Social roles

• Who created the Stanford Prison Experiment?

  Zimbardo
• How were participants allocated to their roles in the SPE?

  They were randomly assigned to be a prisoner or a guard
• How long was the experiment supposed to last and how long did it actually last?

  Supposed to last 14 days but lasted 6
• How did the prisoners eventually react?

  They started a rebellion
• What uniform were the guards given?

  They wore sunglasses and had items such as a pair of handcuffs
• How did the guards treat the prisoners?

  They harassed them and became more aggressive
• What role did Zimbardo assign himself in the experiment?

  Prison Superintendent
• What strengths were there from the SPE?

  • Case study support for situational factors - Iraq prison called Abu Ghraib
  • Research support for deindividuation - Northern Ireland study of criminals in disguises vs without
• What two factors was Zimbardo was trying to prove that influenced conformity to social roles?

  • Deindividuation
  • Situational factors
• Why is the SPE highly flawed?

  • Zimbardo's dual role as a superintendent led to ethical issues, investigator effects and researcher bias
  • Participant variables - only a third of the guards were harsh to prisoners
  • Socially sensitive research - can't blame the situation over the person for violent behaviour
  • Contradictory research - BBC study