Philip Zimbardo Stanford Prison Experiment Wanted to know
Philip Zimbardo Stanford Prison Experiment
�Wanted to know what could make good people do bad things. �Has recently called this the ‘Lucifer Effect, ’ after the favourite angel who fell from grace to become the devil. Zimbardo
�Dispositional: the ‘Bad Apple, ’ where the person is already evil and the beliefs and behaviour are internalized. �Situational: the ‘Bad Barrel, ’ where the person isn’t necessarily evil but a situation provokes bad behaviour. �Systemic: the ‘Bad Barrel Makers, ’ where a system such as a government or institution creates the situations that can make people do bad things. 3 Causes of Evil
� 1: Screened applicants and selected 24 that they decided were normal. � 2: Volunteers were randomly split in two equal groups, prisoners and guards. � 3: Prisoners had one change of clothes, just a robe. Guards were given a tan uniform, police baton and mirrored sunglasses. Prison Experiment
� 4: Goal was for the prisoners to behave properly for two weeks – no riots, no breakouts. Schedule was structured like a real prison. Guards had to prevent any chaos. � 5: On the second day, the prisoners refused to leave their cell. The guards spent extra time on duty to subdue them and attacked them with fire extinguishers. Prison Experiment
� 6: One guard suggested psychological tactics to subdue the prisoners. 1/3 began to show sadistic tendencies within just a couple of days in the role. � 7: After just 36 hours the first person was released from the experiment – a prisoner – after a mental breakdown. � 8: The entire experiment was shut down after just 6 days. Most of the guards were outwardly upset. Prison Experiment
�How is this experiment similar to Milgram’s shock experiment? �How would you react as a prisoner? As a guard?
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Mindlessly taking steps towards evil. Dehumanizing others. Diffusion of self; anonymity. Diffusion of personal responsibility. Blind obedience to authority. Conformity to group norms. Passive attitude towards evil. Zimbardo’s “Slippery Slope”
�Which of those steps on the slippery slope would most powerfully impact you? What is most likely to contribute to you doing something evil? �What systemic parts of everyday life now concern you? Think of major institutions: prisons, mental institutions, the military, schools and universities. Do these promote the capacity for evil?
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