Philip Zimbardo’s hypothesis was that the roles of prisoner and guard would create a situation in which the prisoners would become dehumanized and the guards would become abusive. He believed that this would happen because of the power dynamics inherent in the situation.
How was the experiment set up? i.e. how where the roles defined an setting set?
The experiment was set up in the basement of the Stanford University psychology building. The participants were 24 male students who were randomly assigned to the role of prisoner or guard. The guards were given uniforms, whistles, and wooden batons. The prisoners were stripped of their civilian clothes and given prison uniforms. They were also assigned numbers instead of their names.
The experiment was supposed to last for two weeks, but it was terminated after six days because of the abuse that was taking place.
What was the conclusion for this experiment?
The conclusion of the experiment was that the roles of prisoner and guard can have a powerful effect on people’s behavior. The prisoners became dehumanized and the guards became abusive. This happened even though the participants were all healthy, normal college students.
The Stanford Prison Experiment is a classic example of the Milgram Experiment, which showed that people are more likely to obey authority figures, even if they are asked to do something that is harmful to others. The Stanford Prison Experiment also showed that the situation can have a powerful effect on people’s behavior, even if they are not inherently evil.
The Stanford Prison Experiment has been criticized for its ethical implications. Some people believe that it was unethical to put the participants through such a stressful and dehumanizing experience. However, Zimbardo and other psychologists argue that the experiment was necessary to understand the dynamics of power and authority.
The Stanford Prison Experiment is still considered to be one of the most important psychological experiments ever conducted. It has been cited in thousands of research papers and has been used to train police officers, prison guards, and other professionals who work in positions of authority.
