Psychology: The Stanford Prison Experiment - BBC Documentary

Summary

The video script recounts the infamous 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment led by psychologist Philip Zimbardo, designed to explore the impact of social situations on behavior. Volunteers were assigned roles as guards or prisoners in a simulated jail. The guards quickly adopted authoritarian behaviors, humiliating and abusing the prisoners, who internalized their roles, leading to a dangerous power dynamic. The experiment was terminated early due to ethical concerns as it caused severe psychological distress among participants. It raised critical questions about the ethics of human experimentation and the power of roles and situations to corrupt.

Takeaways

• 🏫 The Stanford Prison Experiment was conducted at Stanford University in 1971, led by psychologist Philip Zimbardo.
• 👥 Participants were randomly assigned roles as guards or prisoners, with the aim to study the psychological effects of authority and power.
• 👮‍♂️ Guards were given uniforms and sunglasses to dehumanize them, creating a powerful and intimidating presence over prisoners.
• 🔒 The prison setting was a simulated environment in the basement of the psychology department, designed to be oppressive and degrading.
• 👥 The experiment quickly spiraled out of control, with guards becoming increasingly abusive and prisoners experiencing severe psychological distress.
• 🤯 The power dynamics led to a breakdown in the prisoners' mental state, with some showing signs of extreme stress and anxiety.
• 🚨 Zimbardo himself became absorbed in his role as prison superintendent, losing sight of the experiment's ethical boundaries.
• 🛑 The experiment was ended prematurely after only six days due to the shocking level of abuse and psychological harm inflicted on participants.
• 🌐 The experiment raised serious questions about the ethics of psychological research and the power of situational forces to influence behavior.
• 🔄 The aftermath led to significant changes in research ethics, emphasizing the need for greater safeguards to protect human subjects.
• 🧠 The findings highlighted the potential for 'good' people to commit cruel acts when placed in certain situations, challenging assumptions about human nature.

Q & A

What was the primary aim of the Stanford Prison Experiment?

The primary aim was to investigate what happens when you place good people in an evil environment, to see if the situation or personal values and morality would dictate their behavior.

Who was the lead researcher of the Stanford Prison Experiment?

The lead researcher was Dr. Philip Zimbardo.

What was the role of Dr. Zimbardo in the experiment?

Dr. Zimbardo took on the role of the prison superintendent.

How were the participants selected for the experiment?

Participants were selected from the student body after passing tests to screen out anyone with psychological abnormality, and were paid $15 a day.

What was the role of the guards in the experiment?

The guards were instructed to maintain law and order without using physical violence but could create a sense of fear and constant surveillance.

What was the 'hole' in the context of the experiment?

The 'hole' was a small, dark solitary confinement area used for punishing prisoners.

What was the reaction of the guards when the prisoners rebelled?

The guards reacted by increasing their level of control and dominance, escalating the level of harassment and humiliation.

Why did the experiment end prematurely?

The experiment ended prematurely due to the severe psychological distress experienced by the participants and the realization of the ethical implications of the situation by Dr. Zimbardo after a colleague's intervention.

What was the impact of the experiment on the participants?

The experiment caused significant psychological distress among participants, with some prisoners feeling shame and guards feeling guilt.

What were the ethical concerns raised by the Stanford Prison Experiment?

The experiment raised concerns about the abuse of power, the psychological harm caused to participants, and the lack of oversight in stopping the experiment when it became clear that participants were suffering.

What changes in research ethics were prompted by the Stanford Prison Experiment?

The experiment prompted changes in ethical guidelines, introducing greater safeguards to protect participants in psychological studies.

Outlines

00:00

🏫 Stanford Prison Experiment Introduction

This paragraph introduces the Stanford Prison Experiment, a notorious psychological study conducted at Stanford University in 1971. The experiment aimed to investigate how good people react when placed in an evil environment. The researcher, Dr. Philip Zimbardo, transformed the basement of the psychology department into a makeshift prison to test the impact of the situation on individuals' behavior. Participants were randomly assigned roles as guards or prisoners. The guards were dressed in military uniforms and reflective sunglasses to dehumanize them, while the prisoners were subjected to a humiliating and degrading process. The experiment was influenced by Stanley Milgram's work on obedience to authority, which explored how people followed orders that conflicted with their conscience.

