The Stanford Prison Experiment: Simulation And Reality

Power: Simulation and Reality The Stanford Prison Experiment has brought a new aspect to psychology, sociology, and other social sciences regarding the significant impact of social roles and power relationships between people. The experiment answered the question, what would happen if we placed good people in a bad place? Many of us might think good people do not do bad things, and know how to control their behavior in a bad situation. However, it is the bad place, or the social context, not people’s personalities that determines people’s behavior and interaction. That was what happened in the experiment, where the volunteers could not distinguish simulation from reality, resulting in complex power relationships between the “guards” and the “prisoners.”

People in power often abuse power because they cannot control themselves in some certain contexts. They play their roles so perfectly that they cannot realize they abuse their power in such contexts. Therefore, it is not always necessary that people who are powerful are corrupt, or use their power to control people. The people who hold power might be placed in a dilemma situation, in which they cannot do nothing but playing their

For example, I would raise funds for poor children so that they can afford to get educated. Moreover, I would build more schools and colleges to make education widely accessed. Finally, I would build more hospital and raise funds for schools of medicine to improve public health. As related to the documentary, I realized that if I had extraordinary power in a social context, I would do so many things that could change some social institutions and people’s lives; therefore, I would be aware that to use my power for good purposes, I would put much consideration into my actions and behaviors, as well as obey the laws and regulations to minimize any side