Conformity To Social Roles As Investigated By Zimbardo

What are social roles?

The ‘parts‘ people play as members of various social groups. These are accompanied by expectations we and others have of what is appropriate behaviour in each role.

What was the aim of Zimbardo’s study?

To know why prison guards behave so brutally - if it’s because they have sadistic personalities or because their social role created such behaviour.

What is the SPE?

The Stanford prison experiment.

What was Zimbardo’s procedure?

He set up a mock prison in the basement of the psychology department at Stanford University. They selected 21 men (student volunters) who tested as ‘emotionally stable‘. The students were randomly assigned to play the role of prison guard or prisoner. Both were also encouraged to conform through the uniforms they wore and instructions about their behaviour.

How were the prisoners encouraged to conform to social roles?

The prisoners were given a loose smock to wear and a cap to cover their hair, and they were identified by number (their names were never used)

How did the prisoner uniforms encourage social roles?

They created a loss of perosnal identity (deindividualisation).

How were the guards encouraged to conform to social roles?

They had their own uniform relfecting the status of their role, a wooden club, handcuffs and mirror shades.

How were the prisoners further encouraged to identify with their roles?

Rather than leaving eary, prisoners could ‘apply for parole‘.

How were the guards further encouraged to identify with their roles?

They were reminded that they had complete power over the prisoners.

What were the findings of the guards behaviour?

• The guards took up their roles with enthusiasm, treating the prisoners harshly.

• They used ‘divide-and-rule‘ tactics by playing the prisoners off against one another.

• They harrased the prisonsers to remind them of the powerlessness of their role (frequent headcounts, making them stand in line at night)

How did the guards highlight the difference in social roles?

They created opportunities to enforce the rules and administer punishments

What happened within two days?

The prisoners rebelled: they ripped their uniforms and shouted and swore at the gaurds, who retaliated with fire extinguishers.

What happened to the participants after their rebellion was shut down?

They became subdued, depressed and anxious.

Were any participants released?

• One was released because he showed symtoms of psychological disturbance.

• Two more were released on fourth day.

How did one prisoner rebel?

He went on a hunger strike: the gurds tried to force-feed him and then punished him by putting him in ‘the hole’, a tiny, dark closet.

What happened to the guards behaviour as time went on?

• They identified more and more closely with their role.

• Their behaviour became increasingly aggresive, with some of them appearing to enjoy the power they had over the prisoners.

When did zimbardo end the study?

After six days insead of the intended 14.

What were the findings of the prisoners behaviour?

They became more submissive over time.

What were the conclusions in relation to social roles?

Social roles appeared to have a strong influence on individuals’ behaviour. The guards bceame brutal and the prisoners became submissive. Such roles were taken on by all participants. Even volunteers who came in to perform specific functions found themselves behaving as if they were in a prison rather than in a psychological study.

What is the strength of the SPE?

Control.

How is control a strength of the SPE?

Zimbardo had control over key variables, such as the selection of participants. The most obvious example of this was the selection of participants. Emotionally stable individuals were chosen and randomly assigned to the roles of guard and prisoner. If guards and prisoners behaved very differently but were in those roles only by chance, then their behaviour must have been due to the role itself.

What does control mean for the SPE?

This degree of control over variables increased the internal validity of the study, so we can be much more confident in drawing conclusions about the influence on roles on conformity.

What are the limitations of the SPE?

• Lack of realism.

• Exaggerates the power of roles.

Why is lack of realism a limitation of the SPE?

It did not have the realism of a true prison. Banuazizi and Mavahedi argued the participants were merely play-acting rather than genuinely conforming to a role. Participants’ performances were based on their stereotypes of how prisoners and guards are supposed to behave. For example, one of the guards claimed he had based his role on a brutal character from a film. This would also explain why the prisoners rioted - they thought that’s what real prisoners did.

What does the lack of realism in the SPE sugggest?

That the findings of the SPE tell us little about conformity to social roles.

What is the counterpoint to the lack of realism?

McDermott argued that the participants did behave as if the prison was real to them. For example, 90% of the prisoners’ conversations were about prison life. Amongst themselves, they discussed how it was impossible to leave the SPE before their ‘sentences’ were due. Prisoner 416 later explained how he believed the prison was a real one but run by psychologists rather than the government.

What does the counterpoint to the lack of realism suggest?

That the SPE did replicate the social roles of prisoners and guards in a real prison, giving the study a high degree of internal validity.

How is the exaggeration of the power of roles a limitation of the SPE?

Zimbardo may have exaggerated the power of social roles to influence behaviour: (Fromm). For example, only one third of the guards actually behaved in a brutal manner. Another third tried to apply the rules fairly. The rest actively tried to help and support the prisoners. They sympathised, offered ciggarettes and reinstated privilleges. Most guards were able to resist situational pressures to conform to a brutal role.

What does the exaggeration of the power of roles mean for the SPE?

It suggests that Zimbardo overstated his view that the SPE participants were conforming to social roles and minimised the influence of dispositional factors, like personality.