PY101: Online Assignment 3
(30 points)
Pick one of these studies (the Stanford Prison Experiment, the Milgram obedience study, or Jane Elliot’s blue eyed/brown eyed study). You will have FOUR things to do:
1. Provide a brief description of the study (5 points).
2. Explain what this study teaches us about social psychological principles. You must directly define and discuss at least one principle discussed in class (e.g., compliance, conformity, attitudes, stereotypes). Provide concrete examples. (15 points)
3. Note any limitations or shortcomings of the study. (Try to think critically) (5 points)
To help you, think about things like, what can we not conclude from this study? Does this study generalize to everyone/can this be applied to everyone? Could it have been completed in a better way?
4. Finally, connect these psychological principles discussed to a modern day group or example. (5 points)
The most important part of this assignment is to apply what you have learned in class. This means that you should not simply define psychological principles or theories, but actually explain how they apply to the psychology experiment and the real world example. This assignment is worth 30 points.
FORMATTING GUIDELINES
• Length: .5 – 1.5 pages, single spaced
• Font: Times New Roman, Size 12
• Please have your answers in line with each appropriate number. See below as an example.
1. The Zimbardo study….
2. One psychological principle that was at play in this study was….
3. Although this study was important, it did not….
4. A modern day example of this psychological principle is….
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
3 points will be automatically deducted for each day an assignment is late.
Additional Resources:
Milgram Obedience Study:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOYLCy5PVgM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g1MJeHYlE0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTX42lVDwA4
http://psychology.about.com/od/historyofpsychology/a/milgram.htm
Zimbardo Prison Experiment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GePFFf5gRKo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQnOkmvigi0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=760lwYmpXbc
Jane Elliot, Blue Eyed Brown Eyed Study:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frol02s42cq66&continuous=1
