Zimbardo evaluation

• What is a weakness of Zimbardo's study?

  Participants may have displayed demand characteristics. Some psychologists say that the participants were play acting rather than conforming. Zimbardo disputes this.
• What is a weakness of Zimbardo's study?

  Personality influences. Zimbardo has been accused of over-exaggerating the power of the situation to influence the behaviour of the guards, as only a third of them behaved in a brutal manner. This is a weakness as it made them think they had no consequences which is not true to real life.
• What is a strength of Zimbardo's study?

  It had real life application. The guard at Abu Ghraib (2003) were affected similarly to the guards in Zimbardo's study, regardless of the extent they went to. This is a strength as it shows that the guards in real life were also affected by the 'evil situation' and the idea that they could do whatever they wanted.