PS2030 Lecture notes 2 PDF

Preview

Summary

Lecture 2 - Classic experiments in social psychology: The Stanford Prison Experiment Lecture Outline Background Aims Participants Methods o The arrest o The prison o Orientation o Uniforms Findings o Observations § Apparent guard ‘sadism’ § Extreme effects Calling time on the study Power Psychologic...

Description

Lecture 2 - Classic experiments in social psychology: The Stanford Prison Experiment Lecture Outline - Background - Aims - Participants - Methods o The arrest o The prison o Orientation o Uniforms - Findings o Observations § Apparent guard ‘sadism’ § Extreme effects - Calling time on the study - Power - Psychological aspects of Time - Anonymity - Reactions - Wider relevance and impact - Understanding the issues with the Abu Ghraib Prison Background There is a close relevance between Milgram and Zimbardo, as the two went to school together; which lead to similar interests also int eh work place: - Milgram à obedience study - Zimbardo à had a series of studies § His earlier work was on de-individuation which can be closely linked to Milgram’s work. Zimbardo was highly influenced not only by Milgram but also be the reports of indoctrination and ‘brain-washing’ coming from the Korean War, as well as the work of Walter Mischel and David Resenhan. Rosenhan’s study investigated the effects on mental health of sane individuals being treated as insane in an institution for the mentally unstable. While Mischel researched the idea of delayed gratification with the marshmallow test. Zimbardo focused his study on wanting to disprove dispositional explanations. Aims The aim of the study was to create a realistic prison simulation, to see how the participants would react to being either the prisoner or the guard. Essentially he created a big game of ‘guardie e ladri’. The research question was the following: § “How do men adapt to the novel and alien situation in which those called ‘prisoners’ lose their liberty, as well as privacy, while those called ‘guards’ gain power and social status?”

Participants Participants were recruited through an advertisement placed for participants to take part in a study on prison life, with a compensation of $15 a day for two weeks for a total of $225 at the end of the experiment. A total of 25 participants were selected from the initial participant pool of 75 - Participants were all male college students - Some participants dropped out early or were excluded due to unusual test results Participants were assigned either the role of the guard or the prisoner randomly, and were told so: - Guards à 11 - Prisoners à 10 o These were told to be available at home on a particular Sunday when the study was due to start It needs to be noted that the agreement to participate in the study led to the suspension of some civil rights; just like inmates do after committing a crime. The ‘arrest’ Participants that were given the role of prisoner were told to be available at home on a particular Sunday when the study was due to start, without being told why. The real reason for this was to allow the ‘guards’ to simulate an arrest, just like real criminals. The participants were unaware this would happen and were arrested from their home. - Participants were fingerprinted at the police station and left in an isolation cell. - They were then blindfolded and transported to the “Stanford County Prison’ They had an induction when first introduced in the ‘prison’: o They were stripped naked o Searched o De-loused à this means that with the use of chemicals they were stripped of potential lice o Issues a uniform, bedding and basic supplied o ID picture taken and then taken to the cell and told to remain silent The Prison The prison was simulated in the basement corridor of the Psychology Department of Stanford University, USA. In the corridor three small cells were made, complete with steel barred doors. In these rooms the only furniture was a bed in each cell. - Specifically, the solitary confinement cell was made from a cupboard measure 60x60x213 cm. - Several rooms in an adjacent wing of the building were used as guards quarters, the bedroom for the warden and superintendent; as well as an interview room Orientation The prisoners remained in the prison 24-7 without any possibility of leaving, for the two weeks they were told to play the role (unless they abandoned the study). When all cells were occupied by the prisoners, the Warden greeted them as well as reading out the rules. - The guards attended a meeting day before the prisoner orientation - The prisoners were also introduced to experimenters: o The superintendent à Zimbardo

o The warden à David Jaffe, a formal undergraduate They were told the aim was to simulate a real prison environment, within the limits of ethical considerations The prisoners were also told that their task was to “… maintain the reasonable degree of order within the prison necessary for its effective functioning.” (Zimbardo, 1975) The specifics of how this duty should be implements were not specified. The guards generally believed primary focus of interest was on prisoner behavior. To add, they worked in shifts and did not live at the prison. Finally, explicit and categorical prohibition against the use of violence. -

Uniforms In order to promote anonymity, as well as simulate the real prison experience, the participants were given identical uniforms to each group. This promotes the perception of others as members of a group and lowered inhibitions through de-individuation (this topic was previously studied by Zimbardo). - Guards o Khaki shirt o Trousers o Whistle o Police night stick o Reflective sunglasses – this made eye contact impossible - Prisoners: o Loose fitting muslin smock o ID number on the front as well as the back o No underwear o Chain and lock around one ankle o Sandals o Cap made from a nylon stocking Observations - A video tape footage was taken for a total of 12 hours - Interviews, diaries and observation record were also used for both the guards and the prisoners. - Pen and paper tests were administered for personality measures o For example, the F-scale Through all these it was observed that: - Guards became more aggressive over time o All guards became abusive, while a third of theme became sadistic - Prisoners suffered mental anguish - Authoritarianism - Prisoner conversation - ‘Parole Board’

