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Investigating the Stanford Prison Experiment: History of a Lie
In 1971, the famous Stanford Prison experiment aimed to show that normal people could behave in pathological ways, becoming hostile and sadistic, while they were in prison. Based on a thorough investigation in the archives of the experiment and on interviews with about half the people who participated in it, this book shows that the Stanford experiment is far from being scientific. The book is the first thorough investigation into the experiment. It reveals and discusses in detail the numerous bias which impair this experiment. In particular, it provides strong and numerous evidences
1) The SPE was modeled after a student experiment. 2) The guards knew what results were expected from them. 3) The guards were trained and supervised by the experimenters. 4) The guards were following a schedule and a set of rules written by the experimenters. 5) The experimenters deceived the guards and made them believe they were not subjects. 6) The participants responded to demand characteristics. 7) The prisoners were conditioned by the experimenters. 8) The prisoners were not allowed to leave the experiment at will. 9) The mock prison situation was unrealistic and most participants did not forget they were participating in an experiment. 10) The data was not collected properly. 11) The experiment was inaccurately reported. 12) The conclusions were pre-written according to non-academic aims. The book goes beyond the experiment to provide ample background and context, in order to understand how the experiment was planned, financed, recorded, and divulged in the press and within the academic. It discusses also the role played by Philip Zimbardo in the trial of one of the guards of Abu Ghraib, as well as the impact of mass media on science, the debates between personal psychology and social psychology, and the specific nature of cold war social science.
1) The SPE was modeled after a student experiment. 2) The guards knew what results were expected from them. 3) The guards were trained and supervised by the experimenters. 4) The guards were following a schedule and a set of rules written by the experimenters. 5) The experimenters deceived the guards and made them believe they were not subjects. 6) The participants responded to demand characteristics. 7) The prisoners were conditioned by the experimenters. 8) The prisoners were not allowed to leave the experiment at will. 9) The mock prison situation was unrealistic and most participants did not forget they were participating in an experiment. 10) The data was not collected properly. 11) The experiment was inaccurately reported. 12) The conclusions were pre-written according to non-academic aims. The book goes beyond the experiment to provide ample background and context, in order to understand how the experiment was planned, financed, recorded, and divulged in the press and within the academic. It discusses also the role played by Philip Zimbardo in the trial of one of the guards of Abu Ghraib, as well as the impact of mass media on science, the debates between personal psychology and social psychology, and the specific nature of cold war social science.
210 pages, Hardcover
Published August 9, 2024
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July 2, 2026
This book is a must-read for anyone who has ever heard of the Stanford Prison Experiment. Le Texier reviewed the archival material at Stanford and interviewed many who were involved. His argument is compelling. Zimbardo's 50-year narrative did not match the archival record.
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