Stanford Prison Experiment

Conclusion of the experiment

Female Undergraduates

Shock other participant

Control group

females delivered more shocks

Control group delivered less shocks

The behviour of the character

Guards were

High anonymity (uniform)

Low individual responsibility

Prisoners were

High anonymity (referred to by name)

Low individual responsibility

Traumatized

Sadistic

Group norm of violence

Group norm of submission

The Experiment

Philip Zimbardo (1973)

Randomly assigned to "prisoner" or "prison guard"

Lasted 6 days

24 male participants

Built a prison in the basement of Stanford University

Instructed to make orders/follow orders

Prison guards acted violently

Prisoners acted submissively

Aim of the experiment

Follow Social Norms

Individual Responsibility

Attention to the self