REICHER & HASLAM

Question 2

Method of their experiment

Answer 2

• Controlled observation.
• Set in a mock prison.
• Pps were tracked on camera and microphones.
• 15 male volunteers took part. They were assigned roles randomly.
  5 = guards.
  10 = inmates.
• Compliance, stress and depression levels were measured daily.
• They were told that one random prisoner would be promoted and become a guard on day three.
• Prisoners started challenging the guards power and authority. Negotiating with the guards about prison condition and even breaking into the guard quarters and making their own commune rules
• An ethics committee was set up.
• The study ended early on the 8th day due to ethical reason - the original experimental case study collapsed as the guards accepted the new system

Question 3

Results

Answer 3

• The prisoners shared a group identity until told there was a promotion
  However afterwards they then worked together to challenge the guards power as they viewed them as weak authority
• The guards did not form a group, did not always use their authority and did not identify with their assigned role.
• The unequal system eventually failed because the guards had a weak group identity and the prisoners formed a strong group identity.

Question 4

What were the stages of the study interventions

Answer 4

• Days 1-3: all prisoners acted in ways that they thought would allow them to become guards.
• Day 4 onwards: the prisoner group formed a stronger identity because they knew they couldn’t get promoted.
• Day 6: the prisoners rebelled. Participants formed a democracy.
• Day 6 onwards: the democracy eventually failed because of group tensions. Some ex-prisoners tried to establish a hierarchy.
• The ethics committee stopped the experiment early because of participants’ stress levels.

Question 5

Pros

Answer 5

• No deception.
• Protection - the ethics committee could stop the experiment. Debriefing and counselling offered.

Question 6

Cons

Answer 6

• Artificial situation - so the experiment has low ecological validity (cannot be generalised well).
• Staged for TV - many people (e.g. Zimbardo) claim parts of the study were staged and participants were influenced by the cameras. Demand characteristics
• Lack of empowerment - Zimbardo’s guards were prompted to keep order; the guards in this experiment weren’t. Perhaps this explains their lack of motivation and empowerment.