Effects Of The Stanford Prison Experiment On Philip G Zimbardo

Prisons in the 1971 were a truly horrific place. Not only were criminals being punished by incarceration but they were being day in and day out by cruelty of the prison staff. This corrupt system of retribution became evident to a man named Philip G. Zimbardo. Zimbardo’s initial aim of the Stanford Prison experiment was to determine if it was the environment or if it was the conflicting personalities between guards and criminals that brought about the brutality in prisons. The experiment developed into something more abstract. This essentially unethical experiment showed to what extent people are willing to step into their “social roles,” and how granting power to individuals will cause corruption. This kind of personality defect has been present all throughout history. John Dalberg- Acton once said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts

The experiment was conducted in the basement of Stanford’s Psychology department (The Stanford Prison Experiment, 2008). Zimbardo and his fellow experimenters wanted to make the mock prison as realistic as possible so they called in some “prison experts.” One of which was an ex con who had been imprisoned for almost seventeen years. This outside help provided insight to help create the most realistic incarceration experience attainable. The “prison yard” was built in the hallway of the Stanford psychological department basement by blocking off both ends of a hallway leaving just one small opening at one end of the in