AO3 - Zimbardo

Cards (5)

Counterpoint to a limitation - Lack of realism
What? Participants did believe realistically
Who? McDermott - 90% conversations about prison life
Why? Did replicate social roles - high internal validity
Limitation: Lack of realism
What? Not realistic
Who? Banuazizi & Movahedi - stereotypes, not conforming to social roles
Why? Tells us little about conformity in actual prisons
Strength: Control
What? Control over key variables
Who? Selection of participants; random
Why? Internal validity
Limitation: Exaggerates the power of roles
What? Exaggerated power of social roles
Who? Fromm - 1/3 guards behaved brutally; most resisted pressures
Why? Overstated conformity to social roles
Limitation: Alternative explanation
What? Doesn't account for non-brutal guards
Who? Reicher and Haslam - Social Identity Theory (SIT)
Why? Guards had to actively identify with their role to behave how they did