Stanford Prison Experiment

[WisNeuro]

Interesting series of letters from one of the "guards." I've always had a problem with this study, and Zimbardo's wild conclusions that he's drawn from it. I think this, and the Milgram study are perhaps the least understood, most often misquoted, and mis-perceived studies in all of psychology

https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=32561
https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=31723
https://alumni.stanford.edu/get/page/magazine/article/?article_id=43897

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[DynamicDidactic]

thanks for posting this. Looks like we need to rewrite the intro psych books again.

 

[cara susanna]

Yeah, don't get me started on Zimbardo.... I hate the Milgram's study is viewed as ethically the worst of the two by so many people.

 

[WisNeuro]

Well, I think people take the premise of this study without actually examining the design. It wasn't a very well-designed study really, and it very much appears that Zimbardo had an idea that he wanted to "prove." So, he tried everything in his power to make the results come out a certain way. Not a great way to find a genuine effect, I would also urge people to re-read the Milgram study carefully, the way you've been hearing about it is far from the actual methods and results of the actual study. It's been so warped by time, like a bad game of telephone.