The Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) was a landmark study in social psychology,

Question

The Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) was a landmark study in social psychology, partly due to the questions it raised regarding the treatment of human subjects in psychological research. For this discussion question you will go to the SPE official website at (right click on the link with your mouse and select "open in new tab" from the drop down list) http://www.prisonexp.org/psychology/1 and view the slide show (navigation arrows to scroll through the slides are at the bottom of the page).

There's also a video (about 30 min) documenting the experiment, and then follows-up with some of the participants many years afterward: (right click on the link with your mouse and select "open in new tab" from the drop down list) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_LKzEqlPto

After viewing the slide show and the 30 minute documentary video about the Stanford Prison Experiment, answer the following questions: What was Dr. Zimbardo trying to learn from this experiment? Why was it conducted? Was it ethical to do the Stanford Prison Experiment? Was it right to trade the suffering experienced by participants for the knowledge gained by the research? (The experimenters did not take this issue lightly, although the Slide Show may sound somewhat matter-of-fact about the events and experiences that occurred). If you were the experimenter in charge, would you have done this study? Would you have terminated it earlier; if so, at what point would you have terminated it and why this point? Would you have conducted a follow-up study? Note: It might be helpful to review chapter 1 in your textbook, "The Science of Psychology," as you write your response to the questions.

Explanation / Answer

Dr. Philip Zimbardo conducted the Stanford Prison experiment to understand the situational attribution of an individual's behaviour. He wanted to explore and see the psychological effects of situational power and authority. He conducted this experiment with 24 participants who volunteered to play the role of prisoners and officers respectively. Individuals got so involved in the simulating prison, that the pretend officers began inflicting the prisoners with sheer torture. And the prisoners complied to the officer's orders. By the end of the 6th day, the experiment had to be wrapped up as it took a toll on the participants who played the role of prisoners. Though it was just a simulate prison, the officers exercised the power given to them. These individuals otherwise did not have personal traits of being authoritative neither did the prisoners have dispositions of being submissive.

Dr. Zimbardo conducted the study to understand the effect of situational attribution on behaviour.

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