Zimbardo Prison Study Quiz

What was the common background of the participants in the Zimbardo prison study?

• They were all military personnel.

• They were all college students with middle-class backgrounds.

• They were all high school students.

• They were all professional actors.

How did the guards' treatment affect the prisoners' solidarity?

• It strengthened their unity.

• It encouraged them to escape.

• It had no effect on their relationships.

• It broke their solidarity by rewarding certain prisoners.

Why did some guards justify their harsh treatment of prisoners?

• They wanted to end the experiment early.

• They were instructed to do so by Zimbardo.

• They thought the prisoners were faking distress.

• They believed the prisoners were genuinely dangerous.

What does the study suggest about the influence of situational factors on behavior?

• Situational factors have little to no impact on behavior.

• Situational factors can heavily influence behavior, more than personality traits.

• Situational factors only affect behavior in controlled environments.

• Personality traits are the sole determinants of behavior.

What role did deindividuation play in the study?

• It made participants more aware of their individuality.

• It led to a loss of self and easier bad behavior.

• It had no impact on the participants.

• It encouraged participants to act heroically.

What was a major critique regarding Zimbardo's role in the study?

• He ended the experiment too early.

• He provided too much support to the prisoners.

• He compromised his objectivity by acting as the prison warden.

• He was too detached from the experiment.

What methodological issue is highlighted by the study's small sample size?

• It makes it difficult to generalize the findings.

• It ensures the results are universally applicable.

• It guarantees the accuracy of the results.

• It eliminates the need for control variables.

How might demand characteristics have influenced the study?

• Participants were given no instructions on behavior.

• Participants behaved as they thought Zimbardo wanted them to.

• Participants were unaware of the study's purpose.

• Participants acted naturally without any influence.

What is a potential issue with the selection of participants in the study?

• Participants knew what they were signing up for, leading to selection bias.

• Participants were deceived about the study's nature.

• Participants were all professional psychologists.

• Participants were randomly selected from a diverse pool.

Despite its flaws, why might the study's results still be considered valid?

• They align with other studies on conformity and obedience.

• They were conducted with a large, diverse sample.

• They were conducted over a long period.

• They were based on a well-defined hypothesis.