Yes, I love Nightline. They've focused on this story all week.
Basically there was a study done in the early 1970s that dealt with the psychology of prisons. The authors of the study took subjects and divided them into "guards" and "prisoners". Over a week's time, they noticed that the guards kept ratcheting up what they would do to the prisoners to demonstrate the guards' power. I believe the experiment was meant to last longer than a week, but it was disbanded because of what the researchers saw in terms of escalation.
Indeed. Apparently one of the researchers was interviewed recently and was asked what if the experiment had gone on for six months. The look on his face basically answered the question. It's not healthy to leave that much power in the hands of people without restraint and discipline.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-05-06 04:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-05-06 05:31 am (UTC)Basically there was a study done in the early 1970s that dealt with the psychology of prisons. The authors of the study took subjects and divided them into "guards" and "prisoners". Over a week's time, they noticed that the guards kept ratcheting up what they would do to the prisoners to demonstrate the guards' power. I believe the experiment was meant to last longer than a week, but it was disbanded because of what the researchers saw in terms of escalation.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-05-06 05:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-05-06 07:06 am (UTC)