In August 1971, psychologist Philip Zimbardo launched the Stanford Prison Experiment in a mock prison in the basement of Stanford University's Jordan Hall. [1, 2]
Twenty-four healthy male college students were split into guards and prisoners. The study ended after just six days due to severe emotional trauma and escalating guard brutality. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Overview and Setup
- Dates: August 14–21, 1971
- Location: Basement of Jordan Hall at Stanford University
- Lead Researcher: Dr. Philip Zimbardo
- Participants: 24 male college students selected after psychological screening
- Roles: Randomly assigned as either prisoners or guards [1, 2]
- Real Arrests: Prisoners were unexpectedly arrested at their homes by local Palo Alto police officers.
- Dehumanization: Guards wore uniforms and sunglasses; prisoners wore numbered smocks and stocking caps.
- Rapid Abuse: Guards enforced harsh rules and psychological torture, leading to early emotional breakdowns among inmates.
- Early Shutdown: Psychologist Christina Maslach protested the conditions, prompting Zimbardo to halt the study on the sixth day. [1, 2, 3, 4]
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2 comments:
You left out the part about how like most experiments in psychology, the subjects were coached by the researchers to achieve the observations they were seeking. Some guards were not aggressive enough and researchers admonished them to get into the role better. In other words, the process was flawed and results were achieved because the subjects were told how to behave.
--Generic
(Slapping my own forehead). Oops, you did clearly say that.
--Generic
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