Ethics - Zimbardo et al study

• Informed Consent was broken as prisoners were arrested without prior knowledge from their homes/ places of work.
• Deception was broken as participants were led to believe that the mock prison was real.
• Right to withdraw was broken as participants were led to believe they could not leave the experiment. This was particularly true for prisoners who were locked in cells.
• Protection from harm was also broken as many participants suffered negative effects from their experience in the study. Five of the prisoners left the experiment early because of their adverse reactions to the physical and mental torment.
• Protection from harm was also an issue for the participants playing the guards. Some reported feelings of anxiety and guilt, as a result of their actions.
• Confidentiality was broken as the participants were video and audio recorded throughout the experiment.
• Zimbardo gave participants a debriefing after the experiment but admitted he became absorbed in his role of prison governor.