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Groups and Groups and ObedienceObedience

The Stanford Prison ExperimentThe Stanford Prison Experiment

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The Stanford Prison The Stanford Prison ExperimentExperiment

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Experiment QuestionsExperiment Questions

►What happens when you put good What happens when you put good people in an evil place?people in an evil place?

► Does humanity win over evil, or does Does humanity win over evil, or does evil triumph? evil triumph?

►These are some of the questions These are some of the questions posed in this dramatic simulation of posed in this dramatic simulation of prison life conducted in the summer of prison life conducted in the summer of 1971 at Stanford University. 1971 at Stanford University.

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Experiment DesignExperiment Design

► Social psychologist Social psychologist Phillip ZimbardoPhillip Zimbardo

► Experiment to Experiment to study the behaviors study the behaviors of people without of people without criminal records in criminal records in a mock prisona mock prison

► Selected 24 healthy Selected 24 healthy young men young men volunteersvolunteers

► Normal, intelligent, Normal, intelligent, middle class college middle class college studentsstudents

►Half were assigned Half were assigned the roles of guards; the roles of guards; the other half were the other half were prisonersprisoners

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Experiment DesignExperiment Design

► Guards made their rulesGuards made their rules► Prisoners were Prisoners were

unexpectedly picked up unexpectedly picked up from their homes, from their homes, handcuffed and handcuffed and searchedsearched

► Then stripped, Then stripped, deloused, groin deloused, groin uniforms, and put in a uniforms, and put in a cellcell

► The experiment was The experiment was supposed to last two supposed to last two weeks…weeks…

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Experiment ResultsExperiment Results

► But the experiment But the experiment was stopped after only was stopped after only six days!six days!

► Each group could no Each group could no longer distinguish longer distinguish between their roles between their roles and real lifeand real life

► In only a few days, the In only a few days, the guards became sadistic guards became sadistic and the prisoners and the prisoners became depressed and became depressed and showed signs of showed signs of extreme stress. extreme stress.

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► Psychology Professor Philip Zimbardo's Psychology Professor Philip Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment of August 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment of August 1971 quickly became a classic.quickly became a classic.

► Using realistic methods, Zimbardo and Using realistic methods, Zimbardo and others were able to create a prison others were able to create a prison atmosphere that transformed its atmosphere that transformed its participants. participants.

► The young men who played prisoners and The young men who played prisoners and guards revealed how much circumstances guards revealed how much circumstances can distort individual personalities -- and can distort individual personalities -- and how anyone, when given complete control how anyone, when given complete control over others, can act like a monster. over others, can act like a monster.

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Let’s see what happened . . .Let’s see what happened . . .

►www.prisonexp.orgwww.prisonexp.org

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ImplicationsImplications

► "It shows how easy it is for good people to "It shows how easy it is for good people to become perpetrators of evil." become perpetrators of evil."

► Zimbardo maintains that the student-Zimbardo maintains that the student-participants suffered no long-term harm -- participants suffered no long-term harm -- even though some had symptoms of mental even though some had symptoms of mental breakdown during the experiment. But now, breakdown during the experiment. But now, the standards for using human subjects in the standards for using human subjects in research wouldn't permit such an research wouldn't permit such an experiment, experiment,

► "Because of the rules, it's unlikely to ever be "Because of the rules, it's unlikely to ever be replcated" replcated"

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ImplicationsImplications

►Zimbardo has strong opinions on the Zimbardo has strong opinions on the harmful effects of harsh prison harmful effects of harsh prison sentences. "Prisons are evil places sentences. "Prisons are evil places that demean humanity. ... They are as that demean humanity. ... They are as bad for the guards as they are for the bad for the guards as they are for the prisoners," he said, pointing to results prisoners," he said, pointing to results of his experiment showing that both of his experiment showing that both guards' and prisoners' personalities guards' and prisoners' personalities were warped by their given roles. were warped by their given roles.