Stanford Prison, Milgram and Abu Ghraib

Any man can withstand adversity; if you want to test his character, give him power.

 — Abraham Lincoln

Argue that the situation caused the soldiers at Abu Ghraib to act as they did, or do you think it was the personality traits of the soldiers involved?

Argue that the real lesson in the experiment is the power of institutions to shape behavior, and how people are shaped by those preexisting expectations.

Power corrupts. But power does not corrupt everyone equally.  Explain.

“powerful people roam in a very different psychological space than those without power”

Is it an issue that these participants responded to the ad knowing it was a study involving prison.

Power alters perception.

A position of low power and instability can be empowering.  How can this be possible?

The Stanford Prison Experiment doesn't explain Abu Ghraib.

People will readily conform to the social roles they are expected to play, especially if the roles are strongly stereotyped (guards, prisoners).

It is too simple to study/watch "The Stanford Prison Experiment" and assume that people in power abuse power and that groups are bad. 

Fear and Authoritarianism is necessary and justifiable in a prison.  Examine the BBC prison experiment and the Stanford Prison experiment.

All three of these events raise questions about what leads individuals to obey orders.  




Fear of Incarceration

possible lessons of experiment

talks about a similar experiment with opposite results from prison guards (BBC prison experiment)

Authority/Power/Fear/Obedience