Stanford Prison Experiment Essay
Lormejuste, Falisha
The Stanford Prison Experiment conducted by Philip Zimbardo was aimed at investigating how an individual’s environment would affect their behavior. To simplify, Zimbardo wanted to know if a bad environment would negatively impact an individual or if their inner “goodness” would allow for them to overcome behaviors conducive to a bad environment. The results of the experiment were quite shocking; it was found that the environment ultimately affected how individuals behave--the participants readily conformed to the roles they were expected to play.
Despite the results, the experiment was in violation of three ethical principles of Psychology research. The first, Principle A: Beneficence and Nonmaleficence. The principle …show more content…
The principal states that Psychologists should exercise judgment to ensure that their biases or competence does not result in unjust practices. Relative to the Stanford Prison Experiment, Zimbardo was very involved in the experiment, more than a researcher should. He gave himself the role of Superintendent which made him very involved in the experiment to the extent which he could no longer make just decisions. A clear indication of this is when Christina Maslach visited Zimbardo--it was not until she questioned the nature of the experiment that he acknowledge the severity of the situation. His involvement as “Prison Superintendent” clouded his reasonable judgment. As a result, he allowed for the experiment to escalate, all of which was unjust.
The third ethical principle that was violated was, Principle C: Integrity. The principle states that Psychologist should seek to promote accuracy, honesty in the practice of psychology as well as avoid unclear commitments and keep promises. Despite having participants sign an informed consent form, the nature of the experiment, the possible outcomes, dangers or procedure were not properly explained to the participants. As a result, this level of dishonesty, although not intentional, violated this principle.
In all, the Stanford Prison Experiment made a mark on the field of Psychology with its astonishing results. Despite its impact, the experiment was in violation
The Stanford Prison Experiment conducted by Philip Zimbardo was aimed at investigating how an individual’s environment would affect their behavior. To simplify, Zimbardo wanted to know if a bad environment would negatively impact an individual or if their inner “goodness” would allow for them to overcome behaviors conducive to a bad environment. The results of the experiment were quite shocking; it was found that the environment ultimately affected how individuals behave--the participants readily conformed to the roles they were expected to play.
Despite the results, the experiment was in violation of three ethical principles of Psychology research. The first, Principle A: Beneficence and Nonmaleficence. The principle …show more content…
The principal states that Psychologists should exercise judgment to ensure that their biases or competence does not result in unjust practices. Relative to the Stanford Prison Experiment, Zimbardo was very involved in the experiment, more than a researcher should. He gave himself the role of Superintendent which made him very involved in the experiment to the extent which he could no longer make just decisions. A clear indication of this is when Christina Maslach visited Zimbardo--it was not until she questioned the nature of the experiment that he acknowledge the severity of the situation. His involvement as “Prison Superintendent” clouded his reasonable judgment. As a result, he allowed for the experiment to escalate, all of which was unjust.
The third ethical principle that was violated was, Principle C: Integrity. The principle states that Psychologist should seek to promote accuracy, honesty in the practice of psychology as well as avoid unclear commitments and keep promises. Despite having participants sign an informed consent form, the nature of the experiment, the possible outcomes, dangers or procedure were not properly explained to the participants. As a result, this level of dishonesty, although not intentional, violated this principle.
In all, the Stanford Prison Experiment made a mark on the field of Psychology with its astonishing results. Despite its impact, the experiment was in violation