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Jenness's Theory Of Conformity Essay

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Jenness (1932) found that when experiment participants carried out the task in a group, they reported estimates of roughly same value even though they had previously quoted different estimates as individuals. Jenness’ study revealed the impact of majority influence, and established a direct correlation between a group influence on an individual’s behaviour and beliefs especially when participants are uncertain about the actual number of beans in the jar.
Another classical study on conformity was based on finding out how social norms are developed in social groups and how the influences of these norms when developed impact on an individual’s behaviour. The Autokinetic phenomenon study of Sherif (1937) according to Baron et al. (2008, p.277), illustrated vividly the impact of private acceptance of social influence. The Autokinetic phenomenon which was a laboratory experiment, involved placing people in a completely dark room, whilst exposing them to a single stationary point of light projected onto a screen, appearing to move, even though the light was still (giving a visual illusion).
Sherif (1937) tested individual participant’s estimate on how far the light had moved and observed that their estimates varied considerably. When participants were then tested in groups of three whose composition had been manipulated by putting together two …show more content…

(1973) used his research based on a mock prison which he set up at the basement of the Stanford University psychology building to investigate whether participants (guards and prisoners) all paid volunteers, would behave in real terms like real prison guard and real prisoners and in essence conform to the norms attached to these roles. This research was keen in determining whether the brutality exhibited by some prison guards was due to their sadistic personalities (dispositional) or related to the prison environment

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In 1971, Philip Zimbardo set out to conduct an experiment to observe behavior as well as obedience. In Philip Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison experiment, many dispute whether it was obedience or merely conforming to their predesigned social roles of guards and prisoners that transpired throughout the experiment. Initially, the experiment was meant to test the roles people play in prison environment; Zimbardo was interested in finding out whether the brutality reported among guards in American prisons was due to the sadistic personalities of the guards, disposition, or had more to do with the prison environment. This phenomenon has been arguably known to possibly influencing the catastrophic similarities which occurred at Abu Ghraib prison in 2003.The

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The participants of the Stanford Prison experiment were healthy young men who were promised a nominal fee for their services. These participants were blindfolded and assumed the role of prisoner or guard in a mock prison in the basement of the Stanford University. Prisoners were stripped, chained, belittled and humiliated by the guards.

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Back in 1971 there was a prison experiment that took place in Stanford University and it explains clearly why these cases happen in the prison and jail environment. Philip Zimbardo, a psychologist did this study to show what kind of behavior happens when they people are given authority and it also shows how they use their power affecting the situation they are put into. In this research paper we are going to visit the case of Los Angeles Men’s central jail and find out what went wrong. We will also take a look into what happened in Abu Gharib prison and see if this is an ongoing trend in the correction facilities. We will then look back on the Stanford Prison study conducted by the psychologist Philip Zimbardo in 1971 to see if this experiment truly proves that behavior does change resulting in the abuse of the inmates by the officers.

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Since the beginning of the human existence, man has always dominated and ruled over one another be it empires, corporations, or small groups. Authority and obedience has always been a factor of who we are. This natural occurrence can be seen clearly through the psychological experiments known as The Milgram Experiment and the Stanford Prison Experiment. Both of these studies are based on how human beings react to authority figures and what their obedience is when faced with conflict.

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Stanford Prison Experiment Philip Zimbardo questioned, “What happens when you put good people in an evil place? Does humanity win over evil, or does evil triumph?” (Zimbardo, 1971) In 1971 a psychologist named Philip Zimbardo conducted an experiment on the effects prison has on young males with the help of his colleague Stanley Milgram. They wanted to find out if the reports of brutality from guards was due to the way guards treated prisoners or the prison environment.

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When we are in a group, whatever the group thinks we will one third of the times go along with. “Why did most subjects conform so readily? When they were interviewed after the experiment, most of them said that they did not really believe their conforming answers, but had gone along with the group for fear of being ridiculed or thought "peculiar." A few of them said that they really did believe the group 's answers were correct (Solomon Asch Conformity Experiment). ”

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For example, one study testing the situational role in affecting behavior was done by Philip Zimbardo (1971) in the Stanford Prison Experiment where 22 males were selected depending on their social skills and mental

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The Stanford Prison Experiment conducted by psychologist Philip Zimbardo in 1971 illustrated the direct relationship between power of situations and circumstances to shape an individual’s behavior. During this study 24 undergraduates were grouped into roles of either a Prisoner or a Guard, the study was located in a mock correctional facility in the basement of Stanford University. Researchers then observed the prisoners and guards using hidden cameras. The study was meant to last two weeks. However, the brutality of the Guards and the suffering of the Prisoners was so intense that it had to be terminated after only six days.

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