The Stanford Prison Experiment Essay

The general topic that the article on the Stanford Prison Experiment by Craig Haney, Curtis Banks and Philip Zimbardo addresses is prison life and the specific roles that prisoners and jailers quickly undertake. The purpose of this research is to try to decipher what makes both prisoners and guards act the way they do. Some believe that violence in prison is caused by the violent nature of the prisoners, others believe that what makes prison violent is the actions of the guards and the brutal…

Report on the Stanford Prison Experiment for PSYC 1111 The Office of Naval Research sponsored a study at Stanford University to "develop a better understanding of the basic psychological mechanisms underlying human aggression" and to identify which conditions can lead to aggression when men are living in close quarters for a long period of time (Haney, C., Banks, W.C. & Zimbardo, P.G. (1973)). This experiment took form within a model prison created in the basement at Stanford University to…

The highly unethical nature of this experiment is quite apparent, in the film and in the actual experiment itself. Starting with deception, it was evident since the start of the study when the participants were made unaware of their random assignment and led to believe that their roles were based on their nature. Demand characteristics were briefly seen when the experimenter told the guards that they expected them to show their authority and discipline the prisoners Furthermore, there is…

The Stanford prison experiment was an experiment held between August 14th and went all the way up until August 20th. In this experiment, a psychology professor named Philip Zimbardo attempts to form a model prison where he would select participants to either be guards or prisoners. The participants were interviewed, and the ones chosen were randomly assigned their roles of being either prisoners, or guards. The model prison was created in the basement of Stanford University, and it was meant to…

The experiment started off with the volunteers adopting their roles quickly and easily, with guards exercising control, and the prisoners being compliant. Soon, the prisoners began adopting realistic behavior where they would abandon their solidarity and seek to benefit from other inmates infringements. With the prisoners being dehumanized with pointless orders, insults, boring jobs, and physical punishment (push-ups), it was clear that the guards began to act tyrannical in their environment. On…

The Stanford Prison Experiment was an experiment based on the roles of people, and how easily people will fall into those roles. The prisoners were stuck in the basement all day for 6 days, and both the guards and prisoners lost their morals and individuality. The act of dehumanization also provided the prisoners with fear, anger, and helplessness. The Stanford Prison Experiment was not a physical genocide, but a psychological genocide. Genocide is the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part,…

Looking back now at the Stanford Prison Experiment, it is difficult to argue that this experiment was not unethical. I am a psychology major student, and this experiment always seems to pop up whenever ethics are being discussed. Many professors have made the remark that this experiment would never be allowed in today’s world. However, I think that while the experiment itself ended up being unethical, it was too difficult to have been able to predict how it would play out. At the same time, I…

that they affect the individual. According to the “Stanford Prison Experiment” article, “The research suggests that situational variables have a stronger sway than personality factors in determining obedience” (“More Information Frequently Asked Questions”). The prisoners were kept in the prison all day. The situation that the guards were but in changed their behavior from students to brutal human beings.The prisoners were able to leave the experiment whenever they pleased. They had been so…

The Stanford prison experiment studied the results psychologically of the individuals in a prison. It occurred at Stanford University in 1971, led by Philip Zimbardo. It began in the Psychology Department, turning the basement into a prison. Creating three rooms, and one room for solitary confinement. The job was offered to become a guard or prisoner for $15 a day, where they approved to partake in a 7-to 14-day experiment, also having alternates in case of problems. Zimbardo took on the role of…

Ghraib Prison Scandal: Sources of Sadism," states that everyone is subjected to be a possible torturer (Szegedy-Maszak 76). Szegedy-Maszak asserts, the "unconscionable acts" committed by the Abu Ghraib were likely caused by "the anxiety and helplessness" of their horrific living conditions (Szegedy-Maszak 76). Philip G. Zimbardo, author of "The Stanford Prison Experiment," attempts to clarify the reasoning and motivation behind the sadistic acts in situations similar to the Abu Ghraib Prison…