The Stanford Prison Experiment (bovenbouw)

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 4

The Stanford Prison Experiment

The Stanford prison experiment was a social psychology experiment that attempted to investigate the psychological effects of perceived power, focusing on the struggle between prisoners and prison officers. It was conducted at Stanford University on the days of August 14–20, 1971, by a research group led by psychology professor Philip Zimbardo using college students.

Several "prisoners" left mid-experiment, and the whole experiment was abandoned after six days. Early reports on experimental results claimed that students quickly embraced their assigned roles, with some guards enforcing authoritarian measures and ultimately subjecting some prisoners to psychological torture, while many prisoners passively accepted psychological abuse and, by the officers' request, actively harassed other prisoners who tried to stop it. The experiment has been described in many introductory social psychology textbooks, although some have chosen to exclude it because its methodology is sometimes questioned.

Reading practice

Read the text and answer the question. See our Google Classroom. 

Part 2: STRONG THESIS  

1. What was the original aim of the Stanford Prison Experiment?

2. What actually happened during the experiment?

3. Do you believe the experiment was ethically justified? Why or why not?

4. Should such an experiment ever be conducted again?

Is it okay to do experiments that might hurt people’s feelings or mental health?

Think about the balance between learning new things and keeping people safe.

Does wearing a uniform or being in a certain role change how people act?

Talk about how having a specific role or outfit affects behavior.

Do people naturally start using power in bad ways if they have it?

Think about whether having power leads to harmful behavior.

What makes an environment "toxic," and how can people avoid behaving badly in such a place?

Talk about how surroundings affect actions and how to make better choices.

Is it ever okay to harm a few people if it might help many others?

Explore situations where hurting some might benefit others.

1. Social experiments can be dangerous because …

2. Social experiments should not be allowed if …

3. Social experiments are important for society because …

4. Researchers should stop an experiment when …

1. Social experiments can be dangerous because they may cause psychological harm, create extreme power imbalances, and influence participants’ behaviour in ways that continue long after the study ends.

2. Social experiments should not be allowed if they expose participants to serious stress, lack clear scientific value, and fail to protect the dignity of those involved.

3. Social experiments are important for society because they help us understand human behaviour, reveal hidden social patterns, and improve institutions.

4. Researchers should stop an experiment when participants experience emotional distress, ethical boundaries are crossed, or the situation becomes unpredictable and unsafe.

STRONG THESIS 

Formulation practice

1. Do people behave badly because of their personality, or because of the situation they are in?

2. Should psychological experiments be allowed to cause stress if they produce important scientific knowledge?

3. Can ordinary people become cruel under certain circumstances?

4. Should researchers always stop an experiment when participants feel uncomfortable?

1. People behave badly mainly because of the situation they are in because social pressure influences their decisions, authority can reduce personal responsibility, and extreme circumstances change normal behaviour.

2. Psychological experiments should not be allowed to cause serious stress because mental health must always be protected, scientific results lose value when participants are harmed, and public trust in research can be damaged.

3. Ordinary people can become cruel under certain circumstances, because power can change behaviour, group pressure reduces empathy, and fear can lead to extreme actions.

4. Researchers should stop an experiment when participants feel serious discomfort, because psychological safety is essential, ethical limits must be respected, and the long-term consequences may outweigh the scientific benefits.