Haslam and Reicher (2006) - BBC Prison Study
- Created by: lizzy.nilanujah
- Created on: 07-10-14 18:10
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- Haslam and Reicher (2006) - BBC Prison Study
- Method
- Controlled observation
- Mock prison - filmed for television
- Volunteer sample
- 15 male volunteers who had responded to an advert
- randomly assigned to two groups of 5 guards and 10 prisoners
- 5 groups of 3 people according to similarities in personalities - 1 guard picked from each
- 15 male volunteers who had responded to an advert
- Daily tests to measure depression, compliance with rules, and stress (saliva)
- Prisoners knew that one of them would be randomly selected to be a guard after 3 days.
- Independent ethics committee
- had to power to stop the experiment at any time in order to protect participants
- Results
- The guards failed to form a united group and identify with themselves
- Didn't always exercise their power
- unwillingness of guards
- caused the unequal system to collapse
- unwillingness of guards
- Said they felt uncomfortable with the inequality of the situation
- Didn't always exercise their power
- First 3 days - prisoners tried to act in a way that would get them promoted to guard status
- After one was promoted they became a much STRONGER GROUP as there were no more chances of promotion
- strength of prisoner group
- caused the unequal system to collapse
- strength of prisoner group
- Day 6 - prisoners rebelled and participants decided to live in democracy
- collapsed due to tensions within the group
- former prisoners wanted to set up a stricter regime with them as leaders
- collapsed due to tensions within the group
- After one was promoted they became a much STRONGER GROUP as there were no more chances of promotion
- Study abandoned early on the advice of the ethics community as participants showed signs of stress
- The guards failed to form a united group and identify with themselves
- Conclusion
- Participants didn't fit into their expected social rules
- suggests roles are flexible
- Participants didn't fit into their expected social rules
- Evaluation
- In contrast to Zimbardo's findings, H & R's prisoners were a strong group, and the guards were weak
- However, it is possible that H & R's guards were not as empowered as Zimbardo's, who were actively encouraged to maintain order
- Study has been criticised for being made for TV
- Many people (including Zimbardo) argued that elements of it were staged and the participants played up to the cameras.
- Artificial situation - results cant be generalised to real life
- Ethically good
- Participants were not deceived
- They were able to give informed consent
- Participants protected by ethics community
- Study abandoned as soon as the showed signs of levels of stress
- Debriefed and offered counselling afterwards
- Participants were not deceived
- In contrast to Zimbardo's findings, H & R's prisoners were a strong group, and the guards were weak
- Aims
- To investigate how group dynamics change over time
- To provide evidence of the unfolding interactions between groups of unequal power
- To investigate if dominant group members will identify with their group from the start and impose their power
- To investigate if subordinate group members will identify collectively and challenge intergroup inequalities when groups are seen as impermeable and insecure
- To measure social, organisational and clinical effects of the study on participants
- To develop a practical and ethical framework for examining social psychological issues in large-scale studies
- Method
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