The Stanford Prison Experiment Comparison Essay
Experiments have been done for many more years than humans can count on the two hands in which they possess. Two experiments, in particular, were written, “The Stanford Prison Experiment” by Philip G. Zimbardo and “The Perils of Obedience” by Stanley Milgram. These experiments can be controversial for many different reasons, but neither of these experiments were completed under conditions of normality. The information collected in these experiments isn’t exactly based off of real life situations, it becomes difficult not to question the relevance of these experiments. In Zimbardo’s experiment, he had two different groups of people, the prisoners and the guards. Zimbardo’s experiment was considered to be a mock prison in the basement of
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They have an authority figure who pushes the teachers to continue pressing the button, administering the shock. “He begins the session calmly but becomes tense as it proceeds. After delivering the 180-volt shock, he pivots around in his chair and, shaking his head, addresses the experimenter in agitated tones” (Milgram 582). This experiment is another example of how it is really difficult to support the information found, and accept that this is the way society treats people. Equally, it makes it difficult to relate the experiment to a real life situation. Someone who is in high school has to memorize things for a test, and if for some reason they fail to do so, they do not get shocked or shown some type of extreme punishment. Furthermore, when a student reacts back and talks to the teacher, eventually they give up. In the experiment, the authority figure makes the teacher submit to the pressure and authority and push the button. The only way to truthfully test authority and the people who submit themselves to it, is in a real life situation. When humans are pushed outside of our comfort zones, it becomes more difficult to feel comfortable and easier to feel the pressure to conform to this authority. Living in the real world, authority has become a major part of society. “Always respect your elders” is something that a majority of children are told time and time
They have an authority figure who pushes the teachers to continue pressing the button, administering the shock. “He begins the session calmly but becomes tense as it proceeds. After delivering the 180-volt shock, he pivots around in his chair and, shaking his head, addresses the experimenter in agitated tones” (Milgram 582). This experiment is another example of how it is really difficult to support the information found, and accept that this is the way society treats people. Equally, it makes it difficult to relate the experiment to a real life situation. Someone who is in high school has to memorize things for a test, and if for some reason they fail to do so, they do not get shocked or shown some type of extreme punishment. Furthermore, when a student reacts back and talks to the teacher, eventually they give up. In the experiment, the authority figure makes the teacher submit to the pressure and authority and push the button. The only way to truthfully test authority and the people who submit themselves to it, is in a real life situation. When humans are pushed outside of our comfort zones, it becomes more difficult to feel comfortable and easier to feel the pressure to conform to this authority. Living in the real world, authority has become a major part of society. “Always respect your elders” is something that a majority of children are told time and time