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What did the Stanford prison experiment really prove?

The Stanford prison experiment is often remembered as a simple story about roles transforming ordinary people. But a dramatic episode and a convincing causal experiment are different things. Later archival work raises questions about what participants were told, what researchers expected, and which observations became the familiar story.

5–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • What comparison would be needed to separate the effect of a role from the effect of instructions?
  • How should a memorable study be described when its design cannot support the strongest claim made for it?

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3–7 min

Can a question change what someone remembers?

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