Over 7,000 words, this 18-page document contains my notes on the module social psychology, covering Milgram, Zimbardo, Friendship and Romantic relationships, The Causes of Intergroup Conflict and Prejudice, Resolving Prejudice, Social Perspectives on the Self, Attribution theory, Self-esteem, deci...
TOPIC A01 (KNOWLEDGE) A02/3 (EVIDENCE+EVAL)
- Background: - Methods:
MILGRAM’S Milgram was a Jew who’s family had fled Nazi persecution. He was Advertised a set up of a study in scientific research on learning
interested in the Holocaust. Was intrigued by Asch’s study. and punishment at Yale University in the US.
STUDY OF
Wanted to explore scientifically the underlying psychological Original study had 40 ppts but later tested nearly 1,000 ppts
OBEDIENCE mechanisms behind destructive obedience. including females aged 20-40.
Basic dependent measures: maximum voltage ppt willing to shock to, Fake draw of sticks to decide who is learner and teacher (was
Burger (2009) verbal scripts, video footage and debrief interview material. rigged, ppts was always teacher). The teacher was a
- Variations: confederate who was an actor.
Ppts left alone to set shock level – mean level chosen = 50v. Small sample shock given to ppt to show the shock is real.
Two ppts experimenters present and they argued – no one continued. Shocks to ‘learner’ was fake.
Location changed from university to run-down office block- 48% Read out word pairs and then test the learner’s memory for
obedient. them & punish each error wit a shock.
Experimenter (scientist) replaced by layperson, 20% fully obedient. Increase intensity of shock upon each error (15v each time,
‘Touch Proximity’ learner was in the same room and ppt had to push the rising to 450).
arm down of learner on a shock plate - 30% fully obedient. If ppts was reluctant, the experimenter would give scripted
Proximity of learner (you were giving order to someone else to deliver answers that grew harsher from ‘please continue’ to ‘you have
the shock) decreased – 93% obedience. no choice’.
Proximity of authority reduced (orders by phone) – 20.5% obedience. - Findings:
- Explanations: Before conducting the research, Milgram reached out to
Ppts realised it wasn’t real? students, behavioural scientists and laypersons and asked to
- All ppts thought it was real and painful when being interviewed. predict the study’s results – they all said nobody would continue
Relic of its time? once the learner protested.
- Was replicated in 2009 (Burger) and there were similar obedience Pilot study (no oral feedback of pain from learner) – everyone
went to 450v!!
levels in men & women. So it doesn’t lack temporal validity.
Mean disobey voltage = 360 volts (by 180v feedback included
Ppts were monsters?
“I can’t stand the pain”, by 270 volts a loud scream)
- Elms & Milgram found no significant personality differences. 65% never disobeyed at all and went to 450v
= The Agentic Shift: (Milgram, 1974) No participants stopped before 300v
Relinquishing personal control to an external agent to explain Findings sent shock-waves around the world and made
, obedience. An altered state of consciousness. Milgram infamous.
Society tends to require unthinking obedience. Obedience is rewarded, - Critque:
eg. In school/work. Ecological validity (Fromm, 1974): Lab setting.
No informed consent.
Ppts were encouraged to continue when they wanted to quit.
Ppts were harmed: stress, self-image, attitudes to trust
authority.
- Background: - Prison:
THE STANFORD = Zimbardo’s earlier work on de-individuation. = Basement corridor of psychology dept., Stanford University.
= Influenced by re[prts of indoctrination and ‘brainwashing’ coming out of Korean = 3 small cells were made, complete with steel barred doors. Only
PRISON
War. furniture was a bed in the cell.
EXPERIMENT = Origins of prison study was by Zimbardo’s student, David Jaffy: 1971 = Also a solitary confine,ent cell made from a tiny storage room.
undergratudate exercise. = Several rooms in adjacent wing of building used as gaurds
- Aims: quarters.
= Create a realistic prison stimulation. = Zimbardo made himself superintendent.
- Participants: - Orientation:
= Location: Palo Alto, California. In the basement of the psych department in a = Prisoners remained in the prison 24/7.
university. = Plan to be run for 2 weeks.
= Advert placement for $15 a day for two weeks in a study on prison life. = When all cells were occupied, warden read out the rules.
