Philip Zimbardo

Zimbardo and the Ethical Standards of Psychological Experiments

Modern day psychology needs to focus on professional ethics since psychologists generally have a high degree of responsibility that often significantly impacts the lives of others . For example , psychologists who conduct psychotherapy are entrusted with the emotional and often physical vulnerabilities , confidences , and well-being of the people who seek their guidance . In this regard , psychologists conducting research must design and conduct high-quality research , protect the rights of subjects , and carefully interpret and report their results in to contribute meaningful information and knowledge about

human behavior to the professional community . Most important is that they must closely and carefully follow ethical principles to ensure that they behave in an appropriate , responsible , and professional manner , protecting the public as well as the profession

However , in 1971 , Stanford psychology professor Philip Zimbardo and his colleagues conducted a prison experiment controversially represented prison life to the extreme . Zimbardo (1972 ) solicited and paid student volunteers to act as either prison guards or prisoners . A prison ' was constructed in several rooms in the basement of a building on the Stanford University campus . Some students were designated as guards while others were designated as prisoners ' The experiment was designed to last 2 weeks . Prisoners were issued inmate jump suits , while guards were issued guard uniforms , nightsticks , and other guard-related equipment . Prisoners were fed regularly , and they had bathroom facilities and cots . Zimbardo wanted to study the interaction patterns of prison guards and inmates through this simulation

In this experiment , student volunteers were chosen to gear up roles as prisoners or guards . Later on , guards became increasingly abusive , both physically and verbally . Prisoners were dehumanized and began to act both passive and hostile toward their keepers . Peace-loving young men were behaving sadistically in their role as guards , inflicting humiliation and pain and suffering on other young men who had the inferior status of prisoner . Some guards ' even reported enjoying doing so . Many of the intelligent , healthy college students who were occupying the role of prisoner showed signs of emotional breakdown (i . e , stress diss ) so extreme that five of them had to be removed from the experiment within that first week . The prisoners who adapted better to the situation were those who mindlessly followed s and who allowed the guards to dehumanize and degrade them ever more with each passing day and night (Miller 2004 ,

. 40

Because of the unexpected outcome , the experiment was short-lived when the emotional strain became too much for some of the prisoners . After only 6 days , Zimbardo terminated the experiment because of certain adverse effects observed among the various student participants Zimbardo was also criticized for this research , since the emotional states of experimental subjects were altered in different ways . Zimbardo defended his research , observing that the students had knowingly volunteered for the experiment and were , in fact , being paid well for their participation . He contended that it was never his intention that anyone would be physically injured or psychologically abused as the...