Similarities Between The Tuskegee And The Stanford Prison Experiment

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The code of ethics in which an individual abides by speaks volume. High ethical values are very important in every facet of life. Honesty, loyalty and trust worthiness make up the moral compass in which to live. This moral compass can often be blemished with the ugliness of immorality, deceit and greed. The Tuskegee Syphilis study and The Stanford Prison Experiment are experiments indicative of how research and an individual’s ethical values can become distorted. The participants of the Stanford Prison experiment were healthy young men who were promised a nominal fee for their services. These participants were blindfolded and assumed the role of prisoner or guard in a mock prison in the basement of the Stanford University. Prisoners were stripped, chained, belittled and humiliated by the guards. The prisoners lost their identity. They became a number. The Stanford Prison Experiment displayed a sense of urgency to evaluate our ability to “run with the crowd” or remain true to your ethical beliefs.
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study was conducted on the effects of syphilis when it remains untreated. Improvised African American males, unaware of the study, and unaware that they suffered from the contagious disease, were being used to research how …show more content…

The Tuskegee Syphilis study disregarded the health of African American men, targeted these men because of their ethnicity and lack of education and withheld an effective treatment from these men in an effort to continue the study. Also, these men were not provided with information concerning the study and this inhibited their right to make the conscious decision to participate. The Stanford Prison Experiment failed to minimize harm to the participants. The prisoners were mistreated, degraded, humiliated and endured severe emotional and psychological distress. The experiment ended after six