Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion · chapter 6 · id influence-c6-06-the-stanford-prison-experiment

“The Stanford Prison Experiment showed that randomly assigned 'guards' spontaneously became cruel, demonstrating that situational forces override individual personality.”

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Receipts

Le Texier (2019), Debunking the Stanford Prison Experiment, American Psychologist 74(7)DOI registry: valid

Guards were given precise instructions. An assistant was recorded saying: 'We really want to get you active... every guard is going to be what we call a tough guard.' Behavior was not spontaneous.

Haslam & Reicher (2012), Contesting the SPE, British Journal of Social PsychologyDOI registry: valid

The BBC Prison Study, where guards received no instructions, produced contradicting results. Guards did not spontaneously become cruel.

This claim is a stable, citable object. If you can falsify a verdict, tell us — corrections are loud here.