05:01

👥 The Dynamics of Oppression and Rebellion

The second paragraph delves into the dynamics of the experiment, highlighting the oppressive regime created by the guards and the reactions of the prisoners. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, the experiment selected participants from the student body, assigning them randomly to roles and paying them $15 a day. The guards, instructed to maintain order without resorting to physical violence, began to humiliate the prisoners, leading to a degradation process. The prisoners, initially resistant, started a rebellion, which the guards countered with increased harassment and control. The experiment began to blur the lines between reality and simulation, with the guards escalating their tactics to maintain authority.

10:02

😵‍𠬕 Breakdown and Crisis in the Experiment

This paragraph describes the breakdown of one of the prisoners, known as 8612, who experienced severe distress and attempted to leave the experiment. The experiment's superintendent, Zimbardo, offered him a deal to stay as an informant, which 8612 initially refused but later reconsidered. His return to the cell and the false information he spread about not being able to leave transformed the experiment into a more realistic prison environment. The guards' harassment tactics escalated, leading to another prisoner, 819, rebelling and eventually breaking down. The guards' use of divide and conquer tactics further isolated the prisoners, reducing their solidarity and increasing their acceptance of the guards' tyranny.

15:04

🥺 The Power of Dehumanization and Obedience

The fourth paragraph continues the narrative of the experiment's dehumanization and the guards' increasing aggression. A new prisoner, 416, is introduced and quickly subjected to harassment and intimidation by the guards, particularly 'John Wayne,' who adopts a cruel and sadistic role. The guards' behavior becomes more oppressive, and the prisoners' sense of identity and solidarity erodes. 416's hunger strike challenges the guards, leading to a vote by the other prisoners on whether to release him, which they do not. This highlights the lack of support and solidarity among the prisoners and the guards' ability to manipulate them.

20:06

🔚 The Experiment's Premature End and Ethical Questions

This paragraph discusses the premature end of the experiment due to the extreme stress and suffering of the participants. A visiting psychologist witnesses the brutality firsthand and confronts Zimbardo about the ethical implications of the experiment. This leads to a realization of the harm being caused, and Zimbardo decides to end the experiment early. The paragraph also reflects on the ethical guidelines for human subject research and the impact of Zimbardo's dual role in the study. It emphasizes the need for understanding human behavior and the potential for good people to commit harmful acts when placed in certain situations.

25:07

🤝 Post-Experiment Reflections and Reconciliation

The final paragraph focuses on the aftermath of the experiment, where participants, including the guards and prisoners, come together to discuss their experiences. It highlights the reflections of 'John Wayne,' who acknowledges his appalling behavior during the experiment and attempts to dissociate himself from his actions. The hunger striker, 416, confronts him, emphasizing that everyone was playing a role but also contributing to the abusive environment. The paragraph underscores the surprising lack of intervention by the 'good guards' and the overall message of the experiment—that good people can be influenced by evil situations, leading to harmful behaviors.

Keywords

💡Stanford Prison Experiment

The Stanford Prison Experiment was a study conducted by psychologist Philip Zimbardo in 1971 at Stanford University. It aimed to investigate the psychological effects of perceived power, focusing on the struggle between prisoners and guards in a simulated prison environment. The experiment is a central theme of the video, illustrating how ordinary people can be influenced by roles of authority or submission, leading to abusive behaviors by guards and psychological distress among prisoners.

💡Philip Zimbardo

Philip Zimbardo was the lead researcher of the Stanford Prison Experiment. As portrayed in the video, Zimbardo took on the role of the prison superintendent, which blurred the line between his role as an observer and a participant, leading to ethical concerns about his dual role. His experiment and subsequent reflections are central to understanding the video's exploration of human behavior under institutional roles.

