In the famous Zimbardo prison study, Stanford students were assigned the role of either a prisoner or a guard so that the experimenters could examine prison life behaviors and interactions.The experiment was intended to run for two weeks but was stopped after only six days because of the brutal behavior of the guards and the depression of the prisoners.What was the independent variable in this study?
A) participants' behaviors
B) depression
C) role assigned to student
D) length of the study

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The independent variable in this study was the role assigned to the students - either a prisoner or a guard. This variable was manipulated by the experimenters to observe how it would affect the participants' behaviors and interactions. The length of the study and participants' depression were not manipulated by the experimenters and so could not be the independent variable. Participants' behaviors were the dependent variable, as they were influenced by the role they were assigned.

In the Famous Zimbardo Prison Study, Stanford Students Were Assigned