Sociologists have long studied the behavior of people in groups and how behavior changes as the degree of perceived authority and fear increases. Conformity and obedience are two of the main topics that have arisen as a result of these studies. The Stanford Prison Experiment is one of the most famous studies on conformity and obedience.
Write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.
Go to http://www.prisonexp.org/ to learn about the Stanford University Prison Experiment.
Answer the following questions:
- If you were a guard participating in the Stanford Prison Experiment, what type of guard would you have become?
- If you were a prisoner, how would you have behaved? How sure are you?
- Do you feel that it was ethical to conduct this study? Why or why not?
