They demanded ever greater obedience from the prisoners. As the guards’ contempt for them grew, the prisoners became more submissive.Īs the prisoners became more submissive, the guards became more aggressive and assertive. They held the prisoners in contempt and let the prisoners know it. Remember that the guards were firmly in control and the prisoners were totally dependent on them.Īs the prisoners became more dependent, the guards became more derisive towards them. Over the next few days the relationships between the guards and the prisoners changed, with a change in one leading to a change in the other. Some even began siding with the guards against prisoners who did not conform to the rules. They started taking the prison rules very seriously, as though they were there for the prisoners’ benefit and infringement would spell disaster for all of them. They ‘told tales’ on each other to the guards. They talked about prison issues a great deal of the time. The prisoners soon adopted prisoner-like behavior too. There were 3 guards to the 9 prisoners, taking shifts of eight hours each (the other guards remained on call) They also had a tight nylon cap, and a chain around one ankle. Their clothes comprised a smock with their number written on it, but no underclothes. They were issued a uniform, and referred to by their number only. When the prisoners arrived at the prison they were stripped naked, deloused, had all their personal possessions removed and locked away, and were given prison clothes and bedding. Then they were blindfolded and driven to the psychology department of Stanford University, where Zimbardo had had the basement set out as a prison, with barred doors and windows, bare walls and small cells.
They were fingerprinted, photographed and ‘booked’. Here they were treated like every other criminal.