Posts
Let's say you are playing a live practical game where some of the players are to act as prisoners while the others as prison guards. If you are given a choice which one would you be? Take a decision about this question before you read further.
Let's add a bit of excitement to the game - the prisoners are given some compensation per day while the guards are given none. Now which one would you like to be?
Here is the best part - the prisoners are to suspend all their civil rights and stay in a mock prison for a few days while the guards have to ensure that all the prisoners follow the rules of the prison - without resorting to physical means. So, what's your final choice?
Interesting isn't it?
What would you say if I told you that your selection as a prisoner or as a guard was decided by some arbitrary psychological tests? Would you still want to play the game?
This is what the Stanford Prison Experiment conducted by a group of researchers at the Stanford University in 1971 was all about. They wanted to see what happens to good people when you put them in an evil place. Does humanity win over evil, or does evil triumph? The results were astounding. The experiment had to be stopped prematurely after only six days because the situation had become very bad; the guards became sadistic while the prisoners became depressed.
Here are a few more questions for you to ponder. Let's take them based on whether you were a guard or a prisoner.
If you were a guard
- What would you have done if some prisoner tried to be friendly with you? Would you do any favours for him?
- What would have been your reaction if some prisoner abused you?
- What would you have done if the prisoners didn't obey the rules, rather specifically disobeyed your commands?
- Even after trying your best if the prisoners do not follow the rules will you resort to violence?
Tough ones, aren't they? Now let's see what you do as a prisoner.
If you were a prisoner
- Will you be friendly with the guards?
- The guards are just a bunch of players like you. Would you obey them?
- Think about a particular food item which you don't like. What would you have done if the guards forced you to eat it?
- What would you do if the guards come and truncate your free hour and ask you to go to the prison?
- Will you abuse a guard if you don't like him knowing that he is not supposed to use physical force on you?
- What would be your reaction if the guards start taking their role too seriously?
Too many questions and tough ones, right? Most of the situations described above are extremely probable in a scenario like the one mentioned above.
Human psychology is extremely complex and studies have been going on for decades and I don't think it would be blasphemous to say that they will continue for as long as one can imagine.
If you want to know how things panned out in the experiment I would recommend that you watch Experiment, Das (2001). It's a german movie based on the above real life experiment and shows how the dark side of man takes over, given a chance. I am not going to write anything further to spoil your experience of watching the movie. Given below are some links which might be of use to you in case you are interested in knowing more about the experiment or the movie:
I think these experiments on Human Psycology can't actually reveal anything worthwhile. But they sure are fun to watch.
ReplyDeleteBtw, I saw Shawshank Redemption last night. Truly amazing. I think you're the one who recommended it to me.
Rakesh. (Posting without logging on coz. i'm logged on at another computer trying to upload something)
@Rakesh: I am not sure about your first statement on human psychology but yes they surely are fun to watch.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure that I recommended Shawshank to you but yes it is my favourite movie of all time...whenever you feel down just see it and I am sure you will feel better after that.
I said that coz. I think and as you said, the human brain is quite complex and every brain is different. When your population consists of such variations, you cannot arrive at a result tested on a sample and conclude something. Sampling works only when the population consist of homogenous subjects.
ReplyDelete@Rakesh: I agree that the brain behaves differently in different people but there are loads of things which are still common among most people and the experiments will give you a general reaction to them...so you can't discount the results of these...
ReplyDeleteI choose to be a prisoner. I don't know the reason why i did it. But as the questioning progressed, i regret my decisions. But seems that i hav to go around as there s compensation and probably for a few days time.
ReplyDeleteQuite interesting to read.
@ Suresh: Why did you regret the decision to choose being a prisoner? Yeah there was a compensation but was it worth the pain and suffering inflicted on the prisoners by the police guys? I don't think so...you should watch the movie to find out more about this...I am also planning to write another post on the results of the experiment.
ReplyDelete