The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)
Rating
R
Length
2hr 1min
Movie Story Line
A dramatic retelling of Philip Zimbardo's classic 1971 Stanford Prison Study, in which he created a mock jail and assigned students the roles of prisoners and prison guards.
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Teaching Idea #1

Groups and Deindividuation
Define "social identity". How does the developmental need for belongingness influence a person's decision to be part of certain groups? What are "social roles" and why do people play them? What may help a person not engage in a social role? What is "deindividuation"? What are the positive and negative aspects of deindividuation?

Teaching Idea #2

Ethics of Research Studies
Take a look at the American Psychological Associations code of ethics that relate to conducting human research studies. When was the code first written? Has it ever been updated? How does Zimbardo's study violate the code? What is your opinion of Dr. Zimbardo's leadership role in the APA?