Apparent Guard ‘Sadism’ It was observed that a third of the guards presented sadistic behavior towards the prisoners. This included: o Strong retaliation when prisoners rebelled o Physical punishment o Degradation of prisoners

o A direct introduction of solitary confinement when they deemed prisoners too rebellious o Tried to split the prisoners o Sometimes denied the basic rights Within these observed sadistic behaviors, extreme effects were shown: 1. “...pathology was rampant in this prison environment; for the guards it was through abuse of power, for the prisoners it was manifest in their pervasive display of learned helplessness. It seems reasonable to conclude that in the contest between the forces of good men and evil situations, the situation triumphed. 2. “Unknown to us at the time, we were as much ‘subjects’ imprisoned in our roles of prison staff as we were experimenters directing the events of the study.” 3. “...the metamorphosis of a group of average, healthy, intelligent individuals into a mass of pathetic prisoners and a block of guards perverted by the pathology of power...” Calling Time on the Study They study was halted after only 6 days of simulation. - 5 of the prisoners had to be released due to ‘extreme emotional depression, crying, rage as well as acute anxiety. - The guards seemed to enjoy their power and control The study observed two pathologies starting to emerge: § Pathology of power § Pathological prisoner syndrome Power, as observed in the study Power is a neglected variable in social psychology Power in the experiment: - Diary entry 1 of ‘guard’ à prior to start of experiment: o “As I am a pacifist and non-aggressive individual, I cannot see a time when I might guard or maltreat other living things” - Diary entry on day 4 of guard: o “… the psychologist rebuked me for handcuffing and blindfolding a prisoner.. and I resentfully reply that it is both necessary security and my business anyway” - Diary entry on day 5 of guard: o “the new prisoner refuses to eat his sausage… we through him into the ‘hole’… [we] tell the new one that all the others will be deprived of visitors if he does not eat the sausage. I decided to force feed him, but he wouldn’t eat. I let the food slide down his face. I didn’t believe it was me doing it…” Psychological aspects of Time - Institutionalization breaks up continuity - Apparent circularity of time - People overreact to minor stimuli and fail to plan for major events

Anonymity “...conditions that reduce a person’s sense of uniqueness, that minimize individuality, are the wellsprings of antisocial behaviors...” (Zimbardo, 1975) Anonymity in prisons includes: - Uniforms, numbers, standard hair cuts, limits on personal property and personalising cells - Limited possessions become things to fight for - The ‘ecology of de-humanisation’: o prison design o minimising privacy, o mass eating, o mass exercise, - Denying the exercise of choice o People lose capacity for self-direction - Emotionally ‘flat’ – prisons o “...distort, inhibit and suppress emotions” Reactions from the world to the study à Banuazizi and Movahedi (1975) They questioned: o The realisms o The phenomenological significance o Zimbardo’s active role as superintendent o Alternative explanation à Erich Fromm He stated that reality and simulation were mixed up, in his book: The anatomy of human destructiveness à Reicher and Haslam (2006) They conducted a documentary called “the Experiment” on the BBC. In this they questioned: - Zimbardo’s leadership - What about rebellion ? - Social Identity Theor - Guards in “The Experiment” - The role account is dangerous - Failure to achieve a common social identity

-

à Zimbardo, Maslach and Haney (2000) They investigated: Situational power in novel settings Role playing Good people in ‘total situations’ US Air Force Academy training

What was the wider relevance and impact of the study? + Psychologists need to be advocates of social change + Prisons are places that demean humanity; imprisonment should be used more sparingly (Haney & Zimbardo, 1998) + Z’s testimony led to US ruling not to house juveniles with adult prisoners

+ The study has been presented to a great many civic, judicial, military, and law enforcement groups (see Newton & Zimbardo, 1975; Pogash, 1976). + Its role-playing procedures have been used with mental health staff (see Orlando, 1973). See also Goffman (1961) + Its results have also been generally replicated in another culture: New South Wales, Australia (Lovibond, Mithiran, & Adams, 1979). The Abu Ghraib Prison This was a prison in Iraq were Iraqi prisoners were tortured by American Guards - Guards were condemned by the military leadership as ‘morally corrupts’, and by the press as a few ‘bad apples. - Zimbardo testified in defense of Sgt. Ivan “Chip” Frederick - Prisoner humiliation and physical abuse - Defendant was psychologically normal - Zimbardo told MTV News: it’s more like a bad barrel converting good apples into bad apples....