Effects Of The Stanford Prison Experiment

Although there were no drugs used in the Stanford Prison Experiment, there was physical and mental abuse used in the experiment. The Stanford prison experiment started in 1971 and was conducted by psychologist by the name of Phillip Zimbardo. The Stanford Prison Experiment continues the steady theme of controversial psychological experiments because of its lasting impacts on the participants. In the experiment, Zimbardo tried to prove idea of Dispositional factors. Dispositional factors are when the personality traits or the motives of people change from the different circumstances at which they are involved (Phelvin 2014). The author of the journal, Andrew Phelvin, discussed the experiment in depth and where the idea had lacked. Phelvin explains

The experiment was initially supposed to be two weeks but it only lasted five days. The participants that acted as guards started to change in behavior after becoming too involved with their roles and taking advantage of their power. They began to mistreat the prisoners with physical and mental abuse, resulting in humiliation, sleep deprivation, and hunger (Phelvin 2014). This experiment, like many other experiences by Zimbardo, not only test ability to obey, but it also challenged the idea of “need to belong to, associate with, and be accepted by others” (Phelvin 2014). In Phelvin’s analysis of Zimbardo’s reasons for the experiment, he concludes with a major observation that relates other experiments led by Phillip Zimbardo to one another; this being not only did the experiments test the ability to obey, but it also challenged the idea of “need to belong to, associate with, and be accepted by

Especially psychologist that deal with mental and behavioral health such as Clinical psychologists. Dealing with such, there are opportunities to witness different cases that cause some questioning on how it can be fixed. Whether to help their own client or have an effect on the world, studies are conducted to prove and cure. With my dreams to work in the psychology field, I will have to be aware that the possibility of forming an experiment that can result in being controversial is likely. While enjoying helping people mentally and emotionally, I do not want to harm them in any way, especially when my experiment is set out to prove a major problem within society. I do enjoy learning about different disorders of people who are viewed as different in today’s world. The many years of schooling will also help in my case of taking all possible aspects and outcomes that can happen while conducting an experiment. Problem solving in psychology is the main motive of forming experiments. Many psychologists that have conducted the controversial experiments did not know that their study would experience such backlash. Other psychologists with controversial experiments were aware, yet still went through with it to have the strongest results possible. Not only does harming the subject have a negative effect on the subject, but has a negative effect on the psychologist’s reputation as well. After learning