SOCIAL INFLUENCES: Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment Flashcards
Aim of experiment?
To explore the psychological effects of being a prisoner or a guard
By whom and when was it created?
1971 by Philip Zimbardo
Where was the prison made?
In the basement of the psychology building at Stanford University
Describe the entire volunteer process, from being selected to choosing roles
Advertised in the newspaper
70 volunteers undertook psychological testing to see whether they were normal, from which 24 mentally healthy people were chosen
By tossing a coin, they were divided into 2 groups of 9 prisoners and guards, the remaining 6 were spares
Describe the power and status of the guards and prisoners
The guards had more power and status than the prisoners
What rights (or not) were given to prisoners?
Had to ask permission for trivial things - bathroom
Had to call guards “Mr Correctional Officer”
Referred to other prisoners as numbers
Wore uniform
What were the rights of guards?
Given uniforms and batons
Could go home after an 8 hour shift
Had to remain law and order but without violence
What happened on the first day?
Prisoners thought they were meant to stay home until contacted, but were arrested at home
taken to police station and were charged and fingerprinted
taken to the mock prison and were strip searched and sprayed for lice
What happened on the second day?
Prisoners started minor rebellions only to be stopped by guards who became more aggressive
Guards used powers to stop them from smiling and laughing, and to do demeaning things
How many prisoners left after 4 days, and why?
4
Anxiety, rage, depression, stress related rash
How long did the experiment go for and how long was it meant to go for?
14 days but only went for 6 days
What effects did the experiment have on the guards and prisoners immediately after the experiment
Guards became brutal and didn’t want it to end
Prisoners became withdrawn and bitter, were happy that it had ended
What 2 conclusions did Zimbardo draw from the experiment?
Behaviour of normal men can change if they are given increased power and status
This can be applied to prisons, they demean humanity
Limitations of the experiment?
Guards given more powers than in real life
Some guards claimed their behaviour was based on stereotypes
Why can this be considered unethical?
Pain and humiliation were inflicted on people over a period of time, admits it should have ended on day 2
