Outline

• Participants: 24 male undergrad students

  Participants were assigned the role of guards or prisoners. Prisoners were arrested at home and searched by guards. They were told to follow the 16 prison rules and guards were told to enforce it. 
• • The prisoners rebelled within two days, ripping uniforms and swearing at the guards. The guards retaliated and used divide-and-rule tactics to play the prisoners off against each other.
  • Over the experiment, prisoners became more submissive, and feared and respected the guards.
  • The guards began to enjoy their power, and their use of aggression and harassment increased, becoming a threat to the prisoners' psychological and physical health.
  • Three prisoners were released early due to severe psychological distress.
  • The experiment ended after only 6 days, despite it meant to last two weeks.