Comparing Zimbardo's Observation And Prison Experiments

The general reaction that I had toward this study was disgust and disappointment. The disgust was directed toward the relationship between authority figures and the inmates. Be it the guards or the "prison" superintendent, there were major flaws in this study that opened a flood gate of unethical practices. As for the disappointment, that reaction was solely triggered by the Zimbardo, the "prison superintendent". The manner in which these young men were allowed to treat their peers for the sake of research was ridiculous. These were average young boys out to earn fifteen dollars a day for their participation in this study. Instead they were stripped of all pride and dignity which for many of them resulted in severe emotional distress. I think that the conditions of this study were more suited to that of a concentration camp or work house rather than a prison. There was so much about this that went wrong, from the stocking caps and dresses, on to the whistle blaring wake up calls, and down to to defecating in buckets. Zimbardo' s manipulation of the guards, the environment and the parents turned what could have been a extraordinary study into an unethical disaster. …show more content…
Zimbardo initially set out to research the psychological effects of the process of imprisonment. However he ultimately created a study with no boundaries that depicted how violent institutions and environments shape and reshape human