Zimbardo

Question 1

What is the background for Zimbardo?

Answer 1

Influenced by reports of indoctrination and ‘brainwashing’ coming out of Korean War
Origins of study: 1971 undergraduate exercise
Wanted to disprove dispositional explanations

Question 2

What were the aims of Zimbardo?

Answer 2

Create a realistic prison simulation
Why alleged brutality and violence in
American prisons?
When can a role-playing simulation become
so real that it becomes more than just a
game?

Question 3

Who were the PPs for Zimbardo and how were they found?

Answer 3

Ad placed for Ps to take part in a study on prison life for $15 a day for 2 weeks
25 Ps selected from an initial pool of 75
Half Ps randomly assigned to guards (11), half as prisoners (10)
Some Ps dropped out early on or were excluded due to unusual test results
Ps were male college students

Question 4

What happened to the male prisoners at the start of the experiment?

Answer 4

Ps arrested at their home (taken by surprise)
Ps fingerprinted at the police station and left in isolation cell
Blindfolded and transported to the “Stanford County Prison”
Stripped naked, searched, issued a uniform and taken to cell

Question 5

What were the cells like?

Answer 5

Basement corridor of Stanford University
3 small cells made, complete with steel
barred doors
Only furniture was a bed in each cell

Question 6

What were the PPs told of the aim?

Answer 6

Told that aim was to simulate a prison environment, within limits of ethical considerations
Their task was to maintain the reasonable degree of order within the prison necessary for its effective functioning.” (Zimbardo, 1975)
Specifics of how this duty should be implemented were not specified
Guards generally believed primary focus of interest was on prisoner behaviour

Question 7

What were the lives of the guards?

Answer 7

Guards worked in shifts and didn’t live at the prison

Question 8

Who looked at the role internalisation?

Answer 8

Haney et al 1972

Question 9

Role internalisation?

Answer 9

Both guards and prisoners quickly internalised their roles, with many of the guards becoming sadistic and the prisoners becoming increasingly helpless or obedient

Question 10

What effect did the uniform have?:

Answer 10

In order to promote anonymity, identical uniforms given to each
group
Promotes perception of others as members of a group + lowers
inhibitions

Question 11

Who looked at de-individuation?

Answer 11

Haney et al 1972

Question 12

How de-individuation occur?

Answer 12

The guards were able to hide behind their uniforms and the authority given to them
Prisoners, stripped of their personal identity and referred to only by numbers, also experienced a sense of deindividuation

Question 13

Effect of sunglasses on guards?

Answer 13

Eye contact impossible, no none verbal cues

Question 14

What were the observations?

Answer 14

Guards became more aggressive over time – every guard was abusive; about a third were ‘sadistic’
Prisoners suffered mental anguish
Stopped exp after 6 days
5 ‘prisoners’ had to be released because of “extreme emotional depression, crying, rage and acute anxiety”
Gs seemed to enjoy their power and control

Question 15

What was administered for observations?

Answer 15

Personality measures tests
Interviews
Observation records
Diaries

Question 16

What are examples of the guards sadism?

Answer 16

Guards retaliated strongly when prisoners rebelled
Physical punishment
Degraded prisoners
Solitary confinement
Tried to split the prisoners
Sometimes denied basic rights

Question 17

What is pathology of power?

Answer 17

Refers to the psychological and social consequences of holding power, particularly how power can distort one’s behavior, cognition, and interactions with others.

Question 18

What are the key aspects of pathology of power?

Answer 18

Dehumanisation
Loss of Empathy
Increased Sense of Entitlement
Overconfidence
Isolation
Corruption and Abuse
Psychological Distress

Question 19

What is dehumanisation?

Answer 19

People in positions of power may begin to view others as tools or objects rather than individuals with their own needs, feelings, and rights

Question 20

What is loss of empathy?

Answer 20

Power tends to reduce empathy for others.

Question 21

What is increased sense of entitlement?

Answer 21

Leads to greed, corruption, and the use of power for personal gain rather than for the benefit of others.

Question 22

What is overconfidence?

Answer 22

People with power may believe they are infallible or immune to the consequences of their actions, which can lead to reckless or irresponsible decision-making.

Question 23

What is isolation?

Answer 23

As power increases, so does the distance between the powerful individual and others.
This can lead to social isolation, as those in power may surround themselves with people who are afraid to challenge them.
This lack of constructive feedback can reinforce poor decision-making.

Question 24

What is corruption and abuse

Answer 24

Power can corrupt even the most well-intentioned individuals.

Question 25

What is psychological distress?

Answer 25

Ironically, those in power can also experience psychological distress. The constant pressure to maintain power, manage responsibilities, and deal with the resentment or opposition of others can cause stress, anxiety, and paranoia.

Question 26

What is pathological prisoner syndrome?

Answer 26

A psychological condition that describes the mental and emotional effects that prolonged incarceration can have on individuals. It is not an officially recognised disorder in diagnostic manuals like the DSM-5, but it is a term used to describe the detrimental psychological changes that occur in prisoners as a result of long-term imprisonment.

