The best way I can react to this is experiment, is one that had good intentions, but went wrong. I do believe that the intentions of the experiment were ethical, but I do not think that the experiment itself was. I know that sounds confusing, but what I mean is that I think Zimbardo had good intentions, but I do not think he fully thought the experiment through.
I am sure that Zimbardo did not want the experiment to have the full effect that it did on the participants, and therefore I must give him credit for that, but the experiment itself was very unethical. The "mind games" that were played on the participants were taken way too far. What would have been ethical, is the moment that the reason for the experiment was proven, the experiment should have stopped. I could not believe it when the film said that it was supposed to last for two weeks! I did not understand the need for it to go that long, even six days was too long. Although, Zimbardo may not have recognized that before the experiment started, which is understandable, he still should have ended the experiment long before it had the effect on the participants that it did. Thus in my opinion, no the experiment itself was not ethical.
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I think part of the reason the experiment needed to go for so long was to make it as close to realistic as possible. Real prisoners sometimes stay years in prison. They couldn't make the subjects stay that long of course but they had to have it last longer than a day or even a couple days.
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good point, thank you for commenting. To kind of clarify what I was writing about, I understand there has to be a time length in order for the experiment to have the effect that is necessary, but I just think that it got to a point where it could have emotionally and mentally affected some of the participants because it went on too long.
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