Stanford Prison Experiment Pros And Cons

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Stanford Prison Experiment was conducted in 1971 by Philip Zimbardo, a psychologist and a professor at Stanford University to investigate how chosen volunteer students would naturally react to the role of prison guard and prisoner in a mock prison. Volunteers were randomly assigned as either prison guard or prisoner. Total of 24 male students were selected to participate in either prisoner or guard role. Prison experiment was kept almost as real life experience. Solitary confinement was made for misbehaved prisoners. Guards were equipped with uniform, handcuffs, baton, and dark eyeglasses. Prisoners were stripped, given prisoner uniforms and an identifying number One sudden morning acting volunteer prisoners were arrested, blind folded and brought to the mock prison. Quickly after participant prisoners arrived, they were shaved, removed from personal belonging, and given a set of prison uniform with identifying numbers. At this point they are shocked in humiliation. They have taken out of their comfort zone. Volunteer guards were not trained properly or given a proper guidance to keep prisoners in order. They were only told that corporal punishment was not permitted. Experiment was support to take 2 weeks but ended in 6 days due to guard becoming …show more content…

Without the proper guidance given for experiment, participants were exposed to possible emotional and mental harm. Experiment was terminated with ethical objections when prisoners began to experience mental stress. What Zimbardo did was an ethical research. A few prisoners had to be removed early due to traumatized effects. Some might argue that this experiment was more of a hostage take over situation than official prison guards and prisoners relationship. Volunteer prisoners suffered with humiliated, and damaged mental stress even after the study ended. However, Zimbardo followed up with all the participants to make sure they have no lasting

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