The major flaw in the Stanford prison experiment was its lack of ethical standards and methodological rigor. Here are some key issues:

1. **Ethical Concerns**: The experiment subjected participants to psychological harm without adequate safeguards. The "guards" were given too much power, leading to abusive behavior towards the "prisoners."

2. **Lack of Scientific Rigor**: The study lacked a clear hypothesis and control group, making it difficult to draw valid conclusions. The roles of "guard" and "prisoner" were not assigned randomly, which could have introduced bias.

3. **Researcher Involvement**: The lead researcher, Philip Zimbardo, played a dual role as both the experimenter and the prison superintendent, which compromised the objectivity of the study.

4. **Generalizability**: The sample size was small and not representative of the general population, limiting the ability to generalize the findings.

These flaws have led to significant criticism and discussions about the ethical treatment of participants in psychological research.

Question

The major flaw in the Stanford prison experiment was its lack of ethical standards and methodological rigor. Here are some key issues:

1. **Ethical Concerns**: The experiment subjected participants to psychological harm without adequate safeguards. The "guards" were given too much power, leading to abusive behavior towards the "prisoners."

2. **Lack of Scientific Rigor**: The study lacked a clear hypothesis and control group, making it difficult to draw valid conclusions. The roles of "guard" and "prisoner" were not assigned randomly, which could have introduced bias.

3. **Researcher Involvement**: The lead researcher, Philip Zimbardo, played a dual role as both the experimenter and the prison superintendent, which compromised the objectivity of the study.

4. **Generalizability**: The sample size was small and not representative of the general population, limiting the ability to generalize the findings.

These flaws have led to significant criticism and discussions about the ethical treatment of participants in psychological research.

Knowee AI · Accepted Answer

The major flaw in the Stanford prison experiment was its lack of ethical standards and methodological rigor. Here are some key issues:

1. **Ethical Concerns**: The experiment subjected participants to psychological harm without adequate safeguards. The "guards" were given too much power, leading to abusive behavior towards the "prisoners."

2. **Lack of Scientific Rigor**: The study lacked a clear hypothesis and control group, making it difficult to draw valid conclusions. The roles of "guard" and "prisoner" were not assigned randomly, which could have introduced bias.

3. **Researcher Involvement**: The lead researcher, Philip Zimbardo, played a dual role as both the experimenter and the prison superintendent, which compromised the objectivity of the study.

4. **Generalizability**: The sample size was small and not representative of the general population, limiting the ability to generalize the findings.

These flaws have led to significant criticism and discussions about the ethical treatment of participants in psychological research.

What was the major flaw in the Stanford prison experiment?

Question

What was the major flaw in the Stanford prison experiment?

Solution

Similar Questions

Upgrade your grade with Knowee