After reviewing the Stanford Prison Experiment video documentary, write a 4-5 page essay addressing the following questions:
1. What factors would lead prisoners to attribute guard brutality to the guards’ disposition or character, rather than to the situation? Apply some of the terms learned in last week’s readings (Chapter 3; p.74), and research one scholarly journal article to support your argument, to satisfy this prompt.
2. Do you think that young college students from an urban “working class” environment would have broken down emotionally in the same way as did our middle-class prisoners? Why or why not?
3. How do you think women would have responded in this experiment in both a prisoner and a guard role? Apply some of the terms learned in this week’s readings (Chapter 4; p.95-96), and research one scholarly journal article to support your argument, to satisfy this prompt.
4. Moving beyond physical prisons built of steel and concrete, what psychological prisons do we create for ourselves and others? If prisons are seen as forms of control which limit individual freedom name 2 or 3 other “prisons” we create for others through social institutions or for ourselves? Research one scholarly journal article to support your argument to satisfy this prompt.
IMPORTANT NOTES REGARDING WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
I am looking for you to apply some of the material from chapter 3 and 4 as well as your own critical thinking on these questions. There is no “right” answer – I am interested in reading your perspective on these questions with support from social psychological research.
It is advised that students summarize textbook information in their own words as opposed to copy/paste or use direct quotes. Do not forget in-text citations documented in APA style.
Turn-It-In is enabled for this assignment, and a high percentage will affect students’ grade.
Before turning in assignment, review “IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR ASSIGNMENTS” on course syllabus (page 5).
Link to Stanford Prison Experiment Video:
https://youtu.be/760lwYmpXbc
