conformity to social roles - zimbardo

• Zimbardo et al. (1973)

  • set up a mock prison in the basement of the psychology department at Stanford University
  • 21 male student volunteers (were tested as 'emotionally stable')
  • randomly assigned to play the role of prison guard or prisoner
• Prisoners and guards were encouraged to conform to social roles both through the uniforms they wore and also instructions about their behaviour.
• The experiment was supposed to last two weeks but had to be stopped after only six days because it became too stressful for some participants
• Uniforms created a loss of personal identity (called de-individuation), and meant they would be more likely to conform to the perceived social role.
• Rather than leaving the study early, prisoners could 'apply for parole'.
• Findings related to social roles - guards

  • used 'divide-and-rule' tactics by playing the prisoners off against each other
  • harassed the prisoners constantly, used fire extinguishers against prisoners
  • conducted frequent headcounts, sometimes at night, when the prisoners would stand in line and call out their numbers
  • created opportunities to enforce the rules and administer punishments
  • guards tried to force-feed prisoner on hunger strike and then punished him by putting him in 'the hole', a tiny dark closet
• Findings related to social roles - prisoners

  • within two days, the prisoners rebelled
  • ripped their uniforms
  • shouted and swore at the guards
  • after their rebellion was put down, the prisoners became subdued, depressed and anxious
  • one prisoner was released because he showed symptoms of psychological disturbance
  • two more were released on the fourth day
  • one prisoner went on a hunger strike
• Conclusions

  • Social roles appear to have a strong influence on individuals' behaviour
  • Guards became brutal
  • Prisoners became submissive
  • Behaving as if they were in a prison rather than in a psychological study
• Social roles

  • The 'parts' people play as members of various social groups
  • Everyday examples include parent, child, student, passenger and so on
  • These are accompanied by expectations we and others have of what is appropriate behaviour in each role, for example caring, obedient, industrious, etc.
• Zimbardo's study is called the Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE)
• Context and aim

  • In the 1970s there had been many prison riots in America
  • Zimbardo wanted to know why prison guards behaved so brutally - was it because they have sadistic personalities or was it their social role (as a prison guard) that created such behvaiour?