Revisiting The Stanford Prison Experiment

I first learned about the Stanford Prison Experiment when I was in high school. My Advance Placement Psychology teacher shared the video, "Revisiting The Standford Prison Experiment" and then challenged our teenage brains to think about how our school experience was linked to this experiment. In hindsight this was probably not the best idea. The last thing an overflowing school needs is a student uprising based off of an over zealous teacher's lesson plans. Regardless, it is an experiment that tends to stick with you.

I remember thinking then, as I do now, that I was so entirely repulsed by the behavior of the experimenters.  I wondered why they let these students engage in violent behavior or be tortured and no one stopped for a second to question if they were causing harm. Zimbardo describes when he realized that he was causing others to suffer as a moment that could only occur when someone from the outside, in this case his current lady friend, related their perspective. I have always found this to be completely unacceptable.

I understand that this study is supposed to be used as a key example of how people can become so engrossed in a certain reality or situation that they are unable to see past their current circumstances. However, I have an extremely difficult time applying this principle to Zimbardo and the other experimenters. It is expected that researches and, especially, teachers are able to remove themselves from situations in order to be effective leaders. This is not a new concept and I find it hard to believe that Zimbardo had never been taught to remove himself from bias and convolution, especially in the process of research.

Is Zimbardo's explanation of his inability to address the safety of his subjects acceptable? I would have to argue that Zimbardo deserves to be knocked down a peg on the experimental recognition scale. Other studies that traumatized subjects and put them in a lot less physical danger, like Milgram's shock tests, and are villainized. Why do we praise Zimbardo as being a genius for recognizing his own inhumanity? Personally, I'd like to see the teaching of the Standford Prison Experiment altered to show fault on all levels. Recognizing his inability to effectively lead does not excuse Zimbardo for his behavior.