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Showing posts with the label the stanford prison experiment

The Power of Saying No: Protect Your Time Without Slowing Your Career

Introduction  Starting a demanding new job often comes with an unspoken pressure to prove yourself. You want to show your manager that you are reliable, demonstrate your skills, and become someone the team can count on. So, whenever another task comes your way, saying yes feels like the safest choice. But what happens when every yes leaves you with less time for your existing responsibilities, personal life, and well-being? Learning to say no is not about avoiding hard work. It is about understanding your limits, protecting your priorities, and making sure your efforts create meaningful results.  The Fear of Disappointing Others  In a new role, setting boundaries can feel uncomfortable. You may worry that declining a request will make you seem uncooperative or less committed than your colleagues. This fear can lead you to accept unrealistic deadlines, volunteer for unnecessary work, and remain available long after your working hours end. Over time, these habits can create...

The Stanford Prison Experiment

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 u...