Jan 28, 2005

The Stanford Prison Experiment: A Simulation Study of the Psychology of Imprisonment

John Wayne

Remind anyone else of George Bush?

The prisoners even nicknamed the most macho and brutal guard in our study 'John Wayne.' Later, we learned that the most notorious guard in a Nazi prison near Buchenwald was named 'Tom Mix' -- the John Wayne of an earlier generation -- because of his 'Wild West' cowboy macho image in abusing camp inmates.

Where had our 'John Wayne' learned to become such a guard? How could he and others move so readily into that role? How could intelligent, mentally healthy, 'ordinary' men become perpetrators of evil so quickly? These were questions we were forced to ask."

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A fascinating study and slide presentation. I encourage everyone (and everybody you know) to go back to the beginning and take the time to look at and discuss this slide-show presentation.

Gary Williams

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