preview

Dr Zimbardo 's Stanford Prison Experiment

Decent Essays

After learning about conducting research in an ethical way, I do not believe that Dr. Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment was ethical in anyway. During the process of conducting his research, a lot of unethical events took place, especially with his participants that were chosen to be casted as “inmates”. According to the book, there are certain rules that must be followed when dealing with participants to ensure they are taken care of in an ethical manner. First and foremost no harm should be caused towards participants and that was certainly not the case during this experiment. During the experiment the “inmates” had to experience psychological harm from the “guards” and Dr. Zimbardo himself. The first sight of psychological harm began as soon as the “inmates” entered the “prison”. As stated on the Stanford Prison Experiment website, the “inmates” had to take part in a degradation procedure where they were stripped naked and then deloused with a spray in order to convey a belief that the “inmates” may have germs or lice. The “inmates” were also dressed in a dress with nothing worn underneath while also having to wear a heavy chain on one leg that had to be worn at all times which was uncommon in real-world prisons. This was done in order to show that the “inmates” were lesser than the “guards” which can be really harmful towards ones psyche. Although Dr. Zimbardo was trying to create a real-world prison for the experiment, the mental stability of his participants should

Get Access