The Social Approach- Reicher&Haslam

Question 0

What are the aims of the study? First three

Answer 0

1) to examine the consequences of randomly dividing men into groups of prisoners and guards within a specifically constructed institution over a period of 8 days.
2) to create an institution to investigate the behaviour of groups that were unequal in terms of power status and resources.
3) They wanted to show that group membership has a more powerful influence over behaviour, especially the extent to which a person identifies with the group than just the situation they’re in.

Question 1

How many aims does Reicher and Haslam have?

Answer 1

8

Question 2

What are the other 5 aims of the study?

Answer 2

1) to provide evidence of the unfolding interactions between groups of unequal power.
2) to investigate if group members will identify collectively and challenge inter group qualities when relationships between groups are seen as impermeable and insecure.
3) to investigate if dominant group members will identify with their group from the start and impose their power.
4) to measure the social, organisational and clinical effects of the study on participants.
5) to develop a practical and ethical framework for examining social psychological issues in large scale studies.

Question 3

What type of experiment is this?

Answer 3

Field experiment

Question 4

What was the sample?

Answer 4

332 applied-> volunteer,self selected
27 selected
15 -> 5 guards and 10 prisoners

Question 5

How was the sample divided?

Answer 5

5 groups of 3 
Based on age, social class, ethnic background 
1 person from each grp picked as a guard
Remaining two prisoners 
GENDER UNSTABLE FACTOR NO FEMALES !

Question 6

How did the sample choose the participants ?

Answer 6

3 phase screening process:
1) psychometric tests -
social variables, authoritarianism etc
Clinical variables, in notes
2) full weekend assessment by independent clinical psychologists.
3) medical, character references and police checks

Question 7

What was the three IVS?

Answer 7

1) permeability - promotion
2) cognitive alternatives - trade unionist implemented
3) legitimacy - this was taken out , prisoners thought that guards legitimately had more power and as prisoners legitimately subordinate - day 3 researchers told them it was a random selection .

Question 8

What does cognitive alternatives mean ?

Answer 8

Group members awareness of ways in which social relations could be restricted in order to bring about social change .

Question 9

What does legitimacy mean?

Answer 9

Whether they thought the inequalities of power were based on something real deserving and legitimate or random, unfair and illegitimate.

Question 10

What does permeability mean?

Answer 10

Potential of moving up - e.g. To a more superior group - one group to another.

Question 11

What does security mean?

Answer 11

Subordinate group need security - confidence in freedom - when tyranny loses grip

Question 12

What does tyranny mean?

Answer 12

Power that a high status group exercises in an arbitrary + oppressive way ( arbitrary meaning chaotic.)

Question 13

What are the two key concepts within the study?

Answer 13

Permeability and security

Question 14

What were the 3 DVS?

Answer 14

1) social variables:
Social identification in awareness of social plans of action. Authoritarianism/subservience
2) organisational variables : obeying rules or not, adhering to authority commands .
3) clinical variables: self efficacy, depression, stress hormones ( saliva swabs cortisol testing)

Question 15

What were the two controls ?

Answer 15

1) to ensure personality types were evenly spread.

2) carried out ‘blind’ with experimenters not knowing who was allocated which role ( double blind)

Question 16

What was the initial set up?

Answer 16

Participants informed they would be in research that examined the behaviour of two groups of unequal power, entering the situation similar to boot camp or a detention centre involving levels of hardship and deprivation . They were not told :

• details of the system
• what group they’d be allocated to
• that the study was for ten days , they said it was for two weeks -> if they had they may care towards the end of the study , false hope - act differently if they knew, anticipation of returning to the outside world.

Question 17

What were the guards positions and roles ?

Answer 17

Better conditions - superior meals, extra supplies such as food and drinks, superior living conditions, well made uniforms.
They had:
- keys to all doors
- could implement bread and water diet to the prisoners.
- resources to use as rewards ( snacks and cigarettes)
- they had a guards station and surveillance
- sole access to upper level.

Question 18

What were the prisoners conditions like?

Answer 18

9 prisoners arrived at once
Heads shaved , clothes taken and had a shower
Uniform = t-shirt, lose trousers and flimsy sandals
Given a 3 digit number

Question 19

How did they gather data ?

Answer 19

• video and tape recordings made of entire proceedings
• questionnaire everyday
• Physiological data of saliva swabs to test cortisol levels - a stress hormone.

Question 20

What did the questionnaires test?

Answer 20

The DVS!

1) their social variables - level of identification with the group
2) organisational variables- their perceptions of the leadership in the two groups
3) clinical variables - their levels of depression

Question 21

What did this gathering of data mean?

Answer 21

There was a triangulation of data sources which allowed the experimenters to get a deeper insight in to what people were doing and why and how they were being affected.
When different data sources point to the same conclusion = convergent validity.

Question 22

What is the timeline of events:

Answer 22

Day 1 = G&P ARRIVE. promotion is available
Day 2= The sausages episode
Day 3= interviews for promotion
Day 4= Murray promoted to guard, quarry talks of drink at pub, Edwards throws plate on the floor.
Day 5= McCabe arrives, keys stolen
Day 6= break out at night, McCabe leaves
Day 7= silver ball meeting, commune begins, rules broken(smoking)
Day 8= burnt porridge, new regime proposed which is tyrannical
EXPERIMENT TERMINATED .