💡Milgram's experiment

Stanley Milgram's experiment is referenced in the video as a precedent to Zimbardo's study, focusing on obedience to authority. In Milgram's experiment, participants were told to administer electric shocks to a 'learner' when they answered questions incorrectly. The video mentions this to draw a parallel between the two studies, both exploring how ordinary people can commit acts that are against their moral judgment when pressured by authority.

💡Dehumanization

Dehumanization is the act of depriving a person of their individuality or humanity. In the context of the video, guards were made to wear reflective sunglasses to prevent eye contact, thus dehumanizing prisoners by not allowing them to perceive the guards' emotions. This concept is crucial to understanding how the guards could treat prisoners harshly, as they were less likely to see them as fellow human beings.

💡Power Corrupts

The phrase 'power corrupts' is a central message of the video, derived from the behavior of the guards in the experiment. Guards, given authority over prisoners, began to abuse their power, demonstrating how even good people can act cruelly when in positions of authority. This concept is illustrated through the guards' escalating aggression and the prisoners' deteriorating mental states.

💡Solitary Confinement

Solitary confinement, referred to in the video as 'the Hole', was used as a form of punishment in the experiment. It is a small, dark space where prisoners were isolated, which had severe psychological effects, as mentioned by the participants. This keyword is significant as it represents an extreme form of punishment that contributed to the distress experienced by the prisoners.

💡Rebellion

Rebellion by prisoners is highlighted in the video as a response to the oppressive conditions imposed by the guards. The act of barricading their cell is an example of such rebellion. This keyword is important as it shows the prisoners' resistance to the degrading treatment and their attempt to regain some control over their situation.

💡Degradation

Degradation is the process of making someone feel worthless or inferior, which is evident in the guards' treatment of prisoners. The video describes how guards used verbal abuse and humiliation to degrade prisoners, contributing to the breakdown of prisoners' psychological well-being and illustrating the destructive effects of power imbalance.

💡Ethical Guidelines

Ethical guidelines are mentioned in the video in the context of the aftermath of the Stanford Prison Experiment. The experiment raised questions about the treatment of human subjects and led to changes in ethical standards for psychological research. This keyword is crucial for understanding the broader implications of the experiment on the ethics of scientific research.

💡Role-playing

Role-playing was a significant aspect of the experiment, where participants took on the roles of either prisoners or guards. The video illustrates how participants quickly became immersed in their roles, leading to the guards' abusive behavior and prisoners' distress. This keyword is important for understanding how people's behavior can be influenced by the roles they adopt.

💡Abuse of Authority

Abuse of authority is a recurring theme in the video, evident in the guards' excessive use of power over prisoners. It is exemplified by the guards' cruel treatment, such as forcing prisoners to clean toilets with their bare hands. This keyword is central to the video's narrative, showing how authority can be misused and the negative consequences it can have on individuals.

Highlights

The Stanford Prison Experiment was conducted in 1971 at Stanford University, simulating a prison environment to study human behavior.

Participants were randomly assigned roles as guards or prisoners, with the guards given significant power over the prisoners.

The experiment aimed to understand how good people respond to oppressive regimes and whether they accept or rebel against such authority.

Guards were instructed to maintain law and order without using physical violence but could create a sense of fear and control.

The environment was designed to degrade prisoners, stripping them of their individuality and subjecting them to humiliation.

The experiment quickly took a dark turn, with guards becoming increasingly abusive and prisoners rebelling or succumbing to despair.

A prisoner's rebellion led to harsher treatment, including solitary confinement and physical tasks as punishment.

The experiment's reality became blurred, with participants struggling to separate their roles from their true identities.

The psychological impact was profound, with one prisoner experiencing a breakdown and needing to be released.

The experiment was intended to last two weeks but was ended prematurely after only six days due to ethical concerns.

The findings raised questions about the ethics of psychological experiments and the power dynamics between authority and individuals.

