Prisoner Behavior Analysis

McLeaod (2008) determined how individuals conform to the roles of prisoner and guard using a role-playing experiment. Past studies have shown that prison guard’s cruelty is due to dispositional and environmental factors. Guard and prisoners have personalities that lead to conflicts. Prisoners lack respect for order and law while the guards are considered violent and domineering. On the other hand, guards and prisoners behave in an hostile way because of the inflexible power structure found in the prison environment. McLeaod (2008) recruited 70 participants to participate in the study who were interviewed and completed personality tests to determine whether they met the inclusion criteria. Only those who had no psychological issues, medical
disability and drug abuse and crime history were eliminated. The study sample included 24 male students in college and were paid $15 daily to participate in the experiment. The subjects were randomly allocated to the guard and the prisoner role. The study findings indicated that prisoners and guards settled into the new roles though guards adopted faster and easily. However, the guards started harassing prisoners within few hours after the experiment started. The guards behaved in a vicious and sadistic ways and enjoyed it. Additional guards joined in and tormented prisoners. The prisoners were insulted and given petty orders and boring activities to perform that they considered dehumanizing. Push-ups were used to punish the inmates and they embraced prisoner-like behavior. They complied with the rules set as violations had a negative effect on them. Some of the inmates sided with the guard against those who did not comply with the rules. The guards were derisive towards the inmates and held them in contempt and ensured they were aware. As a result, the inmates became submissive and the guards became more violent and assertive. The harassment and intimidation by the guards led to one of the prisoners being released after uncontrolled screaming, anger and crying. The prisoner had disorganized thinking and developed depression.
Ethical Considerations McLeaod (2008) did not consider ethical consideration including the informed consent and voluntary participation. The researchers did not obtain the participants’ informed consent before starting the research. In addition, they were not informed about the research benefits and risks associated with the research and the methods. The participants did not voluntarily participate in the research. Nevertheless, they sought to maintain confidentiality of the prisoners by using ID numbers. The inmates wore uniform and were given identification numbers (ID) and they were referred by the numbers only. The use of the identification numbers ensured the anonymity of the prisoners. The inmates were called only by the ID numbers given and referred to themselves and other inmates by the numbers. However, the methods used to protect the confidentiality of the guards and ensure anonymity were not discussed (McLeaod, 2008).
Implications of the Study The findings have implications for the management of prisons as they help understand why guards and inmates are aggressive and assertive (McLeaod, 2008).
Individuals conform to the roles defined by the society particularly if the roles are considered stereotyped like the roles of guards in prisons. The prison environment creates the brutal behavioral demonstrated by guards as the subjects did not demonstrate aggressive tendencies before conducting the research (McLeaod, 2008). The researcher attributed the behaviors to deindividuation as the guards were immersed in the group norms and lost their sense of identity and responsibility. The guards behaved brutality as they believed it was the norm of the group and not personal responsibility. The uniform could have contributed to the loss of identity. The learned defenselessness led to submission by inmates. They believed what they did had no significant effect on what happened to them. Therefore, the findings are necessary to changing the prison culture including group norms to make sure guards are personally responsible for their actions and do not lose their identity. Also, the establishment of a new culture will prevent helplessness among the inmates and avoid mistreatment (McLeaod,
2008).
The Relevance of Study The study is relevant today as indicates the importance of ethical principles in protecting human subjects. Researchers are supposed to comply with ethical principles such as informed consent, voluntarily participation and withdrawal and confidentiality and privacy. McLeaod (2008) did not taken into account some of the principles as the researchers focused on anonymity and confidentiality. Therefore, ethics committees review the studies to establish whether they protect subjects from risks and harm (McLeaod, 2008).
Conclusion and Social Responsibility
Social responsibility refers to an ethical structure that indicates an entity, individual or institution has the responsibility to act for the benefit of society (McLeaod, 2008).
Therefore, there is no social responsibility to continue with the study as it is detrimental to individuals and society. The study focused on understanding why inmates and guards behave the way they do including being aggressive, and submissive (McLeaod, 2008). The findings are useful in developing a new culture in prisons to avoid harassment and mistreatment of inmates. Nevertheless, the study is unethical as it causes harm to the prisoners. The subjects were arrested at their households without being warned and taken to the police stations where they were blindfolded and taken to the psychology department. The deindividuation process started after the inmates were taken to the prison. The inmates were stripped naked and given prison clothes and beddings and also they had a locked chain on the ankle which was considered dehumanizing. The inmates were insulted and dehumanized and punished using push-ups (McLeaod, 2008). Further, the researcher ignored the principles of informed consent and voluntary participation and this could have affected the participants’ decision to participate in the research. It was not clear whether the subjects voluntarily took part in the research and understood the benefits and risks such as the risk of developing depression, dehumanization and mistreatment. Therefore,
the study indicated ethics rules should be followed all the time to protect human subjects from harm either physically or psychological and ensure the research is beneficial to society (McLeaod, 2008).