Conformity to social roles: zimbardo’s research

• Procedure

  1. Zimbardo set up a mock prison in the basement of the psychology department at Stanford university

  2. They selected 24 men who were tested as emotionally stable

  3. Students were randomly assigned to play the role of guard or prisoner

  4. Prisoners and guards were encouraged to conform to social norms and roles through the uniforms and instructions about their behaviours
• Social roles

  The parts people play as members of social groups and the expectations that come with this.
• Aim

  Zimbardo wanted to know why prison guards behave brutally
• findings

  The guards were harsh. They stayed in character even when not watched. One prisoner asked for parole. Five left early due to extreme reactions. The study ended after six days due to unjustified abuse.
• Control

  The SPE was effective in controlling important factors by choosing emotionally-stable individuals for the guard and prisoner roles. This helped eliminate personal differences and allowed for more confident conclusions about how roles influence behavior.
• Lack of realism

  The Stanford Prison Experiment lacked realism, leading participants to act based on stereotypes rather than truly conforming to roles, limiting its applicability to real prison scenarios.
• Counterpoint

  Participants in the SPE fully engaged in their roles, talking about prison life and thinking they couldn't leave until their sentences ended, showing high internal validity in replicating real prison social roles.
• Exaggerates the power of roles

  Zimbardo might have exaggerated social roles' impact in the SPE; not all guards were brutal, some were fair, and others supported prisoners, suggesting Zimbardo overstated role of conformity.