RESEARCH

• WHAT WAS THE AIM OF ZIMBARDO'S RESEARCH?

  investigate influence of social roles on conformity in a prison setting
• WHAT IS A SOCIAL ROLE?

  parts individuals play as members of a social group which meet the expectations of that situation
• WHAT DOES A SOCIAL ROLE INVOLVE?

  identification
• RESEARCH METHOD OF ZIMBARDO'S EXPERIMENT?

  observational study (controlled, participant, overt)
• DESIGN OF ZIMBARDO'S EXPERIMENT?

  independent groups
• IV OF ZIMBARDO'S EXPERIMENT?

  social role (prisoner or guard)
• DV OF ZIMBARDO'S EXPERIMENT?

  level of conformity to social roles (measured individual and group behaviour)
• SAMPLE OF ZIMBARDO'S EXPERIMENT?

  24 men
• SAMPLING TYPE OF ZIMBARDO'S EXPERIMENT?

  volunteer sampling
• WHAT HAPPENED WHILE SELECTING PARTICIPANTS THROUGH VOLUNTEER SAMPLING?

  questionnaire given out, to allow them to select the most physically/ mentally stable and mature participants

  -> out of 75 respondents
• PROCEDURE OF ZIMBARDO'S EXPERIMENT?

  1. Assigned participants randomly to role
  2. Mock arrest of prisoners
  3. Taken to makeshift prison
  4. Prisoner's daily routines were heavily regulated by guards working in shifts
  5. Guards allowed to fulfil social role but no physical violence was permitted
  6. Kept in prison for 6 days (supposed to go ahead for 2 weeks)
• WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MOCK ARREST?

  fingerprint, photograph, blindfold
• FEATURES OF THE MAKESHIFT PRISON?

  • university basement
  • barred doors and windows
  • bare walls
  • small cells
  • solitary confinement
• WHAT DID ZIMBARDO DO DURING THE STUDY?

  acted as a prison superintendent, while also observing behaviour as a researcher
• WHAT DID GUARDS WEAR?

  • khaki uniform
  • handcuffs
  • mirrored sunglasses
  • whistle
  • billy club
• WHAT DID PRISONERS WEAR?

  • smock
  • prison number
  • chain on ankle
• WHY DID PRISONERS WEAR WHAT THEY WORE?

  dehumanisation
• FINDINGS (QUALITATIVE) OF ZIMBARDO'S EXPERIMENT?

  • most guards adopted social roles
  • some appeared to enjoy dominating and humiliating prisoners
  • prisoners also adopted social roles
• EXAMPLES OF GUARDS ADOPTING SOCIAL ROLES?

  • fire extinguishers
  • waking at night and doing roll call
  • repeated intense physical exercise
  • solitary confinement
  • withdrawing toilet use
• EXAMPLES OF PRISONERS ADOPTING SOCIAL ROLES?

  • rebelled and rioted
  • released for psychological disturbance
  • became depressed and anxious
• FINDINGS (QUANTITATIVE) OF ZIMBARDO'S EXPERIMENT?

  90% of conversations were about prison life
• CONCLUSION OF ZIMBARDO'S EXPERIMENT?

  the situation had a huge influence on people's behaviour and social roles are easily adopted