Dr. Philip Zimbardo
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The Stanford prison experiment (SPE) was a psychological experiment performed during August 1971. It was a two-week simulation of a prison environment that examined the effects of situational variables on participants' reactions and behaviors.
Sep 17, 2024 · Stanford Prison Experiment, a social psychology study in which college students became prisoners or guards in a simulated prison environment. The experiment, funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research, took place at Stanford University in August 1971.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Purpose of The Stanford Prison Experiment
- Participants in The Stanford Prison Experiment
- Setting and Procedures
- Results of The Stanford Prison Experiment
- Impact of The Zimbardo Prison Experiment
- Criticisms of The Stanford Prison Experiment
- Takeaway
Zimbardo was a former classmate of the psychologist Stanley Milgram. Milgram is best known for his famous obedience experiment, and Zimbardo was interested in expanding upon Milgram's research. He wanted to further investigate the impact of situational variables on human behavior. Specifically, the researchers wanted to know how participants would ...
To carry out the experiment, researchers set up a mock prison in the basement of Stanford University's psychology building. They then selected 24 undergraduate students to play the roles of both prisoners and guards. Participants were chosen from a larger group of 70 volunteers based on having no criminal background, no psychological issues, and no...
The simulated prison included three six-by-nine-foot prison cells. Each cell held three prisoners and included three cots. Other rooms across from the cells were utilized for the jail guards and warden. One tiny space was designated as the solitary confinement room, and yet another small room served as the prison yard. The 24 volunteers were random...
So what happened in the Zimbardo experiment? While originally slated to last 14 days, it had to be stopped after just six due to what was happening to the student participants. The guards became abusive and the prisoners began to show signs of extreme stress and anxiety. It was noted that: 1. While the prisoners and guards were allowed to interact ...
The experiment became famous and was widely cited in textbooks and other publications. According to Zimbardo and his colleagues, the Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrated the powerful role that the situation can play in human behavior. Because the guards were placed in a position of power, they began to behave in ways they would not usually act i...
In the years since the experiment was conducted, there have been a number of critiques of the study. Some of these include:
The Stanford Prison Experiment is well known both inside and outside the field of psychology. While the study has long been criticized for many reasons, more recent criticisms of the study's procedures shine a brighter light on the experiment's scientific shortcomings.
Carried out August 15-21, 1971 in the basement of Jordan Hall, the Stanford Prison Experiment set out to examine the psychological effects of authority and powerlessness in a prison environment. The study, led by psychology professor Philip G. Zimbardo, recruited Stanford students using a local newspaper ad.
Aug 26, 2020 · The Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) took place at a time when the sources of authoritarianism and evil were a focal concern in psychology. It emerged from a tradition of activist social psychological research beginning with Solomon Asch in the 1940s and extending through Stanley Milgram’s obedience experiments in the early 1960s.
Jan 20, 2024 · Philip Zimbardo is best known for his 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE). Early in his career, he conducted experiments in the psychology of deindividualization, in which a person in a group or crowd no longer acts as a responsible individual but is swept along...
Aug 1, 2024 · The Stanford Prison Experiment will remain known as one of the most contentious experiments to have been tested. This experiment impacted individuals in the way that they were experiencing the worse day by day as each person fell into their role, especially the 'guards.' It escalated to the point that the experiment was ended before it could ...
