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Psychology: The Stanford Prison Experiment

Updated: Oct 12, 2023

Written by Jenny J. (KIS‘24)

━━ Dec 3rd,2020 ━━


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How human functions from the reaction of psychology can vary in different ways. During the 1970s, Professor Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University went ahead and held an experiment to solve the numerous questions people held about psychology.“Experimenters selected 24 applicants who were judged to be physically and mentally healthy. The paid subjects—they received $15 a day—were divided randomly into equal numbers of guards and prisoners.” Numerous students were randomly chosen to be prisoners or guards and act in the specific jobs they were responsible for. As the experiment went on for 6 days, it was often shown that students naturally played with their roles rather than showing their own personalities or traits. This experiment proved that humans have the ability to feel more comfortable playing in a specific role that matches the situation rather than showing their personal traits. During this experiment, it was found that empowerment played an important role in how people reacted in society and how it was affected by psychology.


Professor Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University came up with this experiment not only to discover unknown facts about psychology but was also to figure out if the brutality of the American prisoners had an effect on the environment or the personality and the traits that were treated by the guards. When the prisoners arrived at the prison they were stripped naked, deloused, had all their personal possessions removed and locked away, and were given prison clothes and bedding. They were issued a uniform, and referred to by their number only.” Like this situation, prisoners were often mistreated in a malicious way which may have impacted the negative outcomes of the actions that are shown by the American prisoners. The surrounding by the guards who show brutal, yet violent actions toward them in a weak environment can cause no good for the prisoners to find a way for them to look back at the false actions that they have done to come up to this situation.


Prisoners were to remain in the mock prison 24-hours a day during the study. Guards were assigned to work in three-man teams for eight-hour shifts. After each shift, guards were allowed to return to their homes until their next shift. Researchers were able to observe the behavior of the prisoners and guards using hidden cameras and microphones.” was stated in a research paper from Britannica. Though this was a mock act, every participant in this experiment took their task seriously to manage direct data. Even the unnecessary notices by the students were notified by the researchers who took a precise look through the cameras and microphones.

Throughout the experiment, unforeseen results were made. “The guards began to behave in ways that were aggressive and abusive toward the prisoners while the prisoners became passive and depressed. Five of the prisoners began to experience severe negative emotions, including crying and acute anxiety, and had to be released from the study early.” At the beginning of this trial, all members of this experiment were students from the same school but ended up differentiating themselves from the empowerment which was shown by the guards over the prisoners. Though this experiment was managed in just 2 weeks, eye-catching changes appeared like how the students who mocked the guards suddenly showed aggressive, yet malign actions through the process. On the other side, prisoners went through a dramatic change in their life where they suddenly had to be treated unethically that they lacked self-restraint in their emotions. The prisoners also started to act in a certain way to avoid mental and physical pain that they might go under if they disobeyed the rules settled by the guards.

Now how can we see this in our daily lives? “According to Zimbardo and his colleagues, the Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrates the powerful role that the situation can play in human behavior.” The relationships in society that are harshly ranked by power can be commonly shown. The relationships between teachers and students can also demonstrate what the guards and prisoners resulted. Especially nowadays, students feel forced to act in a certain way to satisfy the eyes of the teachers or fit into the standards teachers are laying out. School reports, grades, and recommendation scripts are often highly valued since it could depend on the next path the students take into college or jobs.


People in society often play a role that doesn’t prove or show who they really are. “Fake” personalities and traits of themselves are made up to satisfy one’s opinion or thoughts. Most often, people who are situated in high levels have the stereotype that it is right for them to have the power to rule over people who are standing below them. From the situation the society gives up, people tend to follow stereotypic sentiments that aren’t completely true; empowerments between people (how they act toward one another). To resolve this issue, we must break the stereotype people have and act upon our true personalities and traits. If this issue that human psychology brings up is resolved, we can change our lives into a sincere and equal society.


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Credits:

Mcleod, Saul. “The Stanford Prison Experiment.” Stanford Prison Experiment | Simply

Psychology, www.simplypsychology.org/zimbardo.html#:~:text=Conclusion,those of the prison guards.

Resnick, Brian. “The Stanford Prison Experiment Was Massively Influential. We Just Learned It Was a Fraud.” Vox, Vox, 13 June 2018, www.vox.com/2018/6/13/17449118/stanford-prison-experiment-fraud-psychology-replication.

magazine, STANFORD. “The Menace Within.” STANFORD Magazine, stanfordmag.org/contents/the-menace-within.

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