Question 23

With the time line where did factors come to play ?

Answer 23

1) day 1-3 = permeability & early days
2) day 4 = legitimacy , and im permeability - CONFLICT .
3) day 5= cognitive alternatives “McCabe” ORDER
4) day 6 = REBELLION , to see if mccabe’s democracy will be implemented.
5) day 7 = tyranny
6) day 1-6 = rejecting inequality and day 7-8 is embrace inequality

Question 24

What three things did rejecting inequality ( day 1-6) consist of?

Answer 24

1) guards did not identify with group and so did not act collectively
2) prisoners lacked social identity and acted individually in hopes of promotion.
3) after day 3 - prisoners increasingly acted as a group and on day 6 guards overthrown by prisoners.

Question 25

What 4 things did the embracing inequality phase consist of? ( day 7-8)

Answer 25

{also seen on day 5 trade unionist McCabe sets up forum for G&P}
- G&P decided to create new self governing commune.
- the commune is unable to deal with internal dissent[some former prison in e and former guards impose harsh regime in other pps]
New guards = regime - strict rules and punishments to ensure everyone toes the line.
- study terminated day 8 - broken ethical guidelines.

Question 26

What does internal dissent mean?

Answer 26

Difference in sentiments of opinions among people in the same group .

Question 27

What were the ethics of this study? (6)

Answer 27

1) pps went through detailed 3 phase screening process
2) signed comprehensive consent form ( @ risk of psychological discomfort)
3) a paramedic on standby throughout
4) two independent clinical psychologists monitored the study, they could demand withdrawal from any pps in the study.
5) on site security guards ready to intervene.
6) independent 5 person ethics committee monitored throughout stating it was exemplary.

Question 28

What are the strengths of the study?

Answer 28

1) Quantitative and qualitative data was collected . (Questionnaires, observation, cortisol levels)
2) ethically strong : committees, consent, no deceit, right to withdraw, protection from harm, thorough debrief.

Question 29

What are the weaknesses of the study?

Answer 29

1) so many factors at work rather than one single variable being manipulated so firm cause and effect conclusions about individuals behaviour could not be drawn.
2) televised = social desirability, demand characteristics. Therefore, low validity of the study as the fact it was televised could have affected the PPS behaviour e.g. Guards with authoritarian behaviour inhibited by thoughts of being judged.
3) low ecological validity.
4) effects observed could be a product of participants personalities rather than group processes - { 3 prisoners with biggest personalities- G&P however matched on variables - racism, authoritarianism and dominance different personality types were controlled }

Question 30

What were the conclusions of the experiment?

Answer 30

1) Tyranny seems to arise as a solution to group failures.
2) people do not conform blindly or mindlessly to roles that are assigned to them. They only act in terms of a role when they internalise it as a result of social identification.
3) the dysfunctional guard group had worse mental health scores - social support can improve mental health.
4) power is a consequence of social identification
5) collective conflict and tyranny=group level - behaviour cannot always be fully explained at an individual level.

Question 31

What do Reicher and Haslam argue that makes tyranny psychologically acceptable?

Answer 31

Powerlessness and failure of groups

Question 32

What does deindividuation mean?

Answer 32

Temporary loss of personal identity resulting from becoming part of a group.

Question 33

What is the attribution theory?

Answer 33

The ways in which people explain for attributes in their behaviour that of others or themselves.

Question 34

What is dispositional attribution?

Answer 34

Assigns causality to factors within the person such as their own level of intelligence ( makes the individual person responsible for the event)

Question 35

What is the social identity theory?

Answer 35

Proposes that group membership affects our identity, self esteem and behaviour -> seeing ‘our’ group as superior this superior belief ( ethnocentrism) can lead to stereotyping/ discrimination.

Question 36

What is authoritarian ideology ?

Answer 36

Believe in order and respect for authority figures.
The power that you can force on people - in favour of the strong controlling the weak - socialism with capitalist veneer.

Question 37

What does egalitarian mean?

Answer 37

Of relating to or upholding the doctrine of the equality of mankind and the desirability or political, social and economic equality.

Question 38

What was the basis for Reicher and Haslam?

Answer 38

Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment

Question 39

10 facts about the Stanford prison experiment ?

Answer 39

1) zimbardo took the role of superintendent of the prison- he also believed the experiment was real at some points.
2) the experiment only lasted 6 days due to the extremity.
3) Eshlemen ( John Wayne of the prison) got in to character as the guard and had a southern accent - tried to enforce power.
4) prisoner 416 Ramsay - put himself on hunger strike
5) two prisoners asked to leave due to stress
6) Eshlemen put 416 in ‘the hole’ and got other prisoners to hurl abuse at him - 416 continued to rebel.
7) whole experiment = unethical - guards felt guilt and the prisoners felt shame.

Question 40

What is tyranny?

Answer 40

The power that a high status group exercises in an arbitrary and oppressive way, bad dictatorship - one prisoner shot another no food for same crime.