The experiment demonstrated how quickly people can adopt roles and behaviors that are contrary to their nature under certain conditions.

The guards' behavior escalated to a point where they were using dehumanizing tactics and excessive force.

The prisoners' compliance and internalization of their roles led to a loss of self and a failure to support each other against the guards.

The experiment's aftermath included guilt and shame among participants, leading to discussions about the nature of power and obedience.

Zimbardo reflected on his dual role as prison superintendent and researcher, acknowledging it as a mistake that influenced the experiment's outcome.

The Stanford Prison Experiment became a pivotal moment in psychological research, leading to new ethical guidelines for human subject studies.

Transcripts

[Music]

I was the first one to be picked up so

they put me in a

Cell they locked me in there in this

degrading little

outfit hey I don't want anybody left

violation the

rules

simulation I got to go to a doctor

anything Jesus Christ I'm burning up ins

don't you

know I've never screamed so loud in my

life never been so upset in my life it

was an experience of being out of

control this [ __ ] take

it Stanford University Northern

California one of America's most

prestigious academic institutions and in

1971 the scene of one of the most

notorious experiments in the history of

[Music]

psychology I was interested in what

happens if you put good people in an

evil

[Music]

Place does the situation outside of you

the institution come to control your

behavior or does the things inside of

you your attitude your values your

morality uh allow you to to rise above

uh a negative

environment the negative environment

zimbardo chose to test his ideas was a

prison he would convert the basement of

the University's psychology department

into a Subterranean jail we put uh

prison doors on each of three office

cells in the cells there was nothing but

three beds uh and and there was very

actually very little room for anything

else cuz they were very small and here

we had solitary confinement which we

called the Hole uh and in the hole was

was the place where prisoners would be

put for punishment it was a very very

small area when you closed the door it

was totally

[Music]

dark all the guards wor military

uniforms and we had them wear these

silver reflecting

sunglasses and what it does is you can't

see someone's eyes and so that loses

some of the the humanness the

humanity in general we wanted to create

a sense of power as the guards as a

category are people who have power over

others in this case power over the

prisoners a decade earlier psychologist

Stanley Milgram had also looked at how

we respond to

Authority in order to understand how

people were induced to obey unjust

regimes and participate in atrocities

such as the Holocaust he set up an

experiment volunteers were told they

were taking part in scientific research

to improve prove memory you open those

and tell me which of you is with

pleas

teer separated by a screen the teacher

would ask the learner questions in a

word game and administer an electric

shock when the answer was incorrect he

was told to increase the voltage with

each wrong

answer Cloud horse Rock

House

answer wrong

unre 50 volts answer

horse experiment that's all get me out

of here get me out of here please

continue please I refuse to go in let me

out refuses to go in the experiment

requires you continue teacher please

continue participants didn't know that

the learner was really an actor and the

so-called shocks harmless you're going

to get a shot 180 volts

[Music]

[Applause]

