Possibilities of Control in 6 days; Zimbardo

[Mr Blonde]

Today I was thinking about the Stanford Prison Experiment.

Where was the control study? What would happen if you put a dozen young guys in the basement of the building for two weeks without the guard/prisoner roles?

They would form their own cliques and power structure instead of accepting the one arbitrarily given to them.

Also read the conformity studies of Solomon Asch.

 

[Marquis]

Great thread.

I heard of this experiment when the Abu Ghraib stuff came out, but never got a chance to see all its details before. I feel like I've been learning a lot recently.

Also, I find it most interesting that almost every element of this experiment was outlined for the purpose of recreation during a class on Interrogation Scenes held by a Dominant named Flagg at TES Fest. I know there was another person on Lit who was in that class, perhaps they could say something about it as well.

 

[brioche]

Great thread.

I heard of this experiment when the Abu Ghraib stuff came out, but never got a chance to see all its details before. I feel like I've been learning a lot recently.

Also, I find it most interesting that almost every element of this experiment was outlined for the purpose of recreation during a class on Interrogation Scenes held by a Dominant named Flagg at TES Fest. I know there was another person on Lit who was in that class, perhaps they could say something about it as well.

I wasn't in that class (obviously), but we did study the study and its ramifications in my Psych classes. In fact, I still have at least one and possibly more texts around here that discuss it. I kept my Psych texts in my room to keep them from being purged in our frequent book giveaways for good causes.

 

[VelvetDarkness]

This was not a test of a pure prison situation. It was a test of how absolute power can corrupt absolutely, and how even the most stable mind might be broken, under controlled conditions.


I also don't see this even remotely close to the control in a BDSM relationship, because there was no respect or trust. It might be close to mental rape, though.

I studied Zimbardo's experiment a few years ago and I agree with DVS here.

I would also say though, that in a 24/7 D/s relationship there is the danger for something similar to occur. A PYL makes the rules for the relationship. While there are plenty of basic rules to follow, the PYL gets to choose which ones (if any) will operate between him and pyl. The successful submission of pyl in one area will naturally prompt PYL to start working on him/her in another area and if the pyl submits to every task set this effectively gives PYL a taste of absolute power and therefore the opportunity for corruption.

PYL should have pyl's interest in mind at all times but, given a willing subject and the free reign that a 24/7 relationship allows, it depends upon PYL to exercise his/her power responsibly or pyl could become conditioned to the point of staying in the relationship even when it becomes damaging to him/her and PYL has become consistently unreasonable in his demands. Oops, that's a bit of a ramble but do you understand what I mean?

I've seen Dominants on other threads discussing the morality of what they do and how they deal with exerting their will over another and even inflicting physical pian and humiliation without incurring psychological damage to themselves.

I would also suggest that, had Marquis' Mrs Norman been kidnapped from the marital home one day and made a prisoner for Zimbardo's study she would have felt pretty much at home.

 

[PsyDocG]

Bravo to you all, excellent thread and wonderful posts. Good to see our educational system is alive and well!!!!