The Experiment
The Experiment
Gloria Isham
Central Texas College
Twenty- six men are chosen to participate in the roles of guards and prisoners in a psychological study led by a Doctor Archaleta for which each participant is to receive $14,000 after two weeks. Travis has just lost his part time job and is a peace protester who wants to travel to India with his girlfriend. Barris is a 42-year-old who lives alone with a domineering mother, who has made him join the experiment to raise money for her hip operation. This movie illustrated the cognitive dissonance theory and the power of authority.
Travis shares his cell with a graphic novel writer named Benjy and a man named Nix, who is there against the rules as former prisoners are not allowed to participate. Barris, initially concerned that some of the guards, particularly Chase may be capable of violence, tries to dissuade them from aggressive behavior, but finds the prisoners not ready to accept the basic rules of enforcement that was assigned to them. As a result, they have to become more forceful in order to make the prisoners follow the rules. He becomes more and more sadistic, all the time reassuring him that his treatment is within the rules which according to him is the blaring red light. The result of the Experiment was more of a situational attribution because it seemed like by them being in the situation they were in caused the behavior rather than anything they inherited in their own personalities. This movie also relates to the Milgrim Experience because of the way that people listened to what was told of them despite the how dangerous the electric shocking was to the other person for getting a wrong answer. The guards and prisoners adapted very quickly the environment and roles. This movie showed that the individual personalities of people could be changed when given the position of authority. It showed how they reacted to the needs of the situation rather than referring to their own morals or beliefs.
Gloria Isham
Central Texas College
Twenty- six men are chosen to participate in the roles of guards and prisoners in a psychological study led by a Doctor Archaleta for which each participant is to receive $14,000 after two weeks. Travis has just lost his part time job and is a peace protester who wants to travel to India with his girlfriend. Barris is a 42-year-old who lives alone with a domineering mother, who has made him join the experiment to raise money for her hip operation. This movie illustrated the cognitive dissonance theory and the power of authority.
Travis shares his cell with a graphic novel writer named Benjy and a man named Nix, who is there against the rules as former prisoners are not allowed to participate. Barris, initially concerned that some of the guards, particularly Chase may be capable of violence, tries to dissuade them from aggressive behavior, but finds the prisoners not ready to accept the basic rules of enforcement that was assigned to them. As a result, they have to become more forceful in order to make the prisoners follow the rules. He becomes more and more sadistic, all the time reassuring him that his treatment is within the rules which according to him is the blaring red light. The result of the Experiment was more of a situational attribution because it seemed like by them being in the situation they were in caused the behavior rather than anything they inherited in their own personalities. This movie also relates to the Milgrim Experience because of the way that people listened to what was told of them despite the how dangerous the electric shocking was to the other person for getting a wrong answer. The guards and prisoners adapted very quickly the environment and roles. This movie showed that the individual personalities of people could be changed when given the position of authority. It showed how they reacted to the needs of the situation rather than referring to their own morals or beliefs.