Summary Of The Zimbardo Stanford Prison Experiment

The Zimbardo Stanford Prison Experiment is an infamous study that caught the eye of the world and has been taught about in universities and classrooms. This experiment was conducted in 1971, when psychologists Philip Zimbardo and researchers initially set out to form an experiment that observed the impact of becoming a prison guard and prisoner. The researchers wanted to know how the participant would react when placed in a prison simulation. This simulation was conducted in the basement of Stanford University’s psychology building.

The initial number of volunteers was approximately 70, the researchers picked 24 college-aged men to participate in the roles of both prisoners and guards. The participants were chosen through a process that had

However, when conflicts occur it's their obligation to avoid or minimize any possibility of harm” (American Psychological Association, 2017). This study demonstrates the clear violation of the APA Code of Ethics principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence. The researchers when conducting a study should evaluate the potential harm that participants could unintentionally undergo. Nevertheless, if participants are going through a mental breakdown due to the conditions in the experiment, then that’s directly causing them a significant amount of harm and should be assessed immediately. Within 36 hours of this experiment, participant #8612 displayed signs of emotional distress. After talking with the guards and asking if he could leave, he was refused and asked to become an informant. He went back and told the other prisoners that they were not able to leave, and it was not until he started having uncontrollable fits of rage, screaming, crying, and cursing, that the researchers decided that they should let him leave the experiment. Four days later, a guard detained prisoner #436 in a 2x2 foot closet for the night, without informing the researchers about the situation while instructing other prisoners that the only way the closet would open would be if they gave up their blankets and slept on their mattresses. This is one of the many forms of harassment that the guards inflicted on the

They have to uphold a professional code of fidelity and responsibility, by clarifying their professional roles, and obligations, accepting appropriate responsibility for their actions and seeking to reduce any conflict of interest that could lead to exploitation or harm” (American Psychological Association, 2017). Zimbardo and his researchers injected themselves into the study by playing the roles of superintendent and warden. Instead of merely observing as a neutral observer and reviewing the information later, Zimbardo made himself an authoritative figure in this experiment, which had an impact on the guard's and affected his own behavior. He became intertwined in the role of superintendent just as much as the guards and prisoners had become. Zimbardo admittedly said, “One reason we did not end the experiment on day 2 was because of the conflicts created by my dual roles as principal investigator, thus the guardian of the research ethics of the experiment, and as prison superintendent, thus eager to maintain the integrity of my prison" (Zimbardo et al, 2000). The prisoners suffered from learned helplessness, and the psychologist realized that participant #819 could hear the conversation stating that they were bad, and they had gone back into his room only to find him sobbing uncontrollably. They then agreed to allow him to leave the experiment, but he