Stanford Prison Experiment Essay

I decided to conduct my research on the Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE). This study was conducted in August of 1971 by a psychology professor named Phillip Zimbardo. The bases of the study was to focus on the psychology of human behavior, more specifically psychological effects between prison guard and prisoner. The experiment was to last 2 weeks but only lasted 6 days, due to dangerous behavior between the guards and prisoners. Twenty-four people volunteer to participate in the study, out of this group, they were randomly selected to be either prisoner or prison guard. Before the experiment began, all participants went through a psychological evaluation to make sure they were of sound mind (Onishi & Herbert, 2016). Once the experiment began the “prisoners” were arrested and taken to a simulated prison where they were stripped searched and demoralized.

During the 6 days that the study lasted, conduct between both sides, prisoners and guards, was less than expectable. Both sides “acted as though a punishment was justified as an acceptable response to a breach of the rules” (Onishi & Herbert, 2016), rules that were vaguely explained. Punishment included, but wasn’t limited to, physical contact. Mr. Zimbardo was also playing the role as the prison superintendent,

Respect for persons was not adhered to at all. This first principle incorporates two principles, “first, that individuals should be treated as autonomous agents, and second, that persons with diminished autonomy are entitled to protection.” The prisoners were not treated as independent people and the people that could not be independent were not protected. I think they fell into the mob mentality with this piece. The next area is beneficence; the participants were not treated in an ethical manner nor was their well-being secured. The physical conduct and the strip searching violated this