Question 27

What are 5 of the symptoms of PPS?

Answer 27

Loss of Initiative and Motivation Emotional Numbness Disrupted Sense of Identity Paranoia and Distrust Increased Aggression or Anxiety

Question 28

What is loss of initiative and motivation?

Answer 28

Prisoners may experience a sense of helplessness and a lack of motivation to make decisions or take action. No longer able to act independently or make proactive choices.

Question 29

What is emotional numbness?

Answer 29

Long-term confinement can lead to emotional detachment or numbness. Prisoners might suppress their emotions to cope with the harshness of their environment Leads to difficulties in forming or maintaining emotional connections, both in prison and after release.

Question 30

What is disrupted sense of identity?

Answer 30

Over time, prisoners may lose their sense of self outside the prison system, as they become defined by their incarceration. This can result in feelings of shame, guilt, or worthlessness.

Question 31

What is paranoia and distrust?

Answer 31

Living in an environment where trust is often in short supply, prisoners may develop heightened paranoia and distrust, not only toward other inmates but also toward staff and even loved ones. This is a defense mechanism against potential threats but can have long-lasting effects on social relationships after release

Question 32

What is increased aggression and anxiety?

Answer 32

The hostile, often violent prison environment can contribute to an increased propensity for aggression or heightened anxiety. These symptoms might be expressed through irritability, mood swings, or violent outbursts.

Question 33

What are the causes of PPS?

Answer 33

Prolonged isolation Harsh living conditions Lack of mental health care

Question 34

What was the change in diary entries for the guards?

Answer 34

First day= claimed to be a pacifist and non-aggressive Fifth day= Physically aggressive by forcefeeding a prisoner

Question 35

What happened with the psychological aspects of time?

Answer 35

Institutionalisation breaks up continuity Apparent circularity of time People overreact to minor stimuli and fail to plan for major events

Question 36

What defined anonymity?

Answer 36

Zimbardo 1975

Question 37

What is anonymity?

Answer 37

Conditions that reduce a person’s sense of uniqueness, that minimize individuality, are the wellsprings of antisocial behaviors

Question 38

What is the anonymity in prisons?

Answer 38

Uniforms, numbers, standard hair cuts, limits on personal property and personalising cells Limited possessions become things to fight for he ‘ecology of de-humanisation’ – prison design Minimising privacy, mass eating, mass exercise

Question 39

Who looked at the value of the SPE?

Answer 39

Newtin & Zimbardo 1975 Orlando 1973

Question 40

What did Newton & Zimbardo find?

Answer 40

The study has been presented to a great many civic, judicial, military, and law enforcement groups

Question 41

What did Orlando 1973 find?

Answer 41

Its role playing procedures have been used with mental health staff

Question 42

Who looked at replication?

Answer 42

Lovibond et ak 1979

Question 43

What did Lovibond et al find?

Answer 43

Its results have also been generally replicated in another culture: New South Wales, Australia

Question 44

Who critiqued Zimbardo?

Answer 44

Banuazizi, A. & Movahedi, S. (1975).

Question 45

What did Banuazizi, A. & Movahedi, S. (1975) say?

Answer 45

The design of the experiment lacked sufficient controls to account for confounding variables The behaviour of the participants was influenced by demand characteristics Non-random assignment of roles in the experiment= biased outcomes Behaviours exhibited by the participants (e.g., guards being abusive, prisoners becoming passive) might be explained by social expectations and the roles assigned to them, rather than the inherent power dynamics of prison life.

Question 46

Who explored group identities and power structures?

Answer 46

Reicher & Haslam (2011)

Question 47

What did Reicher & Haslam 2011 do?

Answer 47

The study involved 15 male participants who were randomly assigned to be either "guards" or "prisoners." It took place over 8 days in a specially constructed setting that mimicked a prison.

Question 48

What were the findings for Reicher & Haslam?

Answer 48

Emergency of tyranny Resistance + group solidarity Psychological process Role of social identity

Question 49

What is the emergence of tyranny?

Answer 49

How easily power could be abused and how quickly group dynamics could shift to oppressive behaviour.

Question 50

What were the psych processes in Reicher & Haslam (2011)?

Answer 50

Conformity to social roles and group identity could influence behavior, even in people who were not initially predisposed to act in cruel or authoritarian ways

Question 51

Resistance + group solidarity? (R+H)

Answer 51

Prisoners initially accepted their submissive roles, but over time they began to challenge the authority of the guards. This resistance was also driven by a collective sense of identity and solidarity among the prisoners, who began to see their oppression as a shared experience.

Question 52

Role of social identity? (R+H)

Answer 52

Behaviour of both guards and prisoners was influenced by their social identity, rather than individual personality traits. The guards became more authoritarian as they identified with their role and the power it gave them. Prisoners, on the other hand, formed a sense of solidarity and resistance against the guards.