"The Stanford prison experiment came out of class exercises in which I encouraged students to understand the dynamics of prison life"

The Stanford prison experiment was a psychological study carried out by Philip Zimbardo in 1971. It was developed to explore the mental effects of viewed power, focusing on the struggle between detainees and prison guards. The experiment came out of class workouts that Zimbardo conducted with his trainees, in which he motivated them to think about the characteristics of jail life. Zimbardo wanted to understand how people's functions in a prison environment might impact their habits and mindsets. He wished to see if people would conform to the roles of prisoners and guards, and how this would impact their interactions with each other. The experiment was questionable and has been widely talked about in the decades considering that it was conducted. It has been used to check out the results of power and authority on individuals's behavior, and to comprehend the psychological effects of jail time.