Zimbardo's simulated prison experiment is most important because it demonstrates:
A)that individuals can easily and rapidly assume new roles very different from their inherent personalities
B)flaws in the Hawthorne studies
C)the impact of cohesiveness
D)the importance of status

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Zimbardo's experiment showed that individuals can easily adopt new roles and that these roles can have a powerful influence on behavior, even if they go against an individual's inherent personality. Participants quickly conformed to their roles as prisoners or guards, leading to abusive and dehumanizing behavior. It also highlights the social and situational factors that can contribute to behavior, rather than individual characteristics like status or cohesiveness. The Hawthorne studies, on the other hand, were focused on productivity and the impact of environmental variables on work output.

Zimbardo's Simulated Prison Experiment Is Most Important Because It Demonstrates