Conformity to Social Roles: Zimbardo's Research
- Created by: rosannaaa
- Created on: 29-04-18 09:41
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- Conformity to Social Roles: Zimbardo's Research
- Stanford Prison Experiment - study to answer if prison guards behave brutally because they have sadistic personalities or the situation creates behaviour.
- Mock prison in basement of psychology department @ Stanford Uni.
- They advertised for students willing to volunteer and selected those deemed emotionally stable after psychological testing.
- Students were randomly assigned the role of guards or prisoners.
- Social roles of prisoners and guards strictly divided, prisoners daily routine were heavily regulated.
- PROCEDURE
- Guards had their own uniform, wooden club, handcuffs, keys.
- To heighten realism of study, prisoners were arrested in the homes by local police and delivered to the prison, they were blindfolded, ***** searched and issued uniform and number.
- PROCEDURE
- 16 rules to follow, enforced by guards, who worked in shifts, 3 at a time.
- Were told they had complete power.
- Guards took up role enthusiastically.
- Behaviour became a threat to prisoners psychological and physical health and study was stopped after 6 days instead of 14.
- FINDINGS
- Prisoners became depressed, anxious. One went on hunger strike.
- FINDINGS
- After 2 days, prisoners rebelled against guards, ripping uniforms shouting and swearing.
- Divide and Rule tactic - playing prisoners off against each other.
- Guards identified closely with their role.
- Conclusion
- The experiment revealed power of situation to influence peoples behaviour.
- Conformity to Social Roles: Zimbardo's Research
- Stanford Prison Experiment - study to answer if prison guards behave brutally because they have sadistic personalities or the situation creates behaviour.
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