The Stanford Prison Study - Assignment Example

The Stanford Prison Study            The Stanford Prison Study Question Initially, the Stanford Prison Experiment was meant to last for two weeks, but had to be terminated in the sixth day because of the negative impact it had on the students’ participants. The students’ participants started to exhibit signals of extreme anxiety and stress due to the abuse they received from the prison guards. The relationship between the prison guards and the prisoners were mainly aggressive, and in a number of instances inhumane.

The prison guards started to act in manners that were abusive and intimidating to the prisoners. At the same time, prisoners became depressed and unreceptive. There were also several prisoners who started to suffer extreme damaging feeling, for example, acute anxiety and crying. This made them to be removed from the experiment in the initial stages. In addition, the results of the experiment also illustrate the investigators started not to understand the certainty of the events in the prison.

The harsh conditions forced a number of them to resist the stipulations in the prison (Haney, Banks & Zimbardo, 1973).Question 2The research findings are largely relevant to current events in the world. In the view of the researchers, the Stanford Experiment highlights the significant responsibility that a circumstance can have on human behavior. The prison guards started to act in manners they would not act in different settings or in their daily undertakings because they hold positions considered to be powerful.

In contrast, the prisoners became depressed and inactive because they found themselves in positions they did not have control. Both the prison guards and prisoners conformed in their new positions within a minimal period. In a place of residence, rightful authority or law enforcement agencies are frequently ignored by individuals who have no respect to the rule of law or people occupying these positions. Also, within these law enforcement agencies, individuals carrying out control are likely to blame their colleagues for wrongdoings when they feel that it will assist them attain their objectives and advance their appearance (Zimbardo, 2007).

In health care centers, all patients depend on a person holding a high rank. In most cases, people undertake care that they would not undergo because they are assisted by an authority or expert to take the decision. In addition, procedures and rules found in educational institutions are meant to shape students behavior to the needs of the institutional existence. Students are required to conform to the regulations and rules of the institutions and at the same time maintain their submissiveness.

Students utilize their knowledge to device ways of averting failure and shame so as to deal with this form of risk to their self respect.Question 3There are also a number of concepts that have been highlighted in the experiment. One, the experiment highlights the significance of being capable to comprehend and rationalize behavior on the basis of social issues that are past a person’s psychological characteristics. The prison guards started to enjoy their sadist and harsh behavior towards the prisoners within a minimal duration and many prisoners experienced fear (Zimbardo, 2007).

Two, the experiment highlights how authoritative social conditions can have an impact on peoples’ behavior, for example, the participants soon started to behave like prisoners. ReferencesHaney, C., Banks, W. C., & Zimbardo, P. G. (1973). Study of prisoners and guards in a simulated prison. Naval Research Reviews, 9(1), 1-17.Zimbardo, P. G. (2007). The Lucifer effect: Understanding how good people turn evil. New York: Random House.