To find out about conformity to social roles after an increased levelof violence in prison guards
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Sample
All PPs male uni students
PPs found through volunteering
75 volunteers overall
Psychological testing on every volunteer to find the most psychologically stable
Ended up with 24 PPs overall
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Method
Controlled observation - lab experiment
Transformed the basement of Stanford Uni into a mock prison
Advertised for students to play roles of guards and prisoners for 2 weeks (14 days)
24 PPs chosen out of the 75 that volunteered
PPs paid $15 a day
PPs randomly assigned prisoner or guard
"Prisoners" were arrested in their home by real police who delivered them to the 'prison' where they were fingerprinted, booked and photographed. Prisoners were blindfolded, stripped naked and deloused
Prisoners were given a prisoner smock to wear and a number, which they would be reffered to as
The guards were issued with a khaki uniform, handcuffs and dark glasses to make eye contact with prisoners impossible
Zimbardo was observing the behaviours of the prisoners and guards, but also played the role of prison warden
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Social Roles of Prisoners and Guards
Social roles of guards and prisoners were heavily divided
Prisoners daily routines were strictly regulated
There was 16 rules that they had to follow which were enforced by the guards
Guards were told they had complete power over the prisoners, even being able to decide whether they could go to the toilet
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Findings
One prisoner was released on the first day because he showed signs of psychological disturbance
The guards took to their roles with enthusiasm, but their behaviour became a threat to the prisoners' physical and mental health, so the simulation was stopped after 6 days instead of 14
Within two days, the prisoners rebelled against the guards' harsh treatment, ripping their smocks, shouting and swearing at the guards, who reacted with fire extinguishers
The guards employed 'divide-and-rule' tactics, playing the prisoners off of each other
They harassed the prisoners constantly to demonstrate their power, e.g. waking them up in the middle of the night to do head counts
After their rebellion, the prisoners became subdued, depressed and anxious
Two more prisoners were released on the fourth day
One prisoner went on a hunger strike - the guards tried to force feed him and then put him in 'the hole' to punish him and turned the other prisoners against him
The guards identified more with their roles, becoming more aggressive and seeming to enjoy their positions of power
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Conclusion
The simulation revealed that power within a situation can influence people's behaviour
These roles were very easily adopted by the participants, even volunteers who came in to perform certain functions (e.g. prison chaplain) found themselves behaving as if they were in a prison and not a psychological study
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