Conformity to Social Roles

• Social Roles:

  The ‘parts’ people play as members of various social groups. Accompanied by expectations we and others have of what is appropriate behaviour in each role.
• The Stanford Prison Experiment:

  Aim

  • Wanted to investigate if people would conform to the social role given to them e.g prisoner or guard.
• The Stanford Prison Experiment:

  • Zimbardo (1973) set up a mock prison at Stanford University.
  • They selected 21 male student volunteers who were ‘emotionally stable’.
  • The students were randomly assigned to be prisoners or guards.
• The Stanford Prison Experiment:

  Uniform

  • Prisoners - loose smock, cap to cover hair, identified by number (their names were not used).
  • Guards - own uniform reflecting their role, wooden club, handcuffs, mirrored sunglasses.

  The uniforms created a loss of personal identity (de-individuation), more likely to conform to their social role.
• The Stanford Prison Experiment:

  Instructions About Behaviour

  • Prisoners were further encouraged to identify by their role by ‘applying for parole’ to leave the study early.
  • Guards were reminded that they had complete power over the prisoners.
• The Stanford Prison Experiment:

  Findings

  • Guards treated the prisoners harshly.
  • Within 2 days, the prisoners rebelled by ripping of their uniform and swearing at guards. The guards retaliated by using fire extinguishers on them.
  • The guards harassed the prisoners. Used ‘divide and rule‘ tactics - playing prisoners off against each other.
  • The conducted frequent headcount's - sometimes at night.
  • Guards would administer punishments.
  • After their rebellion, the prisoners became anxious and depressed.
• The Stanford Prison Experiment:

  Findings

  • One prisoner was released after showing symptoms of psychological disturbance.
  • One prisoner went on a hunger strike. The guards tried to force feed them and punished him by putting him in a small dark closet.
  • The guards became increasingly brutal and aggressive, some enjoying the power.
  • It ended after 6 days instead of the intended 14 days.
• The Stanford Prison Experiment:

  Conclusion

  • Social roles appear to have a strong influence on individuals behaviour.
  • The guards became brutal and the prisoners became submissive.
  • Taken on easily by participants, even volunteers found themselves behaving as if they were in prison.
• The Stanford Prison Experiment:Internal validity

  The degree to which the results of a study can be attributed to the independent variable
• The Stanford Prison Experiment had control over all variables which increased the internal validity
• The Stanford Prison Experiment lacked realism as it was based on stereotypes of how participants were supposed to behave and not conforming
• Social roles


  The behaviour expected from a person in a certain position or situation
• The experimenter overstated his view that the participants were conforming to social roles and minimised the influence of dispositional factors
• Only one-third of the guards behaved in a brutal manner - rest supported the prisoners
• The Stanford Prison Experiment was unethical as it caused harm to the participants (psychological)
• Sample


  The participants selected for a study
• The sample used in the Stanford Prison Experiment was only American men. It can’t be applied to women or collectivist cultures