Social PsychologyUnderstanding people in context

Tyranny in a university basement - The Stanford Prison Experiment

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Power Unmasked: A stark portrayal of authority and vulnerability, echoing the psychological descent of the Stanford Prison Experiment [Image: Copilot]

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The Stanford Prison Experiment

In August 1971, Zimbardo assigned 24 Stanford University students to roles as prisoners or guards in a makeshift prison in the university's basement to study the influence of social roles on behavior. As the prison warden, he actively participated, contributing to an environment that turned physically and psychologically abusive within days (Reicher & Haslam, 2006). Archival evidence indicates Zimbardo coached guards to act harshly, potentially biasing the experiment's outcomes (Le Texier, 2019). Initially resistant, the prisoners soon became passively compliant, prioritizing survival over solidarity.

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Tyranny in a university basement

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