Many people have criticised Zimbardo’s prison study. Identify and briefly discuss two reasons why people have criticised Zimbardo’s prison study. (Total 6 marks)

Model Answer:

One reason Zimbardo’s prison study has been criticised is for its ethical issues. (Point) This is because participants were not adequately protected from harm, with some experiencing extreme psychological distress and humiliation during the study. (Because) This is problematic because it breaches ethical guidelines, damaging the reputation of psychological research and raising concerns about participant welfare. (Why)

Another criticism of Zimbardo’s study is its lack of ecological validity. (Point) This is because the mock prison environment was an artificial setting that does not fully replicate the complexity of real-life prisons. (Because) This is problematic because the behaviour observed may not generalise to how individuals conform to social roles in genuine institutional settings, limiting the study’s external validity. (Why)