Conformity to social roles: Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment

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  • Created by: Gottowork
  • Created on: 15-05-16 11:17
What are social roles?
The 'parts' people play as members of various social groups. Accompanied by expectations of appropriate behaviour
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What was the procedure of Zimbardo's mock prison?
Advertised for willing, 'emotionally stable' students. Randomly assigned to roles of guards and prisoners, prisoners arrested, blindfolded, deloused. Prisoners only had numbers, 16 rules to follow, guards had own uniform
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What did Zimbardo find?
Study stopped after 6 days, not 14. Within two days prisoners rebelled, guards harassed constantly. Prisoners became depressed, 1 released on first day, 2 on fourth. 1 went on hunger strike, others shunned him
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What can we conclude from Zimbardo's study?
Guards, prisoners and researchers all conformed to their roles in prison. Revealed power of situation to influence people's behaviour
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Explain a strength of the Stanford Prison Experiment.
Control - selection of participants ruled out individual personality differences - any behaviour due to pressures of situation. Increases internal validity, can draw conclusions
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Why are there ethical issues surrounding Zimbardo's study?
He had dual roles - superintendent and researcher. Student who wanted to leave spoke to first, Zimbardo responded worried about running of prison rather than responsibilities towards participants
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What about the role of dispositional influences?
Fromm accused Zimbardo of exaggerating power of situation to influence behaviour - only third behaved brutally, a third wanted to be fair, the rest tried to help the prisoners. So guards were able to exercise right and wrong choices if they wanted to
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What was the procedure of Zimbardo's mock prison?

Back

Advertised for willing, 'emotionally stable' students. Randomly assigned to roles of guards and prisoners, prisoners arrested, blindfolded, deloused. Prisoners only had numbers, 16 rules to follow, guards had own uniform

Card 3

Front

What did Zimbardo find?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What can we conclude from Zimbardo's study?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Explain a strength of the Stanford Prison Experiment.

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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