Yalla Culture - Episode 26 - The Stanford Prison Experiment
Welcome to episode 26 of Yalla Thaqafa. In episode 19, we talked about an experiment that took place in America, which was a scientific experiment in the field of medicine. Today, we will talk about the Stanford Prison Experiment, which was another strange experiment that took place in America. This experiment will make you think about painful memories and delve into the field of psychology. The interesting thing about this experiment is that it allows us to discuss this topic at the same time. Let's listen and see what happened. If we are not interested in reading and want to know about the impact of environment or situation on a person's character, there are various ways to experiment. For example, going to a place like Sultan Center and observing people's behavior. However, it may not be feasible to observe people in places where they are not conscious of being observed. At Stanford University, a group of scientists decided to conduct a mini prison experiment by recruiting volunteers and simulating a prison environment. This was a good method because the volunteers were successful and they could control the experimental conditions to ensure accurate results. The experiment took place in 1971 and was supposed to last a week but was halted after six days as it veered off its main goal. The aim of the experiment was to understand the psychological effects on individuals in positions of power and authority. It was conducted at Stanford University in America. The information provided in this episode is derived from the official website of the experiment, conducted by Dr. Phil Zimbardo. Dr. Zimbardo is still alive, and he created the website around 1999 or 1990, approximately. The experiment is very famous and has sparked controversy. There are even movies and interviews about it. In 2015, a film was made about the subject which is quite intriguing. The experiment is thought-provoking and may be considered painful. Links to the movie trailer and the official recruitment website are provided for further information. The experiment took place in the basement of the psychology department at Stanford University, resembling a prison environment with steel doors. The basement restroom was the only place where prisoners could escape, and even then, they had to ask for permission from guards to use it.