University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

The Stanford Prison Experiment, a renowned psychological study conducted by Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University in 1971, was designed to demonstrate the power of situational factors like social roles, norms, and scripts on behavior. The study, which was advertised as an investigation into the psychological effects of prison life, had to be terminated after only six days due to the extreme and abusive behavior of participants assigned as 'guards' and the severe emotional distress experienced by those assigned as 'prisoners'.

Stanford Prison Experiment

What was a significant finding of the Stanford Prison Experiment?

Why was the Stanford Prison Experiment terminated early?

What was the main purpose of the Stanford Prison Experiment?

The primary finding of the Stanford Prison Experiment was that situational factors are a powerful determinant of behavior, often overriding individual personality traits. Participants quickly adopted their assigned social roles, with 'guards' becoming abusive and 'prisoners' becoming passive and distressed. This powerful conformity to social scripts extended even to the lead researcher, Philip Zimbardo, who became so immersed in his role as 'prison supervisor' that he lost his scientific objectivity and began to act as if the situation were real.

Findings of the Stanford Prison Experiment

The Stanford Prison Experiment has drawn substantial criticism on multiple fronts. Ethically, it is condemned for the psychological distress it caused participants. Methodologically, its validity is challenged due to several flaws, including potential recruitment bias, the presence of strong demand characteristics stemming from Zimbardo's instructions, issues with generalizability, and the failure of subsequent studies to replicate its findings.

Criticisms of the Stanford Prison Experiment

To the researchers' surprise, both the “prisoners” and “guards” assumed their assigned roles with zeal. The behavior of the guards quickly escalated to sadistic levels. By the second day, they began harassing the prisoners by forcing them to strip, confiscating their beds, and isolating the ringleaders in solitary confinement. The guards continued to degrade the prisoners through late-night counts, assigning demeaning chores, and denying them basic comforts and privacy.

Escalation of Guard Behavior in the Stanford Prison Experiment

The participants assigned to the prisoner role quickly began to exhibit signs of severe emotional distress. They developed anxiety and a sense of hopelessness, eventually becoming passive and starting to tolerate the abusive treatment from the guards.

Psychological Effects on 'Prisoners' in the Stanford Prison Experiment

The Stanford Prison Experiment is often compared to the abuse of prisoners of war by U.S. Army and CIA personnel at the Abu Ghraib prison during the Iraq War. In 2003 and 2004, these personnel committed offenses against prisoners that were documented in photographs, some of which were taken by the abusers themselves. Philip Zimbardo, the lead researcher of the Stanford experiment, has also publicly discussed these parallels, for instance, in an NPR interview.

Comparison of the Stanford Prison Experiment to the Abu Ghraib Prison Abuse

In the summer of 1971, researchers recruited male volunteers via a California newspaper advertisement for a study on the psychological effects of prison life. Over 70 men responded, and those with psychiatric problems, medical conditions, or histories of crime or drug abuse were screened out through psychological testing. The remaining pool was narrowed to 24 healthy male college students. Each participant was paid \$15 per day (equivalent to roughly \$80 today) and was randomly assigned to portray either a prisoner or a guard.

Participant Selection in the Stanford Prison Experiment

The study was staged in a mock prison constructed in the basement of Stanford University's psychology building and was scheduled to run for several weeks. To increase the realism, participants assigned to the prisoner role were unexpectedly “arrested” at their residences by actual Palo Alto police officers, booked at a police station, and then transported to the simulated prison.

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