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Background: Zimbardo's SPE (US)
Key words:
Aim:
Research method: Field
Experimental Design: Volunteer
IV:
Sample:
Prison environment created:
Evaluation:
Research Method:
Sample:
Reliability:
Validity:
+ = High Ecol Validity due to:
Ethical Issues:
Improvements & Implications:
1)
2)
Exam Q's and Answers:
Key words:
- Tyranny= An unequal social system where one social group uses their authority/power in an oppressive way over another group with less power.
Aim:
Research method: Field
Experimental Design: Volunteer
IV:
- Permeability of roles
- Impermeability of roles
- ..
Sample:
- Male ps were recruited through advertising in the national press and through leaflets. They then went through a 3-phase clinical, medical and background screening to ensure they were neither psychologically vulnerable nor liable to put others at risk.
- The permeability of roles: It was announced on day 1 over the loudspeaker that there would be an opportunity for a prisoner to be promoted to a guard on Day 3 as it was possible the experimenters had misassigned 1 or more of the prisoners. Guards were told to look out for guard-like qualities. Ps were told the guards had been selected because of certain personality traits eg reliability, trustworthiness, initiative; but that if prisoners demonstrated these traits they might be promoted to being guards.
- Impermeability of roles: Day 3-The prisoners were told there would be no more promotions.
- Legitimacy of roles. On day 6 prisoners were told there were really no differences between prisoners and guards, but that it was impractical to reassign roles thus causing the perception that group differences were not legitimate.
- Cognitive alternatives. On day 7 a new prisoner, chosen because of his background as a Trade Union Official, was introduced to provide the skills required to organise ‘collective action’.
- Day 8- study terminated early for ethical reasons.
Prison environment created:
- The BBC was asked to create a mock prison environment at Elstree Studios, London in line with Reicher and Haslam’s guidelines.
- The entrance and delivery areas were separated from the main prison areas by sliding, lockable steel mesh grilles.
- Within the main prison area lockable, 3-person cells were constructed, together with showers, off a central atrium. This area was separated by a lockable steel mesh fence from the guards’ quarters which consisted of a dormitory, bathroom and mess room.
- The guards also had an observation post above the main atrium from where they could monitor the prisoners.
- Within the guards’ area there was an exercise area and an isolation cell.
- Lack of self-identity
- Anonymity
- Reduce individual uniqueness
- To enhance group identity
- Encourage group cohesion
- To make them feel inferior
- all ps underwent clinical, medical and background screening to ensure suitability
- all ps gave fully informed consent
- clinical psychologists monitored participants throughout the study
- a paramedic was on duty throughout the study
- the study was monitored by a 5-person ethics committee
- no physical violence would be tolerated
- The permeability of roles:
- Legitimacy of roles.
- Impermeability of roles: Prisoners developed a much stronger sense of shared identity and developed consensual norms. Prisoners began to discuss how they could improve their position by changing the system.
- Cognitive alternatives.
Evaluation:
Research Method:
Sample:
Reliability:
Validity:
+ = High Ecol Validity due to:
- Prisoners were held in lockable cells, as they would be in a real prison, so represented real life.
- The guards had separate quarters as they would do in real life.
- The guards (and prisoners) were given special uniforms to wear as they would in real life.
- There was a set prison timetable as there would be in a real prison.
- There was a set of prison rules which prisoners had to obey as they would in real prisons.
- Guards had keys to all doors as they would in a real prison.
- There was an isolation cell as there would be in a real prison.
- Guards could give rewards and punishments as they can in a real prison.
Ethical Issues:
Improvements & Implications:
1)
2)
Exam Q's and Answers:
Outline why this study may be considered an experiment (2)
Outline why this study has high ecological validity (2) Outline why this study has low ecological validity (2) Outline 2 ethical issues of the study (2) |
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