Why Is The Stanford Experiment Unethical

The Stanford experiment is an experimental study that tries to analyze the relationship of power between prisoners and guards. The experiment follows 70 paid volunteer students who are divided to act upon the roles of prisoners and guards on a facility. On this study, the guards were dressed in clothing similar to that of an actual prison guard and were provided with tools to establish their authority. Meanwhile, the prisoners were given uniforms sewn with a number on their back to dissolve their personal identity. During their assigned roles, the researchers try to observe the naturalistic interaction between the non-trained guards and the confined prisoners. Quickly, they found that both, the prisoners and guards, had internalized their roles for their situation. For instance, the guards would display behaviors that would assert their authority, such as blasting whistles and

When I first read the experiment, I was surprised to see how researchers conducted the Sandford experiment. To begin with, the study, despite trying to be realistically done, had a poor population validity and reliability, not to mention the ethical issues against the volunteers. Especially, when I saw the documentary, I was shocked at the level of distress coming from both the prisoners and guards. Although, I was intrigued by the resulting scenario, I knew this experiment was harmful to the wellbeing of the volunteers. For that reason, I strongly believe the Stanford experiment was unethical because of its treatment against the human participants. Even though, the study did contribute useful information on the dynamic of power, it was done through the wrong measures to be considered appropriate. Thus, I don’t believe the results of the study outweighs the cost of the participants, in relation to science alone. Finally, a study that harms its participants is not morally or ethically realistic to be