The Stanford Prison Experiment, the famous social psychology experiment
conducted in 1971 by psychologist Philip Zimbardo, is still a
disturbing warning today about what happens when you give power without
control. More than fifty years later, its message remains more relevant
than ever. ---- Zimbardo wanted to understand how people reacted when
they were assigned, by pure chance, to the roles of prisoners or guards.
To do so, he selected 18 university students through a job advertisement
offering 15 dollars a day. The participants were randomly divided: some
became "prisoners", others "guards". The experiment was supposed to last
two weeks, but was interrupted much earlier. The reason? The situation
had descended into a vortex of violence and abuse of power.
Despite the criticism it received, this study has left an indelible
mark on psychological research.
«Zimbardo's experiment demonstrated how situational variables such as
social roles can prevail over individual predisposition to generate
extreme behaviors. The study shed light on how putting people in
positions of power without supervision can lead to abuse of authority» [1].
Prisons: Psychologists speak out
This tragic dynamic is also repeated in real prisons, where prisoners,
deprived of all rights and dignity, end up losing themselves.
Prison can lead to a «loss of one's individuality», destroying the
prisoner's self-esteem and personal identity [2].
But the damage does not stop there. The prison environment can cause
devastating psychological suffering: «Panic attacks, generalized anxiety
disorder, psychomotor agitation, confusional crises, anhedonia,
adjustment disorders of anxious or depressive origin, but also
delusional and psychotic events» [3].
It is not just individual suffering: this oppression has repercussions
on the whole society. A penitentiary system that focuses on punishment
rather than rehabilitation does nothing but fuel anger and resentment.
Dehumanization, defined as «the denial of the humanity of others», can
contribute to this distorted perception [4].
And it is not only the prisoners who suffer from it. Even the prison
guards become victims of a sick system, which deprives them of all
empathy. psychologist Herbert Kelman warned: «Even those who perpetrate
aggression become dehumanized, no longer possess the capacity to act as
moral beings because they are deprived of the capacity to feel
compassion and empathy towards the victims» [4][5].
And while the guards are transformed into cold and insensitive
instruments, the prisoners are forced to live in a hell without hope.
«Detention in an oppressive environment can compromise the ability of
prisoners to relate in a healthy way with others, making it difficult to
adapt to social and work norms once released» [3]. The reality is
merciless: if prison offers no possibility of redemption, the prisoners
can do nothing but identify with the role of criminals. «The lack of
opportunities for growth and redemption within prison can lead inmates
to identify with the role of "criminal", limiting the prospects of
social reintegration» [6].
In short, inhumane prisons not only destroy those locked up there, but
create a more insecure society, pushing many ex-inmates to fall back
into crime. It is time to open our eyes: a fair penitentiary system is
not only a question of human rights, but a necessity for the good of
all. In the perspective of the definitive overcoming of the prison system.
Credits: Photo by Pablo Padilla on Unsplash
Sources and Notes:
[1] Zimbardo, "The Stanford Prison Experiment".
[2] It.sainte-anastasie.org, "The psychological effects of
incarceration: what happens in the minds of prisoners?".
[3] State of Mind, July 26, 2023, Marca Rebecca Farsi, "The individual
in the prison context: psychological effects of detention".
[4] PsicologiNews, July 19, 1921, Letizia Papa, "Dehumanization: when
humanity is denied".
[5] Herbert Kelman, "Violence without moral restraint: Reflections on
the dehumanization of victims and victimizers. Journal of Social
Issues". 1973;29 (4):25-61.[download the PDF from here, in ENG]
[6] Ignotus, "Dehumanization and stigmatization: when the other is worth
less than us".
http://alternativalibertaria.fdca.it/
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
conducted in 1971 by psychologist Philip Zimbardo, is still a
disturbing warning today about what happens when you give power without
control. More than fifty years later, its message remains more relevant
than ever. ---- Zimbardo wanted to understand how people reacted when
they were assigned, by pure chance, to the roles of prisoners or guards.
To do so, he selected 18 university students through a job advertisement
offering 15 dollars a day. The participants were randomly divided: some
became "prisoners", others "guards". The experiment was supposed to last
two weeks, but was interrupted much earlier. The reason? The situation
had descended into a vortex of violence and abuse of power.
Despite the criticism it received, this study has left an indelible
mark on psychological research.
«Zimbardo's experiment demonstrated how situational variables such as
social roles can prevail over individual predisposition to generate
extreme behaviors. The study shed light on how putting people in
positions of power without supervision can lead to abuse of authority» [1].
Prisons: Psychologists speak out
This tragic dynamic is also repeated in real prisons, where prisoners,
deprived of all rights and dignity, end up losing themselves.
Prison can lead to a «loss of one's individuality», destroying the
prisoner's self-esteem and personal identity [2].
But the damage does not stop there. The prison environment can cause
devastating psychological suffering: «Panic attacks, generalized anxiety
disorder, psychomotor agitation, confusional crises, anhedonia,
adjustment disorders of anxious or depressive origin, but also
delusional and psychotic events» [3].
It is not just individual suffering: this oppression has repercussions
on the whole society. A penitentiary system that focuses on punishment
rather than rehabilitation does nothing but fuel anger and resentment.
Dehumanization, defined as «the denial of the humanity of others», can
contribute to this distorted perception [4].
And it is not only the prisoners who suffer from it. Even the prison
guards become victims of a sick system, which deprives them of all
empathy. psychologist Herbert Kelman warned: «Even those who perpetrate
aggression become dehumanized, no longer possess the capacity to act as
moral beings because they are deprived of the capacity to feel
compassion and empathy towards the victims» [4][5].
And while the guards are transformed into cold and insensitive
instruments, the prisoners are forced to live in a hell without hope.
«Detention in an oppressive environment can compromise the ability of
prisoners to relate in a healthy way with others, making it difficult to
adapt to social and work norms once released» [3]. The reality is
merciless: if prison offers no possibility of redemption, the prisoners
can do nothing but identify with the role of criminals. «The lack of
opportunities for growth and redemption within prison can lead inmates
to identify with the role of "criminal", limiting the prospects of
social reintegration» [6].
In short, inhumane prisons not only destroy those locked up there, but
create a more insecure society, pushing many ex-inmates to fall back
into crime. It is time to open our eyes: a fair penitentiary system is
not only a question of human rights, but a necessity for the good of
all. In the perspective of the definitive overcoming of the prison system.
Credits: Photo by Pablo Padilla on Unsplash
Sources and Notes:
[1] Zimbardo, "The Stanford Prison Experiment".
[2] It.sainte-anastasie.org, "The psychological effects of
incarceration: what happens in the minds of prisoners?".
[3] State of Mind, July 26, 2023, Marca Rebecca Farsi, "The individual
in the prison context: psychological effects of detention".
[4] PsicologiNews, July 19, 1921, Letizia Papa, "Dehumanization: when
humanity is denied".
[5] Herbert Kelman, "Violence without moral restraint: Reflections on
the dehumanization of victims and victimizers. Journal of Social
Issues". 1973;29 (4):25-61.[download the PDF from here, in ENG]
[6] Ignotus, "Dehumanization and stigmatization: when the other is worth
less than us".
http://alternativalibertaria.fdca.it/
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten