Zimbardo Flashcards
1
Q
What did he want to improve of the Asch or Milgram studies?
A
- more participants
- more interaction
- more time
2
Q
Who were the participants of the study and how were they recruited?
A
- 70 were originally screened for psychological problems, disabilities, history of crime/drug abuse
- left with 18 (+6) students that were healthy, intelligent middle-class white males
- used this sample as the white privilege would see them as one of their own, showing that even people who are ‘upstanding’ can turn violent and tyrannic
- recruited through newspaper ad for study on effects of prison life, $15 a day
- random assignment to prisoner/guard and were ‘arrested’ at home
3
Q
What was the prison like?
A
- basement of Stanford University building
- ex-prisoner (served 17 years) made it into a prison
- cells with steel bars and cell numbers, had a solitary confinement cell (the hole)
- secret cameras in corridor and secret intercom system to bug the cells
- no windows or clocks and were blindfolded
4
Q
What was the method of the first day?
A
- humiliation: strip search, dress uniform with ID number, stockings hat, chain around ankle, only referred to by ID
- law enforcement: guards wear uniform and sunglasses; own rules on how to do their job
- asserting authority: counts during day and night; push-ups as punishment for prisoners
5
Q
What was the method of the second day?
A
- rebellion: some prisoners barricade themselves into cells with beds, harassment and intimidation, solitary confinement for ring leader
- breaking solidarity: privileges for ‘better behaved prisoners’, privileges to ‘bad guys’ to raise suspicions amongst prisoners
6
Q
What was the method of the third day?
A
- first release: participant is released due to acute emotional disturbance, disorganised thinking, uncontrollable crying and rage (3 more released with similar symptoms)
- visitors: groomed prisoners allowed to meet family/friends but under arbitrary rules of waiting and surveillance
- mass escape plot: leads Zimbardo to try and foil the plot by moving the prisoners
- payback: harassment and humiliation
7
Q
What was the method of the fourth day?
A
- visit from a priest and offer to get legal help
- release of further prisoner
8
Q
What was the method of the fifth day?
A
- parole board
- stand-in prisoner on hunger strike
9
Q
What is the method of the sixth day?
A
- parents send lawyer
- experiment is stopped
10
Q
What were some of the observations of behaviours?
A
- didn’t have to teach actors how to play their roles
- guard aggression was emitted as natural consequence of having uniform and asserting power was inherent in the role
- powerful roles corrupt normal people into committing inhumane acts of evil
- showed bad barrel hypothesis (situation determines behaviour)
11
Q
What were the conclusions of the study?
A
- negative view of the group (loss of personal identity and moral standards through deindividuation)
- corrupting nature of power and groups to act tyrannically
- loss of capacity for intellectual and moral judgements in groups
12
Q
What are the ethical considerations?
A
- right to withdraw from the study (only walk out if had a breakdown)
- distress to participants and parents
13
Q
What is the empirical quality?
A
- findings weren’t published in mainstream peer-review academic journal
- data can’t be scrutinised
- results shouldn’t be interpreted as findings
14
Q
What is the theoretical contribution?
A
- consider whether we’ve learnt anything about how tyranny evolves
- consider how complex is
15
Q
What impact did it have?
A
-what moral account of individual agency
