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The Stanford Prison Experiment

The Stanford Prison Experiment. Video Clip. Background. 1971 – Stanford University E xperiment overseen by Dr. Philip Zimbardo PH. D. in Psychology from Yale. The Set Up. E xperiment lasted 6 days Was supposed to last 2 weeks O ccurred in a mock prison setting created at the university

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The Stanford Prison Experiment

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  1. The Stanford Prison Experiment Video Clip

  2. Background • 1971 – Stanford University • Experiment overseen by Dr. Philip Zimbardo • PH. D. in Psychology from Yale

  3. The Set Up • Experiment lasted 6 days • Was supposed to last 2 weeks • Occurred in a mock prison setting created at the university • Doors with bars, a “yard area” etc. • Involved 24 male college students

  4. The Experiment • Men split into two groups: guards and prisoners • Prisoners were taken from their house in a “mock arrest” • frisked and searched upon entering the mock prison • Given an informed consent form that talked about possible violation of rights and minimal food

  5. Day 2: Rebellion • Prisoners rebelled, guards were forceful trying to quell the rebellion • Used a fire extinguisher to force prisoners away from each door • Prisoners were stripped naked and their beds removed • Leader of the rebellion placed in “The Hole” The prisoners were stripped naked after the rebellion “The Hole”

  6. Guards allowed only three prisoners to have their uniforms and beds, brush their teeth, and eat better food • After half a day of this, guards placed the “good” prisoners in the “bad” cells and vice versa  prisoners became distrusting of each other Ultimate goal of the guards: • diminish the solidarity the prisoners

  7. Guards not given instructions or specific boundaries on how to be guards • Guards created their own rules, • Implemented by the Warden David Jaffe, an undergraduate from Stanford University

  8. The “Prisoners” Bared the brunt of the consequences: • Victims of both physical and mental abuse leading to acute psychological trauma in some. • The majority of this was entirely unprovoked and brought on by groups of guards • Many attempted to leave the experiment but could not, even if medical issues were apparent. • Two main categories of response: • “Fight or Flight” • Complete passiveness and obedience

  9. The “Guards” Created the brunt of the consequences: • Initially, guards were docile and were simply enforcers of the rules set by Zimbardo • Began to “take advantage” of the situation by banning together to humiliate and maim the prisoners • Some even assumed more oppressive personas that would produce good “results” • Hawthorne Effect • Most of the abuse occurred at night, when they thought surveillance had stopped.

  10. Drawing the Line “I was guilty of the sin of omission -- the evil of inaction -- of not providing adequate oversight and surveillance when it was required... the findings came at the expense of human suffering. I am sorry for that and to this day apologize for contributing to this inhumanity.“ -Philip Zimbardo, The Lucifer Effect Stanford Prison Experiment Documentary

  11. Comparing to Abu Gharib • 60 Minutes – Exposing the Truth • “Ghosts of Abu Gharib” • Milgram, Zimbardo, and Abu Gharib

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