I can't stand the pain let me out of

here stand I'm not going to kill that

man there I mean who's going to take the

responsibility for anything happens to

that gentlemen I'm responsible for

anything that happens here continue

please all right next one slow walk

dance truck music two3 of volunteers

were prepared to administer a

potentially fatal electric shock when

encouraged to do so by what they

perceived as a legitimate authority

figure in this case a man in a white

coat 375

Vol I think something's happened to I

fallowing that I don't get no answer he

was hollering a less vage can't you

check in and see if he's all right place

milgram's findings horrified America

they showed that decent American

citizens were as capable of committing

acts against their conscience as the

Germans had been under the

Nazis like mgrm zimbardo was interested

in the power of social situations to

overwhelm individuals

his experiment would test people's

responses to an oppressive regime would

they accept it or act against

it Zim's experiment was conducted

against a backdrop of civil rights

activism and protest against the Vietnam

War there was a sense of student power

student dominance and student Rebellion

against against Authority in

general it was from the student body

that zimbardo selected his

participants after passing tests to

screen out anyone with a psychological

abnormality they were paid $15 a day

each was randomly assigned to the role

of God or prisoner it was a prison to me

it still is a prison to me I don't look

on it as an experiment or a simulation

was just a a prison that was run by

psychologists instead of run by the

state I was 20 and that September I was

going to college and it would be nice to

have a summer job but there sure wasn't

a lot of time left and I looked in the W

ads and I found this thing which was

just going to fit it was just two weeks

once you put a uniform on and are given

a job to keep these people in line you

really become that person what you put

on that khaki uniform you put on the

glasses you put on you take the night

stick I was on summer break from my

first year in college and uh I was

looking for a job had to choose between

that and making pizzas that sounded like

a lot more fun

as well as running the experiment

zimbardo took on the role of prison

superintendent he began by briefing the

guards I said you have to maintain Law

and Order if prison is escaped the study

is over and you can't use physical

violence you can create a sense of fear

in them you can create notion that their

life is totally controlled by us and

that be constant surveillance we have

total power in the situation and they

have none

prisoners were brought to the basement

prison blindfolded to confuse them about

their whereabouts they were stripped and

deloused of course the guards started

making fun of their genitals and

humiliating them and really it's a start

of what's known as a degradation process

which not only prisons but lots of

military type outfits Ed that

process when I first got here even

though like I had to strip I they would

call me names I still didn't feel at all

like I was in the prison I was just

looking at it as a

job I recall sort of walking up and down

the very short hallway which was the

prison Hall and looking in on the

prisoners and they're basically lounging

around on their beds I felt it was like

the day in summer

camp the first day I said this might be

a very long very boring

experiment uh because it's conceivable

nothing will

[Music]

happen I arrived independently at the

conclusion that this experiment must

have been put together to prove a point

about prisons being a Cru and inhumane

place and therefore I would do my part

you know to to help those results come

about I was a confrontational and

arrogant 18-year-old at the time and uh

you know I said somebody ought to stir

things up a bit here [ __ ] this

experiment and [ __ ] Dr zimo [ __ ]

on the second morning the prisoners had

decided to stir things up as

well the guards found some of them had

used their beds to barricade their cell

prisoner 8612 was one of the Ring

leaders of the

Rebellion

simulation it's a [ __ ] simulated

experiment no prison they take your bed

in your clothes in

prison initially I was stunned I didn't

expect the Rebellion because not much

happened and it wasn't clear what they

were what they were rebelling against

but they were rebelling against the

status rebelling against being anonymous

against um having to follow orders from

from these these other

students as punishment for the Rebellion

prisoner 8612 was put in the hole and

the guards turned on the other

prisoners the guards felt that they now

have to up the ante of being tough the

prisoners made the mistake of beginning

to use profanity against the guards in a

very personalized way so not against the

guards but you know you little punk you

you big [ __ ] and so and the guards got

Furious well gentlemen here it is time

for count prisoners were repeatedly

woken in the middle of the night the

guards made them do menial physical

tasks and clean out toilets with their

bare hands we made it a a point to not

give them any sense of of comfort or

what to expect that you know that

anything could happen to them at any

time time including being red from their

sleep at any hour and forced to stand up

in a line and have me hurl insults at

them and make them do

exercises when you interrupt people's

sleep they tend to become a little

disoriented and since there was no

daylight in the prison they had no idea

whether it was night or

day I think that I was the instigator of

this uh whole schedule of harassment

the harassment of the guards took its

toll on Rebellion leader 8612 he told

zimbardo he wanted to leave the

experiment zimad responded not as a

psychologist but as a prison

superintendent I said well I can see to

it the guards don't hassle you

personally uh and in return all I would

like is some information from time to

time about what the prisoners are doing

so essentially I'm saying I'd like you

to be a snitch an Informer and I said

think it over and if you still want to

leave fine

confused prisoner 8612 returned to his

cell and told the other prisoners that

no one could

leave let me

out

[Music]

