Roleplay Gone Awry: Effects of Self-Fulfilling Prophecy in the Stanford Prison Experiment

Abstract

Philip Zimbardo's Stanford prison experiment is a classic psychological experiment that has been the center of both heated debate and praise. In this experiment, college students were recruited to participate in a prison simulation in the basement of Stanford's psychology department. Students were then ascribed the role of either prisoner or guard. Remarkably, the participants rapidly began to act according to these ascribed roles.This experiment has been analyzed at many levels as a representation of numerous psychological phenomena. However, the following study explores Zimbardo's experiment anew through the lens of self-fulfilling prophecy. Supported by observing participants' behaviors and testimonies, this illustration of self-fulfilling prophecy based on participants' schema of "prisoner" and "guard" is examined.