Stanford Prison Experiment

• Aim: To examine conformity to social roles in a mock prison environment in the basement of Stanford University.
• The mock prison was set up in the Basement of Stanford University.
• They advertised for ppts (75 volunteers applied) and they selected 21 of these volunteers who were deemed as emotionally stable, after psychological testing.
• The volunteers were paid $15 a day.
• Students were randomly assigned roles, as either guard or prisoner.
• Method: Prisoners were arrested at their homes/ places of work by local police. They were striped, deloused and given ID numbers and smocks. This is called de-individualisation. Guards were instructed to run the prison without physical violence.
• Results: Prisoners rebelled, but were quickly suppressed by the guards as they became increasingly abusive towards the prisoners. Five prisoners released early due to adverse reactions. Experiment terminated after six days due to inhumane conditions.
• Both guards and prisoners identified with their social roles.
• Within days, the prisoners rebelled, but this was quickly crushed by the guards who became increasingly abusive towards the prisoners.
• The guards dehumanised the prisoners, waking them during the night and forcing them to clean toilets with bare hands, do specific exercises, say specific things.
• Prisoners became submissive, identifying further with their role 5 prisoners were released early due to adverse reactions to the torment (crying and extreme anxiety.)
• The experiment was terminated after 6 days when it was pointed out to Zimbardo that the conditions were inhumane.
• Conclusion

  Zimbardo concluded that people conform quickly to social roles, even when the role goes against their moral principles.
• He concluded that situational factors were largely responsible for behaviour in his study.
• The situation a person is in can dictate behaviour.
• Conclusion: Zimbardo concluded that people quickly conform to social roles, even against their moral principles. Situational factors largely responsible for the observed behaviour.
• People can easily become cruel and evil when they feel anonymous and have power over depersonalised others. This was seen in the behaviour of the guards and aided by the fact they wore sunglasses.