out he believed that we wouldn't let him

go although we've never said that but

the fact that he was the ring leader of

the rebellion and he told the other

prisoners they won't let you leave that

really transformed the experiment into a

prison I was told that I couldn't quit

and at that point I just felt totally

hopeless more hopeless than I'd ever

felt

before soon after returning to his cell

prisoner 8612 started showing signs of

severe distress God damn it [ __ ] up

you don't know you don't know I mean God

I mean Jesus Christ I'm burning up

inside don't you know I didn't [ __ ]

can't take it he came up with a plan

that if he acted crazy we would have to

release

him I feel so [ __ ] up inside I feel

really [ __ ] up inside you don't know I

got to go I to a doctor anything I can't

say that I'm [ __ ] up I don't know how

to explain I'm all [ __ ] up inside oh I

no it starts with make believe and then

he's doing it and cursing and screaming

and you know whatever that little

boundary is that he he he moved across

not that he became really crazy but uh

he became you know excessively Disturbed

I mean it's so much so that we

immediately said we have to release him

as an experience it it was unique I've

never screamed so loud in my life um

I've never been so upset in my life and

it was an experience of being out of

control the boundary between reality and

make believe was to become blurred even

for zimbardo a rumor circulated that

released prisoner 8612 would return with

friends to liberate the remaining

prisoners

I quickly convinced myself that you know

my most important function was you know

not to allow this prison Liberation to

occur and what can I do to keep my

prison going not the experiment

going the prison was dismantled and the

prisoners moved to another part of the

building Zim waited in the empty

Corridor preparing to tell 8612 and his

friends that the study was over when a

colleague appeared and began asking

questions about the scientific basis of

the research I'm trying to get rid of

him then he says what's the independent

variable I get furious because he

doesn't understand that there's a riot

about to take place that this prison is

about to erupt had totally lost this

whole other identity of scientists

researchers

psychologists the rumor jailbreak never

materialized the guards had dismantled

the prison for nothing and had to

rebuild it they took their frustration

out on the

prisoners they escalated again the level

of control the level of dominance the

level of humiliating

Behavior 819 was the next prisoner to

rebel against the harassment of the

guards he barricaded himself in his cell

and refused to take part in the count

you're not only not getting a cigarette

but for as long as the cell's blocked

you're going to be in solitary when you

get out AAP for 819 Disobedience the

guards made his cellmates do mindless

work this undermined any vestage of

solidarity amongst the prisoners who now

chose to accept the tyranny of the

guards rather than risk further

harassment that was one of the

surprising things to me is that there

was so little uh that the prisoners did

to support one another after we started

our campaign of you know divide and

conquer isolated and distraught prisoner

819 tolds zimo he wanted to leave while

I'm interviewing

819 uh and saying okay you know it's all

over thank you for your participation

you know I'll give you money for the

whole for the whole two weeks uh even

though you're leaving early he hears the

prisoners shouting 819 did a bad

thing 819 did a bad thingis 819 did a

bad thing 819 and he said I can't leave

and he's crying and he says I can't

leave said what do you mean you can't

leave he said no I have to go back cuz I

don't want them to think you that I'm a

bad prisoner and that's that's when I

really flipped out that in such a such a

short time you know a college student's

thinking could become so distorted I

said you're not a bad prison you're not

a prisoner and this is not a prison and

it was this thing where he opened his

eyes it was just really like a cloud

being

lifted seeing things clearly prisoner

819 reverted to his original request and

was

released to replace him the

experimenters called in one of their

reserves from the standby list I got a

phone call saying are you still

available as an alternate U kind of

cheery female secretary voice I said yes

sure and so she said could you start

this afternoon and I said yes sure and

my role in The Experiment really

[Music]

