The Stanford prison experiment was infamous for the disturbing behavior shown by the participants, who were given no choice but to submit to authority figures. However, it also showed dramatically what would happen when good people were placed in an evil situation. In addition to the psychological pain inflicted on them, Asch and Milgram’s studies confirmed that conformity and obedience could cause people to do things that contradicted their values and beliefs. Zimbardo’s study showed that there are indeed situational pressures, too.
Ordinary people are quick to adopt the roles that society assigns to them. If they feel themselves to be in a subservient position, they will show deference towards those who hold positions of power. However, if placed in positions of dominance, they will behave in ways that are contrary to what one would expect from someone in such a position. When faced with situations where their individual identities are removed, people can lose sight of their own individual personalities and instead conform to the expectations set before them. The uniformity imposed upon us by our peers and society can make us forget about ourselves.
