SOCPSY 1Z03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Stanford Prison Experiment, Milgram Experiment, Thomas Theorem

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

Document Summary

Obedience to authority commonplace but is shaped by: Power of role contingent on the extent that there is consensus about its associated rights and legitimacy. The milgram experiment demonstrates power of the situation over personality and other individual factors. Experiment run by phillip zimbardo at stanford university in 1971. Examined whether personality traits shape abusive behaviour btwn guards and prisoners. 24 healthy participants randomly assigned to guard or prisoner role; spent 6 days in mock prison. Participants selected to exclude those w/ criminal background or psychological problems. Participants adapted to roles well beyond zimbardo"s expectations. Demonstrated how power of situation and social roles shape behaviour. Thomas theorem: if people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences. In other words, the interpretation of a situation causes the action. 2003/2004 iraq military prison run by americans; inhumane treatment by american guards: leading them around on leashes. Tried to argue that it was only a few guards.