AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The study, led by psychology professor Philip G. Zimbardo, recruited Stanford students using a local newspaper ad. Twenty-four students were carefully screened and randomly assigned into groups of prisoners and guards.

Detailed explanation-2: -Zimbardo, a professor of psychology at Stanford for over 30 years, is known for his work on the Stanford prison experiment which demonstrated the power of social situations through a mock prison experiment with normal, healthy college students.

Detailed explanation-3: -Conclusion. According to Zimbardo and his colleagues, the Stanford Prison Experiment revealed how people will readily conform to the social roles they are expected to play, especially if the roles are as strongly stereotyped as those of the prison guards.

Detailed explanation-4: -Zimbardo’s primary reason for conducting the experiment was to focus on the power of roles, rules, symbols, group identity and situational validation of behavior that generally would repulse ordinary individuals.