4.4 Roles and Their Effect on Attitudes and Behaviors

Social roles shape behavior

Social roles are the behaviors expected of a person in a given social position. People often conform to roles quickly, sometimes adopting behaviors that conflict with their personal values. Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment showed how ordinary students became abusive 'guards' or submissive 'prisoners' simply due to assigned roles.

Attitudes can follow behavior

Cognitive dissonance (Festinger) is the discomfort felt when actions conflict with beliefs. To reduce this tension, people often change their attitudes to match their behavior rather than the reverse. This explains why acting a role can eventually change genuine beliefs and self-perception.

Roles, norms, and scripts

Social norms are unwritten rules guiding expected behavior in situations, while scripts are learned sequences of actions for familiar events (like ordering at a restaurant). Roles, norms, and scripts work together to make social behavior predictable, but they can also pressure individuals into conformity even when it feels uncomfortable.

Key terms

Social role

The set of behaviors expected of someone in a given social position (e.g., teacher, guard).

Stanford Prison Experiment

Zimbardo's study showing how assigned roles (guard/prisoner) led ordinary people to behave abusively or submissively.

Cognitive dissonance

Festinger's concept: discomfort from conflicting beliefs and behaviors, often resolved by changing attitudes.

Social norm

An unwritten, shared rule guiding expected behavior in a specific situation or culture.

Script (social)

A learned, predictable sequence of actions for a familiar situation, like dining at a restaurant.

Try an AP-style question

What does this suggest?

1. Guards were already cruel people
2. Roles can powerfully shape behavior
3. Situations rarely matter
4. Personality fully determines behavior