Conformity to social roles: Zimbardo's research
- Created by: Jordan64
- Created on: 24-08-17 14:17
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- Conformity to social roles: Stanford Prison Experiment (1973)
- Procedure
- Tested whether the brutality of prison guards was the result of sadistic personalities or if it was created by situation
- 24 'emotionally stable students' determined by psychological testing
- Randomly assigned to roles of guards or prisoners
- To increase realism, 'prisoners' were arrested in homes and delivered to 'prison' - blindfolded, *****-searched, deloused and issued uniform and number
- Prisoners daily routines were heavily regulated - 16 rules to follow, enforced by guards working in shifts, 3 at a time
- Only prisoners numbers were used, Guards had own uniform and told they had complete power over prisoners
- Findings
- In two days: prisoners rebelled against treatment
- Ripped uniforms and shouted at guards, who retaliated with fire extinguishers
- Guards harassed prisoners constantly by conducting frequent headcounts, sometimes in middle of night
- Guards highlighted differences in social roles by creating opportunities to enforce rules and punish slight misdemeanours
- Guards took up roles with enthusiasm. Their behaviour threatened prisoners' psychological health
- After rebellion put down, prisoners subdued, anxious and depressed
- Three prisoners were released early as showed signs of psychological disturbance
- One prisoner went on hunger strike; guards attempted to force-feed him and punished him by placing him in 'hole' - tiny dark closet
- The prisoner was shunned by the other prisoners
- Study stopped after 6 days instead of planned 2 weeks
- In two days: prisoners rebelled against treatment
- Procedure
- Showed power of situation to influence people's behaviour
- Guards, Prisoners and Researchers all conformed to social roles in prison
- The more the guards identified with their roles, the more aggressive they became
- Findings
- In two days: prisoners rebelled against treatment
- Ripped uniforms and shouted at guards, who retaliated with fire extinguishers
- Guards harassed prisoners constantly by conducting frequent headcounts, sometimes in middle of night
- Guards highlighted differences in social roles by creating opportunities to enforce rules and punish slight misdemeanours
- Guards took up roles with enthusiasm. Their behaviour threatened prisoners' psychological health
- After rebellion put down, prisoners subdued, anxious and depressed
- Three prisoners were released early as showed signs of psychological disturbance
- One prisoner went on hunger strike; guards attempted to force-feed him and punished him by placing him in 'hole' - tiny dark closet
- The prisoner was shunned by the other prisoners
- Study stopped after 6 days instead of planned 2 weeks
- In two days: prisoners rebelled against treatment
- Guards, Prisoners and Researchers all conformed to social roles in prison
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