SOCPSY 1Z03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Experiment, Military Prison, Thomas Theorem

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Social Psychology
• Course: SOCPSY 1Z03
• Professor: Paul Glavin

Document Summary

Shaped by: proximity and visibility of consequences. Shape levels of perceived personal responsibility: proximity and credibility of authority. Power of a role contingent on the consensus about that roles. Shows the power of the situation over other factors e. g. personality rights and legitimacy. Explain the potential conflict between inmates and guards. 24 healthy subjects random assignment for prisoner or guard role: 6 days in the mock prison was supposed to last for 2 weeks, they adapted the roles too much and went too far. Show how behaviour is shaped by the power of the situation and social roles. One guard was influences by the guard in cool hand luke. No control group: not a true experiment. Were the participants encouraged to enact the roles deeply: gave them glasses to hid identity, the one guard guessed what the study was about and went too far and no one else tried to stop it.