much were participants paid in the study?

  $15 a day
• How were participants assigned their roles in the experiment?

  Randomly allocated to guard or prisoner roles
• What happened to the prisoners during their arrest?

  They were blindfolded and taken to the prison
• What were the guards required to wear?

  Khaki uniforms and dark sunglasses
• What was the outcome of the guards' behavior?

  They harassed and humiliated the prisoners
• Why was the study discontinued after six days?

  Due to the extreme behavior of the guards
• What did the prisoners do after two days?

  They rebelled against the guards
• How did the guards respond to the rebellion?

  They quelled it using fire extinguishers
• What happened to some prisoners during the study?

  Some became depressed and anxious
• What is deindividuation in the context of the study?

  Loss of personal identity among prisoners
• What is a weakness of Zimbardo's study regarding realism?

  It lacks ecological validity due to role-play
• What is a strength of Zimbardo's study regarding control over variables?

  Participants were pre-tested for emotional stability
• What did one guard admit about his behavior?

  He based it on a film character
• What ethical issue was raised about informed consent?

  Participants were unaware of their arrest procedure
• What did Zimbardo conclude about the effects of the study?

  No lasting negative effects were found
• What are the conclusions drawn from Zimbardo's study regarding conformity to social roles?

  • Stereotyped roles lead to conformity
  • Deindividuation weakens self-identity
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of Zimbardo's study?

  Strengths:

  • Control over variables increases internal validity
  • Extensive debriefing minimized psychological harm

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Lacks ecological validity
  • Ethical issues regarding consent and harm