Research Into Conformity To Social Roles AO3

• Fromm's view on the guards in the study

  • 1/3 were fair
  • Actively tried to help the prisoners (e.g. offering cigarettes, reinstating privileges)
  • Guards would have to actively identify with their role to act brutally, as it doesn't come easily
• Fromm's view


  Could be better explained by social identity theory
• People can resist situational conformity pressures as long as they don't identify with the role
• Methodological problems with the study

  • Z's dual role - his own behaviour affected the way in which events unfolded, thus questioning the validity of the findings
  • However, there was good internal validity - participant selection (stable and random allocation) helped to rule out individual differences in prisoner/guard allocation
• Prisoners were pressurised to stay - Z's dual role meant he didn't always have the best interests of the prisoners
• The study led to reform of real prisons, and was conducted at a time when ethical guidelines hadn't been established
• The research perhaps led to the introduction of guidelines which protected future participants