Studying conformity: Milgram

• What did Zimbardo aim to do?

  Investigate the extent to which people would conform to social roles
• What is the dispositional hypothesis?


  Prison violence is due to the sadistic nature of the guards
• What is the situational hypothesis?


  Prison violence is due to the brutal conditions of prison
• How many students participated?

  21
• Where did this study take place?

  The basement of the psychology department at Stamford university
• What method did Zimbardo use for his study?

  • Guards wore khaki uniforms and sunglasses to prevent eye contact
  • Prisoners were arrested and dehumanised, known as their numbers
  • A regular prison routine
• What did Zimbardo find?

  • The prisoners became rebellious and guards became sadistic
  • De-individualisation occurred, as the prisoners referred to each other and themselves as their numbers
  • After 3 days a prisoner was discharged after fits of hysteria
  • The experiment was terminated after 6 days, the prisoners were happy and the guards were unhappy
  • Both were surprised at the behaviours they exhibited
• What did Zimbardo conclude?

  • Situational hypothesis is favoured over the dispositional hypothesis
  • Individuals will conform readily to the social roles of a situation
  • Both guards and prisoners demonstrated social roles displayed in the media
• What are the ethical issues involved in Zimbardo’s study?

  • Prisoners felt like they couldn’t withdraw
  • Psychological harm occurred
  • Prisoners under a large amount of stress
  • Deception occurred
• Strenghts of Zimbardo’s study:

  • Participants randomly assigned to their roles, so increases internal validity
  • Applications - some changes made in US prisons
• What are the weaknesses of Zimbardo’s study?

  • Individual differences and personality determine what extent people conform to social roles
  • Not a real prison so lacks ecological validity
  • Zimbardo played the superintendent, so researcher bias may be present