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Surprise arrest of nine students
After the nine students had agreed to partake in the study, they are arrested, handcuffed and driven to a police station in squad cars. There, their fingerprints and photographs were takem before they were blindfolded and thrown into cells. The students are then transported to Jordan hall, at the base of Stanfords psychology department. They are stripped and abused verbally. -
Zimbardo considers aborting the study
Due to the guards not living up to their roles, Zimbardo considers aborting the study. However, he decides to continue in order to obtain any kind of data. -
Period: to
Zimbardo Prison Experiment
An experiment conducted by Philip Zimbardo in the 1970's about behaviour in prisons, and the effect of a situation on people -
The Experiment commences
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Prisoner rebellion
Zimbardo is awoken in the middle of the night to observe a rebllion, when the prisoners have barricaded themselves in their cells and are verbally abusing the guards. They are stripped naked and put inside 'The Hole.' -
Prisoner breakdown
Prisoner #8612 has a breakdown and has been suffering from emotional disturbance, disorganised thinking, crying and rage. The guards thought they were trying to con them into releasing him. He was verbally abused and then offered the option of becoming an 'informant' and recieving no more abuse from the guards. He decided to think it over -
Prisoner #8612 is released
Prisoner #8612 tells his cell mates that they are not allowed to leave. He then begins acting 'crazy,' swearing, raging and going out of control. The guards are finally convinced he is suffering and he is released. -
Scheduled Research Feedback
Unplanned and planned actions are taken out, and the research feedback meeting turns into an organizing prisoners meeting. Prisoners least involved in the riot get special privileges and 'good prisoner ' cell is created -
Visiting Day
The prisoners were washed shaved, fed a big meal, played music and made happy. The visitors were greeted by an attractive receptionist, and the situation was manipulated so as to hide the sinister atmosphere that hung over them, -
Prisoner #819 did a bad thing
Prisoner #819 cannot stop his continual crying and is taken out of the prison to calm down. Meanwhile, the other prisoners chat ' Prisoner 819 did a bad thing.' Prisoner 819 is offered to escape the experiment but says he cannot, as he has to prove to other experimenters that he is not bad. -
Escape Plot
A rumour spread that prisoner #8612 was going to return with friends and free some prisoners. The prison was moved and guards were put on patrol. Even Zimbardo himself sat outside the prison awaiting attack. The attack never came and the originial prison was re-assmebled. -
Prisoner #416 goes on Hunger Strike
Prisoner #416 goes on Hunger Strike in a desperate attempt to escape. The guards throw him into the 'Hole' for three hours, despite the maxiumum allowed time being an hour. Instead of seeing him as a hero, his feollow prisoners see him as a troublemaker. The head guard gave the prisoners a choice; leave #416 in the 'Hole' all night or give up their blankets to free him. Prisoner '416 was left in the 'Hole.' -
Parents ask for Lawyers
Some parents contact Zimbardo to ask about hiring a lawyer to get ehri son out of prison. Zimbardo realises how out of control the experiment has become. -
Experiment prematurely finishes
Zimbardo ends the experiment because 1) he believed the violence of the guards towards the prisoners due to boredom was escalating to unacceptable standards and 2) Christina Maslach, recent Stanford PhD exclaimed her horror at the treatment of the boys and how morally wrong the experiment was. -
Scheduled end of experiment