began I was blindfolded and then

stripped and supposedly

deloused he came into a mad

house

full-blown all of us had gradually

acclimated to the increasing level of

aggression the increasing powerlessness

of the prisoners increasing dominance of

the

guards and he comes in and says what's

happening here to the other prison they

said hey you better not make trouble

it's really terrible it's a real prison

uh and uh and he says you know I'm out

of here I I I don't want and they said

no they're not you can't leave once

you're here you're stuck this is a real

prison 46 since you got your hands in

the air why don't you play Frankenstein

209 you be the Bride of Frankenstein you

stand here prisoner 416 was soon

subjected to the harassment of Dave

asman nicknamed John Wayne because of

his Macho attitude 416 and I want you to

walk over here like Frankenstein and say

that you love

2093 I made the decision that I would be

as intimidating as cold as cruel as

possible I love you get CL get up close

I love you

night I love you night you

smile you get down hand 10

pushup two I just watched a movie called

Cool Hand Luke and uh the mean

intimidating uh you know Southern prison

Warden character in that film really was

my inspiration for the role that I

created for myself why did you try to be

obedient so

much it it's my nature to be

obedient you li he was speak L he was

creative in his evil he would think of

very ingenious ways to degrade to demean

um the prisoners what if I told you to

get down in that

FL and [ __ ] the F what would you do

then one of the best guards were was

also on that shift

and uh instead of confronting this bad

guard the sadistic guard essentially

because he didn't want to see what was

happening he became the Gopher he would

go out to get the food and and things of

this kind and that left the John Wayne

guard and another guard on that shift to

be dominant we were continually called

upon to act in a way that just is

contrary to what I really feel inside

just continually giving out [ __ ] it's

just really one of the most oppressive

things you can do never ref 46 while

they do push-ups you sing amazing gra

ready

down push on your own The Madness of the

experiment started to affect prisoner

416 keep going I began to feel that I

was losing my identity until finally I I

wasn't played I was 416 I was really my

number and 416 was going to have to

decide what to

do prisoner 416 decided to go on a

hunger

strike they were pushing my

limits but here was a thing that I could

do that could push their

limits after I had missed a couple of

meals I saw that this was not a matter

of indifference to the guards I was

making Headway they were

upset I thought how dare this newcomer

come in and and try to change everything

that we had worked for the first 3 days

to set up and uh by God he's going to

suffer for that get in that CL then

frustrated by his continued Defiance

John Wayne threw prisoner 416 into the

hole after punishing the other prisoners

for his Disobedience John Wayne

encouraged them to vent their anger at

416 directly thank you

416 okay 209 myself thank you 416 we

would use our night sticks to bang on

the door and we would kick the door so

hard that you know it must have you know

shaken him very seriously inside scared

the life out of

him he yelled at me and threatened me

and actually sort of smashed a sausage

into my face to try to get me to open up

but I didn't have any intention of

eating until I was out

okay 416 should have been at some level

of hero because he's willing to oppose

the authority of the system in fact the

prisoners accept the guard's definition

of him as a

troublemaker I remember some of them

saying you know would you eat godamn it

you know we're sick and tired of this

and uh you know that was proof that you

know there was no solidarity there was

no support between the

prisoners while 416 was still in the

hole John Wayne made a final attempt to

break him by giving his fellow prisoners

a choice they could vote to release him

by making a small sacrifice you can give

me the

blankets and sleep on the bare mattress

or you can keep your blankets and 416

will stay in another

day now what would it be talking my

blank what will it be over here

my how about

5486 I'll give you my blanket off you

don't want his blanket we got three in

favor keeping the blanket we got three

guess one keep your blankets 416 you're

going to be in there for a while so just

get used to

it the study showed that power corrupts

and how difficult it is for people who

are the victims of abuse to stand up and

defend

themselves why doesn't anybody who is

being abused by a spouse or something

like that just say stop it um and we

realize now that that's not as easy as

it

sounds by the end of the fifth day four

prisoners had broken down and been

released 416 was on the second day of

his hunger strike and the experiment

still had another 9 days to

run at this point a fellow psychologist

visited Zim's basement prison and would

witness the brutality of the experiment

firsthand the guards had lined up the

prisoners to go to the toilet had bags

over their head chains on their feet and

