Social Influence Flashcards
(28 cards)
What influences people’s behavior?
The situation or surroundings is why people act certain ways.
What is conformity to social roles?
Conformity to social roles refers to the tendency of individuals to act according to the expectations of their social roles.
What are situational factors?
The situation/surroundings is why people act certain ways
Situational factors emphasize the influence of external circumstances on behavior.
What are dispositional factors?
People act certain ways because that’s who they are (inner nature)
Dispositional factors focus on internal characteristics and personality traits affecting behavior.
What was the aim of Zimbardo’s conformity to social roles study in 1971?
To examine whether people would conform to the social roles of prison guards or prisoners in a mock prison
The study also investigated whether behaviors in prisons were influenced by internal dispositions or external situational factors.
How many participants were involved in Zimbardo’s conformity study?
21 male university students
Participants volunteered in response to a newspaper advertisement.
What criteria were used to select participants for Zimbardo’s study?
Physical and mental stability
Participants were also compensated $15 a day.
How were participants assigned in Zimbardo’s study?
Randomly assigned to prisoners or guards
This random assignment aimed to eliminate bias in the roles.
Where was Zimbardo’s mock prison set up?
In Stanford University’s basement
The setting was designed to be as realistic as possible.
How were the prisoners treated in Zimbardo’s study?
They were arrested by real police
This added to the authenticity of the mock prison experience.
What instructions were given to the guards in Zimbardo’s study?
To run the prison without using violence
The guards were told to maintain order and authority.
How long was Zimbardo’s experiment set to run?
2 weeks
The study was intended to last this duration to observe long-term behavior.
What did Zimbardo’s conformity study find about social roles?
People quickly conform to social roles, even when the role goes against their moral principles.
The study highlighted the powerful influence of situational factors on behavior.
What was a significant behavior observed in the guards during Zimbardo’s study?
The guards dehumanised the prisoners.
This behavior was unexpected as participants had not previously demonstrated such actions.
What was the reaction of the prisoners in Zimbardo’s study?
The prisoners became increasingly submissive.
This change in behavior was a direct response to the social roles imposed on them.
How many prisoners were released early due to adverse reactions?
Five prisoners were released early.
Their reactions indicated the psychological impact of the experiment.
How long did Zimbardo’s study last before it was stopped?
The experiment was stopped at 6 days.
It was originally intended to last 14 days.
Who convinced Zimbardo to stop the experiment early?
A fellow student who later became Zimbardo’s wife.
Her concern for the participants’ well-being prompted the decision.
What ethical issues were raised by Zimbardo’s study?
Protection from harm and informed consent.
Participants faced significant psychological distress during the experiment.
Fill in the blank: The guards _______ the prisoners during Zimbardo’s study.
dehumanised
True or False: Zimbardo’s study showed that participants had previously exhibited the same behaviors as in the experiment.
False
None of the participants had demonstrated these behaviors before.
What was the conclusion of Zimbardo’s conformity study?
People quickly conform to social roles, even when the role goes against their moral principles.
Situational factors were largely responsible for the behaviour as none of the participants had ever demonstrated these behaviours previously.
What percentage of participants conformed in Zimbardo’s study?
78%
This high percentage indicates a strong tendency for individuals to adopt assigned roles.
What ethical issues were raised by Zimbardo’s study?
Breaches of protection from harm and informed consent.
These ethical concerns highlight the risks involved in psychological experiments.
