Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment

Study Notes

Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment

Aimed to investigate how people conform to roles of guard and prisoner in a simulated prison environment
Explored whether the brutality reported among guards in American prisons is due to sadistic personalities or the prison environment

Experimental Design

Converted a Stanford University basement into a mock prison
Advertised for students to play roles of prisoners and guards for a fortnight
21 male college students were selected from 75 volunteers and paid $15 per day
Participants were randomly assigned to either prisoner or guard roles

Prison Simulation

Prisoners were arrested at their homes, taken to a police station, and then to the mock prison
Guards were issued khaki uniforms, whistles, handcuffs, and dark glasses to prevent eye contact with prisoners
No physical violence was permitted

Deindividuation Process

Prisoners were stripped naked, deloused, and had personal possessions removed
They were issued prison clothes and bedding, and referred to by their number only
Guards began to harass prisoners within hours, adopting brutal and sadistic behaviors
Prisoners soon adopted prisoner-like behavior, discussing prison issues and telling on each other to the guards

Relationships Between Guards and Prisoners

Guards became more derisive and contemptuous towards prisoners as they became more dependent
Prisoners became more submissive as guards' contempt grew, trying to please them by telling on fellow prisoners
Guards demanded greater obedience from prisoners, who were dependent on them for everything

Description

This quiz is about the Stanford Prison Experiment conducted by Zimbardo to study conformity and the roles people play in prison situations. The experiment was a simulation of prison life to investigate the behavior of guards and prisoners.