Lecture on the Stanford Prison Experiment

Introduction

• In 2015, a movie was released detailing the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment.
• The experiment ended prematurely after six days due to severe psychological effects on participants.
• Discusses what happened, its impact on psychology, and its ongoing controversy.

Background of the Experiment

• Inspired by Milgram's obedience experiments.
• Conducted by Philip Zimbardo at Stanford with a grant from the Navy.
• Aim: To study the influence of assigned roles on behavior.

Participants

• 70 applicants interviewed, 24 chosen based on mental health and stability.
• Participants were paid $15/day.
• Randomly assigned roles: half as guards, half as prisoners.

Simulation Setup

• A Stanford basement was converted into a mock prison.
• Prisoners were arrested, booked, fingerprinted, and strip-searched.
• Assigned numbers to prisoners for anonymity.
• Guards given rules but considerable freedom.

Key Roles

• Zimbardo as prison superintendent.
• Graduate students and research partners as parole board and prison warden.

Experiment Procedures

• Prisoners performed tasks like writing letters and pleading to parole board.
• Guards enforced activities like jumping jacks, push-ups, and degrading tasks.

Escalation and Abuse

• Guards quickly began to abuse power.
• Physical and psychological abuse ensued, including sleep deprivation and intimidation.
• Notable incidents:
  • Day 1: Guard hit a prisoner.
  • Day 2: Prisoners rebelled; guards used fire extinguishers and removed beds.
  • Psychological breakdowns among prisoners; some threatened self-harm.

Experiment Termination

• Zimbardo ended the experiment on day 6 after intervention from his girlfriend.
• Highlighted rapid onset of abusive behavior in power dynamics.

Ethical Controversies

• Psychological abuse of participants questioned.
• Critics argue the results were not entirely natural:
  • Evidence Zimbardo's team influenced guards' behavior.
  • Some participants alleged to have exaggerated responses.
• Carlo Prescott, the prison consultant, claimed many abusive tactics were premeditated.

Lasting Impact and Questions

• Raised ethical concerns about psychological distress in studies.
• Blurred lines between experiment and simulation/drama.
• Questions remain on how to properly study power dynamics and obedience.

Conclusion

• The experiment continues to be a reference point in discussions on ethics in psychological research.
• For further questions, viewers are encouraged to watch more videos on social psychology.