Study Document
Experimental Psychology Zimbardo Prison Study Term Paper
Pages:6 (2123 words)
Sources:6
Subject:Other
Topic:Stanford Prison Experiment
Document Type:Term Paper
Document:#95692907
In fact, during the study, the guards became more sadistic when they thought no one was watching them. Zimbardo notes, "Their boredom had driven them to ever more pornographic and degrading abuse of the prisoners" (Zimbardo). This may be the same reason guards at Abu Ghraib tortured and humiliated their charges, and the study seems to indicate this could happen in just about any prison anywhere, if the guards have enough power. The world should pay more attention to this study and its implications. As another writer notes, "The young men who played prisoners and guards revealed how much circumstances can distort individual personalities -- and how anyone, when given complete control over others, can act like a monster" (Alexander). This is what happened at Abu Ghraib, and chances are it is happening all around the world as well. In an interview about Abu Ghraib, Zimbardo notes the prison environment there was perfect for abuse. A reporter writes, "Zimbardo said the report on Abu Ghraib prepared by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba describes a prison that was the perfect petri dish in which the culture of guard violence could flourish" (Stannard). It shows that people can become monsters, but also that humankind must find ways to keep this from happening, for the good of all.
The lessons learned from this experiment are still quite valid today. They show that with the right conditions, power and control can create evil and dominance in the human mind. This bears out what happened in Nazi concentration camps to the abuses at Abu Ghraib. There is evil in many people, and it comes out when it can do the most damage.
Doctor Zimbardo continued his studies into prison psychology, and married another psychologist, Christina Maslach. Two of the "prisoners" went on to major in psychology and prisons, and the most notorious guard is a real estate broker. Maslach is credited with helping end the experiment early, because she came into it after it had begun, and saw with an unbiased eye how corrupt the atmosphere had become. A reporter notes, "Later that evening, Maslach said, she suddenly got sick to her stomach while watching guards taking the prisoners with paper bags over their heads to the bathroom before their bedtime" (O'Toole). She urged Zimbardo to call off the study because it had become out of control. Zimbardo was too involved to see the signs himself, but he called it off the next day.
In conclusion, the Zimbardo prison study was remarkable for a number of reasons. First, it only lasted six days but it is still studied today. It showed how quickly the human mind assimilates to new, stressful situations, how people cope with those situations, and how power can corrupt people just as quickly. It is a frightening look into human behavior and how the prison system corrupts and harms people so quickly.
References
Alexander, Meredith. "Thirty Years Later, Stanford Prison Experiment Lives On." Prisonexp.org. 22 Aug. 2001. 9 Jan. 2007. http://www.prisonexp.org/30years.htm
Bronstein, Phyllis A., and Kathryn Quina, eds. Teaching a Psychology of People: Resources for Gender and Sociocultural Awareness. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 1988.
Giles, David. Media Psychology. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003.
O'Toole, Kathleen. "The Stanford Prison Experiment: Still Powerful After All These Years." Stanford University. 8 Jan. 1997. 9 Jan. 2007. http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/pr/97/970108prisonexp.html
Stannard, Matthew B. "Stanford Experiment Foretold Iraq Scandal." San Francisco Chronicle. 8 May 2004. 9 January 2007. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/05/08/MNGN76IG761.DTL
Zimbardo, Philip G. "The Sanford Prison Experiment." Prisonexp.org. 2007. 9 Jan. 2007. http://www.prisonexp.org/
Sample Source(s) Used
References
Alexander, Meredith. "Thirty Years Later, Stanford Prison Experiment Lives On." Prisonexp.org. 22 Aug. 2001. 9 Jan. 2007. http://www.prisonexp.org/30years.htm
Bronstein, Phyllis A., and Kathryn Quina, eds. Teaching a Psychology of People: Resources for Gender and Sociocultural Awareness. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 1988.
Giles, David. Media Psychology. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003.
O'Toole, Kathleen. "The Stanford Prison Experiment: Still Powerful After All These Years." Stanford University. 8 Jan. 1997. 9 Jan. 2007. http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/pr/97/970108prisonexp.html
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