conformity to social roles

• zimbado - Stanford prison study. Participants 24 american male undergraduates.
• procedure: basement of Stanford university psychology building was converted into simulated prison. volunteers were paid to take part and randomly assigned role of prisoner or guard. they wore uniform and was assigned an ID number. Prisoners were only allowed in the hallway and toilet and guards controlled behaviour. 2 week study.
• findings: identification occurred fast, guards began to harass and torment prisoners (later reported to enjoy doing so), prisoners would only talk about prison issues even when unaware of being watched. 5 prisoners released early due to extreme reactions. Study ended after 6 days.
• AO3 - real life application, changed the way US prisons are run. Beehive style prisons introduced, each cell under constant surveillance from a central monitoring unit.
• AO3 - ethical issues. Psychological harm. Lack of fully informed consent to avoid demand characteristics but justification that Zimbado didn't know what was going to happen.
• AO3 - lacks population validity, gender bias and results may be culture bound.
• AO3 - conformity to roles not automatic. Although some acted sadistically but others acted as good guards and chose to behave rather than blindly conform like Zimbado said.