Interpersonal dynamics in a simulated prison

interpersonal dynamics

The ways people's behaviors, feelings, and relationships influence one another within a social situation.

simulated prison

An experimentally created environment designed to reproduce important features of a real prison.

simulation

An artificial recreation of a real-world situation for the purpose of studying it.

social psychology

The scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by other people and social situations.

social behavior

Behavior that occurs in relation to other people or social situations.

social environment

The surrounding social conditions, people, roles, expectations, and norms that may influence behavior.

social situation

The social circumstances or environment in which behavior occurs.

situational explanation

An explanation that attributes behavior primarily to features of the environment or situation.

dispositional explanation

An explanation that attributes behavior primarily to relatively stable characteristics of the individual.

disposition

A relatively stable personal tendency or characteristic that may influence behavior.

personality

A relatively stable pattern of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that characterizes an individual.

individual differences

Ways in which people differ from one another in characteristics such as personality, attitudes, abilities, or behavior.

situational variable

A feature of a situation or environment that can influence behavior.

institution

A structured social organization governed by established roles, rules, and practices.

institutional environment

The social structure, rules, roles, and conditions created by an institution.

social institution

An organized system of roles, rules, and practices serving a social function, such as prisons or schools.

social role

A set of behaviors and expectations associated with a particular position in a social situation.

role assignment

The process of assigning participants to particular social roles.

role-playing

Acting according to the behaviors and expectations associated with an assigned role.

role expectations

Behaviors that people believe are appropriate or expected for a particular social role.

power

The ability to influence or control other people's behavior or circumstances.

powerlessness

A state of having little or no ability to control one's situation or outcomes.

authority

The legitimate or perceived right to give orders, make decisions, or control others.

control

The ability to influence or determine another person's behavior or circumstances.

oppression

The exercise of power or control in a way that restricts or harms another group.

dominance

Power or control exercised over other people.

submission

Acceptance of or yielding to another person's authority or control.

dependency

A condition in which a person relies on another person or system for needs, decisions, or outcomes.

deindividuation

A psychological state in which personal identity and individual responsibility become less salient, often because of anonymity or group membership.

anonymity

A condition in which a person's individual identity is hidden or made less noticeable.

group identity

A person's sense of belonging to and identifying with a social group.

norm

A shared expectation or rule about appropriate behavior within a group or situation.

conformity

Changing or adjusting behavior or beliefs to match group expectations or norms.

compliance

Changing one's behavior in response to a direct request or demand.

obedience

Following commands given by someone perceived as an authority.

aggression

Behavior intended to harm, threaten, or intimidate another person.

hostility

Unfriendly, antagonistic, or aggressive attitudes or behavior toward others.

harassment

Repeated behavior that intimidates, pressures, humiliates, or troubles another person.

dehumanization

Treating or perceiving people as though they lack normal human qualities, individuality, or dignity.

depersonalization

A reduction in the sense that a person is a unique individual.

pathology

Abnormal or dysfunctional psychological or behavioral functioning.

psychopathology

Psychological dysfunction, distress, or abnormal patterns of thought, emotion, or behavior.

maladaptive

Harmful or ineffective in adapting to one's environment or circumstances.

adaptation

Adjustment to environmental or situational demands.

coping

The thoughts and behaviors used to manage stressful or difficult situations.

stress

A psychological and physiological response to challenging, threatening, or demanding circumstances.

emotional distress

A state of significant emotional discomfort, such as anxiety, fear, sadness, or helplessness.

emotional breakdown

A severe loss of normal emotional functioning under extreme stress.

learned helplessness

A state in which repeated exposure to uncontrollable negative events can lead a person to stop trying to change or escape the situation.

self-esteem

A person's overall evaluation of their own worth or value.

self-concept

A person's beliefs and perceptions about themselves.

personal identity

A person's sense of themselves as a distinct individual.

perceived control

A person's belief about how much control they have over events and outcomes.

arbitrariness

The quality of being based on unpredictable choice rather than consistent rules or reasons.

arbitrary control

Control exercised unpredictably or without consistent rules or justification.

prisonization

The process through which prisoners adapt to and internalize the norms, roles, and culture of prison life.

incarceration

The state of being confined or imprisoned.

confinement

The condition of being restricted to a particular place or environment.

institutionalization

The process by which a person's behavior and functioning become shaped by prolonged life within an institution.

rehabilitation

The process of helping someone develop behaviors or abilities that support successful functioning after difficulty or punishment.

recidivism

The return to criminal behavior after punishment or imprisonment.

deterrence

The prevention of behavior by making its negative consequences sufficiently threatening.

punishment

A consequence intended to reduce or discourage a behavior.

privilege

A special benefit or advantage granted under particular conditions.

sanction

A penalty or consequence imposed for violating a rule or expectation.

interpersonal behavior

Behavior occurring between or involving two or more people.

interaction

A situation in which people act upon and respond to one another.

reciprocal

Operating in both directions, with each person or factor influencing the other.

escalation

A process in which behavior or conflict becomes progressively more intense.

resistance

Behavior intended to oppose or withstand control, demands, or authority.

rebellion

Active resistance against authority, rules, or control.

solidarity

Unity and mutual support among members of a group.

cohesion

The degree of connection, unity, or solidarity within a group.

experimental simulation

An experiment that recreates important features of a real-world situation under controlled conditions.

experimental condition

A particular situation or treatment to which participants are assigned in an experiment.

random assignment

Assigning participants to experimental conditions by chance so preexisting differences are less likely to systematically affect the groups.

participant

A person who takes part in a research study.

subject

An older research term for a person who participates in an experiment; modern psychology generally prefers participant.

sample

The group of people who actually participate in a research study.

population

The larger group that researchers hope their findings will help explain.

selection bias

A systematic difference created when the people selected for a study are not representative of the relevant population.

screening

The process of evaluating potential participants before allowing them to participate in a study.

independent variable

The variable manipulated or categorized by researchers to examine its effect on another variable.

dependent variable

The outcome that researchers measure to determine the effect of an independent variable.

control variable

A factor kept consistent or accounted for so it does not provide an alternative explanation for the results.

confounding variable

A factor other than the intended independent variable that may provide an alternative explanation for a result.

experimental control

Procedures used to reduce alternative explanations and isolate the effect of variables being studied.

baseline

A measurement taken before an experimental manipulation that provides a point of comparison.

measure

A method or instrument used to assess a variable.

measurement

The process of systematically assessing or quantifying a variable.

operational definition

A precise description of how a variable is measured or manipulated in a study.

observation

The systematic watching and recording of behavior.

behavioral observation

A research method involving systematic observation and recording of people's behavior.

self-report

Information participants provide about their own thoughts, feelings, experiences, or behavior.

questionnaire

A set of questions used to collect information from participants.

personality test

A measure designed to assess relatively stable psychological characteristics.

rating scale

A measurement tool in which a characteristic is evaluated using ordered numerical or descriptive categories.

audio recording

A recorded source of participants' verbal behavior used as research data.

video recording

A recorded source of observable behavior used as research data.

data collection

The systematic process of gathering information for research.