Stanford prison experiment
Guard-prisoner role study
The Stanford prison experiment was a 1971 psychology study in which college students were randomly assigned roles as prisoners or guards in a simulated prison.
The experiment, conducted by Philip Zimbardo, was terminated early when "guards" became abusive and "prisoners" showed severe distress.
It became a touchstone for discussions of situational power and institutional authority, though its methodology has faced substantial criticism.
The Stanford prison experiment showed how quickly ordinary people adopt authoritarian roles.
- guardsProtectors or watchmen
- authorityPower to enforce obedience
- authority figuresPeople wielding institutional power
- obedienceCompliance with authority
- abuseCruel or violent treatment
psychological abuse · power · power dynamics · roles · role playing · dehumanization · basement · uniforms · sunglasses · rebellion · six days · ethics · ethical violations · psychology · social psychology · cruelty · conformity · sadism
Stanford prison experimentpositive psychology
Study of human flourishing
Stanford prison experimentAbu Ghraib
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