Prison - 1200 Words

Zimbardo - Stanford Prison Experiment by Saul McLeod published 2008 Aim: To investigate how readily people would conform to the roles of guard and prisoner in a role-playing exercise that simulated prison life. Zimbardo (1973) was interested in finding out whether the brutality reported among guards in American prisons was due to the sadistic personalities of the guards or had more to do with the prison environment. Procedure: Zimbardo used a lab experiment to study conformity. To study the roles people play in prison situations, Zimbardo converted a basement of the Stanford University psychology building into a mock prison. He advertised for students to play the roles of prisoners and guards for a fortnight. 21 male college†¦show more content†¦Within the next few days three others also had to leave after showing signs of emotional disorder that could have had lasting consequences. (These were people who had been pronounced stable and normal a short while before.) Zimbardo (1973) had intended that the experiment should run for a fortnight, but on the sixth day he closed it down. There was real danger that someone might be physically or mentally damaged if it was allowed to run on. After some time for the researchers to gather their data the subjects were called back for a follow-up, debriefing session. Conclusion: People will readily conform to the social roles they are expected to play, especially if the roles are as strongly stereotyped as those of the prison guards. The â€Å"prison† environment was an important factor in creating the guards’ brutal behavior (none of the participants who acted as guards showed sadistic tendencies before the study). Therefore, the roles that people play can shape their behavior and attitudes. After the prison experiment was terminated Zimbardo interviewed the participants. Here’s an excerpt: ‘Most of the participants said they had felt involved and committed. The research had felt real to them. One guard said, I was surprised at myself. I made them call each other names and clean the toilets out with their bare hands. I practically considered the prisoners cattle and I kept thinking I had to watch out for them in caseShow MoreRelatedPrisons : Prisons And Prisons1332 Words   |  6 PagesJails and Prisons Comparison Paper Throughout history, the general public often misinterprets the difference between jails and prisons. For long confinement terms, jails are not used to hold sentenced offenders. However, jails are the oldest of the correctional components. According to Seiter (2011), jails were initiated prior to halfway houses, parole, probation, or prisons. Also, jails hold various offenders such as those being held administratively for a criminal justice agency, waiting to transferRead MorePrisons And Prisons : Prisons Essay1230 Words   |  5 PagesPrisons are supposed to be good thing, but when so much trouble comes out of them it’s hard to remember what they’re there for. 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