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Stanford Prision Experiment Reaction Essay

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Psychology of Human Relations

Stanford Prison Experiment Reaction Essay

Jana Haight March 1, 2011

The Stanford Prison Experiment was to study of the psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard. The study was conducted by a team of researchers led by Psychology professor Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University in August 1971. Twenty-four students were selected after tests and background checks deemed them mentally healthy, free of medical disabilities and history of crime or drug abuse. All 24 students selected were healthy, intelligent, middle-class males. Randomly ½ were assigned as prisoners and the other ½ prison guards. The ‘prison’ was set up to look just
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The guards on the other hand were noted as behaving sadistically. The abuse they were delivering was escalating and more degrading than ever. None of the guards ever objected to what they were asked to do and completed tasks as requested. Interestingly, the guards were upset that the study was over early and of course the prisoners were very glad with that fact.
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