were marching by and I looked up and I

saw this this circus this parade and I

said hey Chris you know look at that I

looked up and I just began to feel sick

to my stomach I had this

just chilling sickening feeling of

watching this and I just you know I just

turned

away and I just let loose in this

emotional tying I just lost it I was

angry scared I I was in tears and I'm

furious I'm saying you're supposed to

and then we had a big argument you're

supposed to be a psychologist this is

this interesting Dynamic behavior and

such a few day I'm going through this

whole thing the power of the situation

says no no it's that young boys are

suffering and you are responsible you're

letting it

happen I said oh my god of course you're

right the next day zimbardo ended the

experiment

studies like his stimulated heated

debate about the ethics of using human

subjects clearly young men suffered

verbally physically prisoners felt shame

in their role guards felt guilt so in

that sense it's it's unethical that is

nobody has the right the power the

privilege to do that to other people in

the wake of experiments like zimad and

mgrs ethical guidelines changed

introducing greater safeguards to

protect

participants in the Stanford experiment

zimbardo might have spared his

volunteers distress had he not taken on

a dual role in the study if I was going

to be the prison superintendent I should

have had a colleague who was overseeing

the experiment uh who was in a position

to stop it at any point or I should have

been the Principal investigator and get

somebody who was going to be the prison

superintendent I realized that was a big

mistake to play both those roles

shifting back and

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forth after the experiment zimb brought

all the participants together to talk

about their

experiences John Wayne would now come

face to face with the hunger Striker he

had

tormented I was a little worried I said

oh my God he's really going to come down

on me hard now uh now that we're on

equal uh footing it harms me how did it

harm you how does it harm you just to

think about you mean that people can be

like that yeah it let me in on some

knowledge that that I've never

experienced firsthand uh because I know

what you can turn into I know what

you're willing to do when I look back on

it now I behaved appallingly um you know

I it's just a horid to look at I think I

tried to explain to at the time that you

know what you experienced and what you

hated so much was was a role that I was

playing that that's not me at all I love

you to he was trying to dissociate

himself from what he had done that did

make me angry everyone was acting out a

part and playing a role prisoners guards

staff everyone was acting out aart um

it's when you start contributing to the

script that's you and thus it's

something you should take responsibility

for uh I didn't see where it was really

harmful it was degrading and that was

that was part of my particular little

experiment to see how I could uh your

particular little experiment why don't

you tell me about that I was I was

running little experiments of my own

tell me about your little experiment I'm

curious I wanted to to see just what

kind of verbal abuse that people can

take before they start objecting before

they start flashing back if I have any

regret right now it's that you know I

made that decision because it would have

been interesting to see what would have

happened had um had I not decided to to

for for

things it could be that I only

accelerated them that the same things

would have happened uh but we'll never

know if the extreme nature of Dave

echelman's Behavior tested the prisoners

it also presented the other guards with

a choice to intervene or not it

surprised me that no one said anything

to stop me they just accepted what I

said and no one questioned my authority

at all and it really shocked me why

didn't people when I started to get

abuse people so much I started to get so

profane that and still people didn't say

anything there were a few guards who

hated to see the prisoners suffer they

never did anything which would be

demeaning of the Prisoners the

interesting thing is none of the good

guards ever

intervened in the behavior of the guards

who gradually became more and more

sadistic over time we like to think

there is this core of human nature that

good people can't do bad things and that

uh good people will dominate over bad

situations in fact one way to look at

the Stanford Prison stud is that we put

good people in an evil place and we saw

who won well the sad message is in this

case the evil Place won over the good

people that did show some very

interesting and maybe some unpleasant

things about human

behavior it seems like you know every

Century every decade that we go through

uh you know we're suffering the same

kind of atrocities and uh you need to

understand why these things happen you

need to understand why people behave

like

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this there's a similar experiment

starting this Tuesday night on BBC 2

details coming up next

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