Inside The Stanford Prison Experiment

Aug 14, 2024

Discover the chilling details of the Stanford Prison Experiment, where college students were assigned the roles of guards and prisoners in a mock jail. The podcast dives into the dark psychological transformations that took place, uncovering how power dynamics led to cruel behaviors. It raises important ethical questions about the study’s design and lasting impact on psychology. Hear insights on whether the findings are still relevant or should be removed from educational contexts, emphasizing the blurred lines of authority and authentic experiences.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

The Dark Dynamics of Role-Playing in the Stanford Prison Experiment

02:02 • 4min

The Blurred Lines of Authority and Experience in the Stanford Prison Experiment

06:01 • 2min

Ethical Dilemmas and Scientific Validity in the Stanford Prison Experiment

07:52 • 2min

Exploring Behavior Dynamics in the Stanford Prison Experiment

09:35 • 4min

The Stanford Prison Experiment, created by Philip Zimbardo, began on 14th August, 1971.

24 male college students volunteered to be assigned roles as either ‘guard’ or ‘prisoner’ in a mock jail: the ‘prisoners’ were ‘arrested’ by real cops outside their family homes and marched down to a Police Station before being transferred to their imitation incarceration.

Once inside, they were stripped, deloused, and given smocks and ID numbers; while guards were outfitted with khaki uniforms, mirrored sunglasses, and batons, establishing a stark power divide.

The guards quickly embraced their roles, with some becoming cruel and abusive. They enforced strict, often humiliating regimens on the prisoners, such as roll calls and physical exercises, to instill a sense of powerlessness. But the guards were not aware they were also subjects of the study…

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly interrogate the selection process and context that belies the study’s impact; consider the distress supposedly experienced by the participants; and ask if this controversial experiment should now be scrubbed from the textbooks…