Introduction In the early chapters of the Adi Parva , a profound tale unfolds—one that reveals the complexities of duty, truth, and consequence. This is the story of Agni, the fire god, and the curse that altered his divine role. Bhrigu Muni, one of the revered sages and the mind-born son of Brahma, had a wife named Puloma. She was radiant, graceful, and deeply cherished by Bhrigu. Yet her past held danger—before marrying Bhrigu, Puloma had been promised to a rakshasa (a powerful demon), who still longed to claim her. The sage and Puloma lived peacefully in their forest hermitage, far from the world. One day, while Puloma was pregnant, the rakshasa arrived at the hermitage with a burning desire to reclaim her. But he needed confirmation—was this truly Puloma, the one promised to him? Agni, the omnipresent fire god, resided in the hermitage in the form of the sacred fire used for rituals. The rakshasa questioned him, and Agni, who stood for truth and purity, could not lie. He affirmed h...
INTRODUCTION
The Stanford Prison Experiment or Zimbardo Prison Study is a psychological study experiment held at Stanford University in 1971, to examine the effect of situation variables on participants’ reactions and behaviour in a two-week prison simulated environment. This study was conducted by Stanford’s Psychology professor, Dr Philip Zimbardo along with his team and was funded by the US Office of Naval Research to understand anti-social behaviour. Dr Zimbardo’s main focus was on the power that lies in roles that people play, the rules that govern them, group identity, symbols, and the situational validation of behaviour that generally would repulse ordinary behaviour.EXPERIMENT
For the Stanford Prison experiment or Zimbardo Prison Study, 24 healthy, mentally stable, white, middle-class men were recruited on a wage basis for 14 days. Half of them were given the role of a prison guard and the rest were given the role of prisoners. Dr Zimbardo took the role of Superintendent. An undergraduate research assistant David Jaffee became the Warden.Zimbardo’s prison study was conducted in the basement of Stanford's psychology building. There were two fabricated walls in the prison out of which, one was at the entrance and the other one was at the cell wall to block observation. Each and every cell had a room enough for three, a cot for each prisoner along with mattress, sheet, and pillow, and was unlit. The Prisoners were kept in confinement 24 hours/. But the guards lived separately from the prisoners in a different environment and were given access to the special areas for relaxing and taking rest.
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The study was begun by replicating real prison conditions for prisoners. They arrested them, stripped them naked, cleaned their bodies if they had lice, and forced them to get into the prison outfit with a chain tied around the ankle of the prisoners. They were each assigned a number and were to be referred to by that number only in an attempt to dehumanize them.
Guards were left to govern on their own. They made their rules, but with time, the rules began to deteriorate. They would try to assert their dominance over the prisoners more and more. The encounters were not just physical, but psychological as well. Two prisoners cried and wished to leave Zimbardo’s prison study.
The environment no longer felt like an experiment. Even the psychologist in charge, Dr. Zimbardo had succumbed to their roles as prison directors, and the prisoners were not left free to leave, despite the fact that they had the right to go whenever they wished. Parents of prisoners despite knowing that it was the Stanford Prison Experiment, treated the situation as real and sent lawyers. The video footage of night-time encounters showed the truly abusive techniques of the guards when the head researchers were not around.
Zimbardo’s study experiment or Zimbardo Prison Study was inspected by other psychologists, who were outraged at seeing the prisoner’s conditions and guard’s atrocities. Dr. Zimbardo was forced to end the study on Day 6 only due to the above-mentioned reasons, the concern of the parents, and the brutality exhibited by guards increasing day-by-day in the experiment. The participants were paid the full wage of 14 days.
Guards were left to govern on their own. They made their rules, but with time, the rules began to deteriorate. They would try to assert their dominance over the prisoners more and more. The encounters were not just physical, but psychological as well. Two prisoners cried and wished to leave Zimbardo’s prison study.
The environment no longer felt like an experiment. Even the psychologist in charge, Dr. Zimbardo had succumbed to their roles as prison directors, and the prisoners were not left free to leave, despite the fact that they had the right to go whenever they wished. Parents of prisoners despite knowing that it was the Stanford Prison Experiment, treated the situation as real and sent lawyers. The video footage of night-time encounters showed the truly abusive techniques of the guards when the head researchers were not around.
Zimbardo’s study experiment or Zimbardo Prison Study was inspected by other psychologists, who were outraged at seeing the prisoner’s conditions and guard’s atrocities. Dr. Zimbardo was forced to end the study on Day 6 only due to the above-mentioned reasons, the concern of the parents, and the brutality exhibited by guards increasing day-by-day in the experiment. The participants were paid the full wage of 14 days.
CRITICISM
This Stanford Prison Experiment or Zimbardo Prison Study is highly criticized. It was alleged that wardens asked prison guards to be tougher.
They stereotyped the actions of prisoners and guards to benefit the experiment. The behaviour of some of the guards allegedly led to psychologically damaging situations of the prisoners.
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