Sociology Assignment

Running Head : STANFORD PRISON EXPERIMENT

Stanford Prison Experiment (Name (Professor (University (Subject / Course (Date )Stanford Prison Experiment

The Stanford Prison Experiment headed by psychologist Dr . Philip Zimbardo started with the cooperation of the Palo Alto police . The arrest was made among the volunteers who agreed to become a part of a simulation experiment on the basis of fifteen dollar per day . During the arrest the police picked the suspects ' from their homes . At the streets , they were charged and were warned with their human rights and afterwards , thoroughly searched and handcuffed . With

the sirens wailing the suspects were carried to the police station , and then booked and complete identification was made . The suspects were then held in a holding cell ' blindfolded . The events that had transpired in the suspects were real like . It is just how it should be in a real situation . theless , since the suspects were not really criminals the action might have startled them since it seems to involve real arrest . They might have been dehumanized since their neighbors are not aware of the simulation . Also , they are treated as though they have really done something wrong making them feel more uncomfortable and even frightened . The suspects were then transferred to a simulated prison They were divided into the prison guards and the prisoners

The prison simulation has been so close to reality and so sudden that ordinary , middle-class students are forced to accept the simulation as a reality . As can be seen in the experiment , those who are asked to be prisoners comply to the rules at first because they have not yet realized or understand the extent of the simulation or experiment . After being able to understand the role that they are required to follow there have been series of rejection and denial that follows . The prisoners felt that their human rights are being violated , that they are being dehumanized and are powerless . The guards on the other hand started to take the role of a powerful brute . The guard 's attitudes could be categorized into the just guards , the good guards and the bad guards

If I myself would be a guard , I believe that I would be a bad guard as well . Having the power to dehumanize other and control other people is something that is easy to do and gratifying . It seems that humans have inherent urged to manipulate the things that surrounds him . theless since morality and justice could also take on its effect , I might as well become just . Being a good guard might only be possible provided that I have seen enough brutality and injustice to sympathize with the prisoners and /or I have experienced some amount of dehumanization and pain that the prisoners are experiencing . I think the main reason why the good guards do not countermand the s of the tough guards is because they see the tough guards the same way that the prisoners see them as tough guards . Also , it might be due to the...