Das Experiment

Essentially, yes. Although the group doesn’t necessarily have to pressure an individual. Individuals are usually more than willing to be part of a group, and adjust themselves to that group. There are dozens of examples: people willing to offer their freedoms to join a religion or cult, people willing to put their life on the line for their country, people feeling superior to others not belonging to The Group.

In the prison experiment you didn’t just have a no-restrictions on human cruelty and practical problems with applying absolute power, but also two Groups: the Prisoners and the Wardens. Worst of both worlds, if you ask me.

For me this is only a part of the explanation, there’s got to be more to it then that. In the experiment, and real life imprisonment, the prisoners got de-humanised so they were obedient to the guards. Achieving this and getting people in the state in which they were, guards, prisoners and in fact the researchers themselves was that easy, only took them SIX days. That is the scary-part, take a sane “normal” human being and condition him to act in that either sadistic or obedient way. I can’t help wondering what I do in such a situation or in other extreem situations for that matter. I think I can’t find the answer untill I am in that situation, neither can anybody else for that matter.

Essentially, yes. Although the group doesn’t necessarily have to pressure an individual. Individuals are usually more than willing to be part of a group, and adjust themselves to that group. There are dozens of examples: people willing to offer their freedoms to join a religion or cult, people willing to put their life on the line for their country, people feeling superior to others not belonging to The Group.

In the prison experiment you didn’t just have a no-restrictions on human cruelty and practical problems with applying absolute power, but also two Groups: the Prisoners and the Wardens. Worst of both worlds, if you ask me.

So it is an eternal battle between selfishness and group pressure?

Here is the link to the experiement for anyone who is interested. http://www.prisonexp.org/

The real experiment was never carried out – it was cut short after things escalated way too early. I think it was planned to let the experiment run for two weeks or a month or so, but it got cancelled after only a few days. I think a google search will do wonders here.

And while you’re at it, look for the electroshock experiments too. You know, the guys in white coats saying it’s no problem to turn that dial far into the red zone before applying electricity to another person.

Mind you, i don’t think humans are basically evil. Humans (as any other form of life) are basically selfish, the ‘evil’ label is just some sort of morality-indicator added after certain social groups had discovered some ways of behaviour were against the interests of that certain social group.

As for me thinking that humans are basically stupid, that’s another thing… If not, then why isn’t the plural for human humen?

Nope, it’s only that people’s true nature tends to come out if people are given absolute power over other people. We’re quite a disgusting species at that. Extreme circumstances [i]might[/í] make the process go faster or be more extreme. But the original experiment was conducted on a university campus IIRC, the circumstances for the people involved in the test were as normal as they could be.

So then you believe that all humans are basically evil. I don’t tend to agree with that. Given the right circumstances we are all capable of extreme deed, sure, even murder. The funny thing in the movie wasn’t that they were given absolute power (or is it indeed: power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely) or at least the power was constantly challenged by the “inmates”. That’s what I “liked” about the movie. I mean you could see the social processes at work, action -> reaction –> re-reaction —-> re-re-reaction. So a gradual process, until the point of no return, and then it escalates rapidly. You could see the danger of group thinking / behaviour, the battle for power and the changing mindset. Give people an enemy and it draws the group together.

Do you know anything more about the real experiment conducted? What were the results of this experiment?
This movie really fascinated me, and I could recommend it to anyone whom is interested in human behaviour.

Nope, it’s only that people’s true nature tends to come out if people are given absolute power over other people. We’re quite a disgusting species at that. Extreme circumstances [i]might[/í] make the process go faster or be more extreme. But the original experiment was conducted on a university campus IIRC, the circumstances for the people involved in the test were as normal as they could be.

I’ve seen it a couple of times. Shocking, that’s the least you can say.

I thought you had seen it, seem like a movie you would “like”. The shocking fact for me was that this is based on a true experiment. Seemed like it the first time around but I just found out today that it was indeed based on a real experiment. I do believe that every person is capable of doing this in extreme circumstances. It is quite scary. In light of this movie how would you see the torture in Iraq? Extreme circumstances = extreme reaction?

I’ve seen it a couple of times. Shocking, that’s the least you can say.