Which statement best describes Zimbardo's study procedure into social roles?

Which statement best describes Zimbardo's study procedure into social roles?

• A. 24 U.S. male student volunteers randomly assigned to prisoner or guard; prisoners unexpectedly arrested at home, deloused, given prison uniform and ID number; planned duration was 2 weeks; stopped after 6 days.
• B. 24 female volunteers randomly assigned to roles; prisoners were treated equally and released after a day.
• C. The study was conducted in a real prison with inmates and guards.
• D. Roles were assigned but prisoners were not arrested or humiliated.

Answer: (A)

When exploring how assigned social roles influence behavior, the Stanford Prison Experiment shows how quickly people adopt role-appropriate conduct in a simulated environment. In this study, 24 healthy male volunteers were randomly assigned to be either prisoners or guards in a mock prison. Prisoners were unexpectedly arrested at home, taken to the mock facility, deloused, and given uniforms and ID numbers to reinforce their inmate identity. The plan was to last about two weeks, but the situation deteriorated rapidly, leading to the study being stopped after six days due to ethical concerns and intense psychological distress. This description matches the procedure precisely. The other statements misstate aspects like the sample (women), the setting (a real prison), or the treatment of prisoners (omitting arrests and humiliation), so they don’t fit.

When exploring how assigned social roles influence behavior, the Stanford Prison Experiment shows how quickly people adopt role-appropriate conduct in a simulated environment. In this study, 24 healthy male volunteers were randomly assigned to be either prisoners or guards in a mock prison. Prisoners were unexpectedly arrested at home, taken to the mock facility, deloused, and given uniforms and ID numbers to reinforce their inmate identity. The plan was to last about two weeks, but the situation deteriorated rapidly, leading to the study being stopped after six days due to ethical concerns and intense psychological distress. This description matches the procedure precisely. The other statements misstate aspects like the sample (women), the setting (a real prison), or the treatment of prisoners (omitting arrests and humiliation), so they don’t fit.