Social+Roles

toc = Definition: = Socially defined behaviors considered appropriate for individuals occupying certain positions within a given group. Gen Psych, Chapter 14, Pg. 452

= Examples: = A classic experiment (The Stanford Prison Experiment) in which psychologist Philip Zimbardo (1972) simulated a prison experience. College student volunteers were randomly assigned to be either guards or prisoners. The guards, wearing uniforms and carrying small clubs, strictly enforced harsh rules. The prisoners were stripped, naked, searched, and deloused. Then, they were given prison uniforms, assigned numbers, and locked away in small, bare cells. The guards quickly adapted to their new role, some even to the point of becoming heartless and sadistic, The role playing became all too real so the experiment had to be ended in only 6 days.

= Analogies: = All the worlds a stage, And all the men and women merely players, They have their exits and their entrances, And one man inhis time plays many parts. -Shakespeare

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=In the News:= [|How Social Roles Can Determine Your Success] People take on roles for different reasons. Sometimes it's because it's what is expected of you. Other times it's because you think it will help you get ahead. If you're playing a role that doesn't suit your natural talents, you could be undermining your own success.

=Discussion Area:=

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