Camp

Julia Camp

Mr. Hortin

Psychology

Extra Credit

05/07/10

STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT

The purpose of the Stanford Prison Experiment was to determine how good people can turn

bad. Dr. Phil Zimbardo took 18 students and turned 9 into guards and 9 into prisoners for the

purpose of trying to see who would become what and how long it would take for them to react

as such the role they were playing. The guards were given mirrored sunglasses so that the

prisoners could not see the look of the guards, as your facial expressions can give your attitude

away. A hallway in the University was turned into a prison with the doors of 3 rooms replaced

with doors with steel bars and cell numbers, a mop closet was turned into “The Hole” or

solitary confinement.

To study the effects of living in an environment of prison the cells or hallways had no clocks

or windows for viewing the outside world. Prisoners were given numbers instead of names

and stocking caps to wear as if their heads were shaved. Each one was stripped naked and

searched and sprayed as if cleansing for germs or lice. Consider the psychological

consequences of being stripped and sprayed and the transformations that take place when put

through this. A chain was put on the prisoners foot to remind them where they were. Even

when asleep, they could not escape this feeling as when they turned in their sleep the chain

would hit the other foot to remind them.

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The guards were given no training on how to act as guards. They were even free to do as

they may with no limits to maintain the law and order of the prison. They were issued a

whistle to wear around their neck and a billy club, that was borrowed from the local police.

The guards would wake up the prisoners 2:30am every morning for inmate count and also

several times during the day. Push-ups were used as physical punishment.

Day 1 went without incident and totally unprepared for the rebellion that took place next

morning. Prisoners had removed the stocking aps and their ID numbers and barricaded

themselves in their rooms with their beds pushed against the doors. Soon order was retained

and parents and friends were able to visit. Then rumors of a break out had started and guards

escalated very noticeably their level of harassment to the prisoners. After viewing the guards

on video tape the Doctor realized that the guards were becoming more violent to the prisoners

due to their boredom.

On the 6th day of what was to be a 2 week prison simulation it was called off. A series of

sessions were held with the guards then with prisoners. This was done in order to get

everyone’s feelings out in the open. Prisoners were in agreement that they mostly felt they

were losing their identity and felt they were treated inhumane. The guards, feeling that they

were in total control of every situation that occurs in the prison had every right to abuse a

prisoner that in fact had lost their rights soon as their crime was committed. The power that

was given to them was “here’s a club and a whistle, maintain order!”.