= 25 ppts were selected from an initial pool of 75. = Ppl who were guards were given an orientation. Explicity told not to
= Predominantly white, male college students. physically harm them but told to show them that ‘you’re in charge’
= Ppts were randomly assigned to guards (11) and prisoners (10) = Their task was to “…maintain the reasonable degree of order within
= Ppts were told that there would be a suspension of civil rights. the prison necessary for its effective functioning.” (Zimbardo, 1975).
- The ‘arrest’: - Guards worked in shifts and did not live at the prison.
= Ppts were arrested at home (without their knowledge). - Uniforms:
= Were talen to a real police station and were left in an isolation cell. They were = In order to promote anonymity: identical uniforms were given to
blindfolded and transported to the ‘Standford County Prison’ (the uni). each group.
= Induction mirrored normal prison: stripped naked, searched, ‘de-loused’, = Promotes de-individuation.
issued a uniform, bedding, etc. ID picture taken and then were taken to a cell = Guards were given non-reflective sunglasses so eye contact was
and told to remain silent. impossible.
CORE FACTORS = Prisoners had loose clothing, ID number on front & back.
- Power: = Chain and lock around one ankle and a cap made from nylon
Diary entry 1 of ‘guard’, prior to start of experiment: – “As I am a pacifist and stocking to remove individuality.
non-aggressive individual I cannot see a time when I might guard and/or - Guard Sadism:
, maltreat other living things” = Guards used physical punishment when guards rebelled and
Diary entry on fourth day: – “…The psychologist rebukes me for handcuffing retalisated strongly.
and blindfolding a prisoner…and I resentfully reply that it is both necessary = Used pyshcological techniques by pitting prisoners against each
security and my business anyway” other and making them hate each other, splitting them apart, etc.
Fifth day diary entry: – “The new prisoner refuses to eat his sausage…we = Degraded prisoners, sometimes denied them basic rights.
throw him into the ‘hole’…[we] tell the new one that all the others will be deprived = Bystander apathy by the kindest guard who would remove himself
of visitors if he does not eat…I decided to force feed him, but he wouldn’t eat. I from situations by volunteering to get food etc, when John Wayne
let the food slide down his face. I didn’t believe it was me doing it… (worst guard) was being cruel.
- Time: - Effects:
= Institutionalisation breaks up the continuity of your life. = “…pathology was rampant in this prison environment; for the
= Apparent circularity of time. guards it was through abuse of power, for the prisoners it was
= People overreact to minor stimuli and fail to plan for major events. manifest in their pervasive display of learned helplessness. It seems
- Anonymity: reasonable to conclude that in the contest between the forces of
= “…conditions that reduce a person’s sense of uniqueness, that minimize good men and evil situations, the situation triumphed.” (Zimbardo,
individuality, are the wellsprings of antisocial behaviors…” (Zimbardo, 1975). 1975).
= Anonymity in prisons through uniforms. = Guards were showing ‘learned helplessness’
= Limited possessions become things to fight for. - Study off:
= The ‘ecology of de-humanisation’ – prison design minimise privacy, mass = Study stopped only after six days. Five prisoners had to be
eating, mass exercise, shower, etc. released because of ‘extreme emptional depression, crying, rage and
= Zimbardo believes that the anonymity of guards led to anti-social behaviours. acute anxiety’
FRIENDSHIP AND
- Wider relevance & impact: = Guards enjoyed their power and control.
ROMANTIC = Zimbardo’s testimony led to US ruling not to house juveniles with adult - Critique:
RELATIONSHIPS prisoners. = Because of the volunteering advert, certain kinds of people who are
= Results have been replicated in different cultures. into power and authority apply.
- Banuazizi & Movahedi (1975)
= Questioned realism (ecological validity) as it was ‘roleplay’ and
people knew it wasn’t real and were emulating their role.
= Zimbardo’s active role as the superintendent. May negate the
findings.
= Erich Fromm: Does not show that humans were terrible and that
HALO since some guards were more sadistic than others which shows that
- The importance of relationships and belonging:
EFFECT most people aren’t sadistic.
Cohen & Hoberman Prevalence of loneliness: ¼ ppl in the U.S. survey reported to have felt very
- Case Study:
lonely (Feldman, 1998).
= Victor, the wild boy of Aveyron in the 1800s lived in the woods.
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