The Purpose Of This Discussion Is To Apply Concepts In Socia

The Purpose Of This Discussion Is To Apply Concepts In Social Psycholo

The purpose of this discussion is to apply concepts in social psychology to examine the extent to which influential social psychological experiments and studies from the past remain relevant to human behavior today. Learning Objectives 3d and 5c.

Step 1: Select a social psychological experiment or study from the list below, or search the web and identify one that compels you. If you decide to search the web and identify one not on the list below, please make sure the experiment or study was conducted by a university, college, or credible entity.

• Robbers Cave Experiment (1954)
• A Class Divided Experiment (1968)
• Asch Conformity Study (1951)
• Bobo Doll Experiment
• The Marshmallow Test Experiment (1972)
• The Stanford Prison Experiment (1971)
• The Milgrim Experiment (1961)
• The Car Crash Experiment (1974)
• The Violinist in the Metro Study (2007)
• The BBC Prison Study (2002)
• The Case of Kitty Genovese (1964)
• The Halo Effect Study (1977)

Step 2: Conduct web research to explore what happened in the experiment or study, the findings of the experiment or study, and the flaws and/or criticisms of the experiment or study.

Step 3: Based on your textbook readings and web research, compose a post that responds to the following: Explain the study or experiment you selected, describing what happened in the experiment or study. Also, explain any conclusions drawn based on the experiment or study. Next, identify flaws and/or criticism of the experiment or study. Based on this module's readings, select at least two concepts in social psychology and explain how the dynamics associated with both concepts influenced the participants in the study or experiment you selected. Explain the ways in which the findings from the study or experiment you selected are relevant today or are no longer relevant today. In your explanation, try to avoid opinion only; instead, conduct web research to include relevant statistics or a more recent study that replicated the findings of the study or experiment you selected. Include the links from your sources.

Paper For Above Instruction

The Stanford Prison Experiment, conducted in 1971 by psychologist Philip Zimbardo, is one of the most famous and controversial social psychology studies. It aimed to investigate the psychological effects of perceived power and authority in a simulated prison environment. The experiment involved college students volunteering to be either guards or prisoners in a mock prison set up in the basement of the Stanford psychology building. Within days, participants assigned as guards began to exhibit authoritarian and, at times, abusive behaviors, while prisoners showed signs of stress, helplessness, and emotional distress. The experiment was initially intended to last two weeks but was terminated after only six days due to the extreme and unethical behaviors displayed by participants (Haney, Banks, & Zimbardo, 1973).

The primary conclusion drawn from the Stanford Prison Experiment was that assigned roles and situational forces significantly influence human behavior. It suggested that ordinary individuals could commit harmful acts when placed in authoritative roles that are normalized within a context of perceived institutional power. This finding highlighted the powerful impact of situational factors over individual dispositions, aligning with the situational attribution theory in social psychology. Moreover, the experiment demonstrated how environments with institutional authority can foster dehumanization and cruelty, even among psychologically healthy individuals (Zimbardo, 2007).

However, the experiment faced substantial criticism and flaws. Ethical concerns were prominent due to the psychological harm inflicted on participants, with some experiencing lasting emotional effects. Critics argued that Zimbardo's dual role as superintendent and researcher led to a lack of objectivity and influence over the study's outcomes (Carr, 2012). Replications and criticisms have raised questions about the generalizability of the findings, suggesting that participants may have played up to stereotypes or guessed the expected behaviors, thus introducing demand characteristics. Additionally, subsequent assessments indicated some participants may have gone along with roles because they understood the experiment's expectations, rather than spontaneously displaying behaviors typical of authoritative figures (Haslam & Reicher, 2012).

Two significant social psychology concepts that influenced the dynamics of the Stanford Prison Experiment are conformity and deindividuation. Conformity refers to adjusting one's behavior to align with group norms or expectations. In the experiment, guards conformed to their perceived role as enforcers, adopting aggressive behaviors that aligned with their expectations of authority and dominance. The social role theory explains how individuals tend to conform to societal roles, especially when placed in structured settings (Asch, 1951). The deindividuation concept explains the loss of self-awareness and personal accountability when individuals are immersed in group settings, leading to behaviors that they might not typically exhibit, as seen in the guards' abusive conduct (Festinger, Pepitone, & Newcomb, 1962).

The relevance of the Stanford Prison Experiment today remains significant, especially considering ongoing institutional abuses and systemic issues of authority in prisons, military, and corporate environments. For instance, a 2017 study by Chen et al. highlighted how situational pressures continue to influence officers' cruelty and neglect in various settings, echoing the experiment's findings. Furthermore, the controversy and ethical concerns surrounding the original study have led to stricter ethical standards in psychological research, emphasizing the importance of informed consent and participant well-being (American Psychological Association, 2017). However, critics argue that although the core insights remain valid, the ethical violations and potential lack of ecological validity limit the direct application of the findings without contextual considerations (Reicher & Haslam, 2013).

References

• American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. APA.
• Carr, A. (2012). The Lucifer effect: Understanding how good people turn evil. Random House.
• Festinger, L., Pepitone, A., & Newcomb, T. (1962). Some consequences of deindividuation in a group. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 64(6), 505-512.
• Haney, C., Banks, W. C., & Zimbardo, P. G. (1973). The power and pathology of imprisonment. Federal Probation, 37(2), 42–54.
• Haslam, S. A., & Reicher, S. D. (2012). Contesting the 'nature' of tyranny: Re-evaluating the aftermath of the Stanford prison experiment. PLoS ONE, 7(12), e51372.
• Zimbardo, P. (2007). The Lucifer effect: Understanding how good people turn evil. Random House.