Conformity - Zimbardo
- Created by: mxrtinx.d
- Created on: 24-02-20 11:18
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- Stanford prison experiment
- Conformity to social roles - Zimbardo
- Zimbardo and colleagues in 1973
- Was observing the prisoners and the guards (whilst acting like a prison warden)
- Procedure: converted the basement of the university into a mock prison, (lab) and advertised for participants (university students) to partake in a study on how prison effects individuals psychologically. Were given psychological test to prove they were fit to part take.
- were randomly selected to be prison guard or prisoner. 2 reserved, and 1 dropped out (of the 24 sample) ;leaving 10 prisoners and 11 guards
- 25 university students out of 75 that applied were deemed fit to partake. They were given $15 a day. (collecting sample : volunteer)
- To make it seem real, the prisoners were arrested without warning, and taken to the local police station to be 'booked'. Were blindfolded and taken to the university. The deindividualization began here.
- were stripped of clothes, deloused. belongings were taken and the individuals were given prison belongings and taken to cell. Only called by their given number - further impact their identity.
- guards all wore the same uniform, and wore reflective glasses - making eye contact impossible. Guards were instructed to do whatever they believed was necessary.
- Findings.
- Both conformed to the roles quickly. Physical Punishment = prisoners were taunted and were given silly orders - they were dehumanised.
- Asserting independence: Second day - prisoners rebelled, ripped numbers off and barricaded themselves in with beds. Guards hosed them with fire-extinguisher and punished leader.
- Prisoner #8612. less than 36hrs they suffered from acute emotional disturbance. Would scream, shout and act in a craze. They psychologically tested him and decided to let him out.
- The study was meant to last 2 weeks, but was terminated on the sixth day. Due to excessive behaviours of the guards and amounts of emotional breakdowns prisoners were having.
- Christina Maslach. - Ph. D. stopped the experiment.
- Conclusions
- individuals readily conform to roles, especially if its ones with stereotypes like guards.
- Two processes that caused final submission of prisoners. Deindividuation - so emerged in the environment, individuals lose identity. Learned helplessness - learned whatever they did had little effect on officers.
- Evaluation
- Demand characteristics - guards claimed they were simply acting.
- low ecological validity - cannot be generalisable. Behaviours may not influenced by same factors in real life.
- lacks population validity - Study only included US males - not generalisable to female population or other countries.
- Altered the US laws on prisons / prisons.
- Harmful studies are now reviewers by a psychological board before they are conducted to protect the participants.
- Zimbardo and colleagues in 1973
- Conformity to social roles - Zimbardo
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