Transcript Zimbardo et al - Simply Psychology

Zimbardo et al
The Stanford
Prison Study
Introduction
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This study is applicable to both
conformity and obedience.
The type of conformity the
experiment explores is
identification.
It was carried out by Phillip G.
Zimbardo in 1971.
He is still professor of psychology
at Stanford University.
His website is www.zimbardo.com
and his email is [email protected]
Aims
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Zimbardo wanted to demonstrate the power
of social situations on people’s behaviour.
He was trying to refute the dispositional
hypothesis
He created a prison-like environment which
was psychologically as real as possible
Procedures
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He chose his Participants very carefully…
The prisoners were arrested at their own homes out of
the blue…
The differences between the guards and prisoners
appearances was huge…
Findings
•The guards soon began to behave in a authoritative
manner...
•The prisoners became withdrawn and in some cases more
extreme behaviour was shown…
•Some were released early…
•One even developed a rash over his whole body.
•The guards de-humanised the prisoners by referring to them
by their numbers and even the prisoners referred to each
other the same way.
•The study was ended soon before its official closing date...
Conclusions
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He rejected the dispositional hypothesis…
He also said that if any normal person was
put in the participants’ place they would
behave in the same way.
He summarised that a brutal environment
would produce brutal behaviour.
Criticisms
Strengths
High
ecological validity
Reality
of roles
Relating
to both areas of
social psychology
(obedience & conformity)
Informed
consent
Weaknesses
Mere
role play
Loss
of objectivity
Deception