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Guards briefing
The researchers held an orientation session for guards the day before the experiment who were free within limits to maintain law -
Arresting prisoners
police car swept through the town picking up 9 selected college students who had previously been interviewed for a summer part time job as part of a mass arrest. They all agreed to participate in a 7 to 14 day period and received $15 per day. -
Arriving at Stanford
The students were blindfolded and driven to "stanford county jail" to be further processed after being received in the detention cells of the Palo Alto Police Department. -
Humiliation
Each prisoner was systematically searched and stripped naked. He was then deloused with a spray, to convey our belief that he may have germs or lice but also to humiliate them. -
Uniform
The prisoner was then issued a uniform which was a dress, or smock which had his prison ID number on it, On each prisoner's right ankle was a heavy chain, bolted on and worn at all times. prisoner covered his head with a stocking cap made from a woman's nylon stocking. -
Beginning of Rebellion
After an uneventful first day,prisoners in Cell 1 blockaded their cell door with their beds and took off their stocking caps, refusing to come out or follow the guards' instructions. -
Release of prisoner #8612
8612 then began to act crazy, to scream, to curse, to go into a rage that seemed out of control. It took quite a while before they had become convinced that he was really suffering and that they had to release him -
Awakened at night
At 2:30 A.M. the prisoners were rudely awakened from sleep by blasting whistles for the first of many "counts." -
Visits
The prisoners families are shocked at the state of their loved ones, however one prisoner doesn't complain to his family -
Rumours
On the fourth day, some of the guards stated that they heard a rumor that the released prisoner was going to come back with his friends and free the remaining inmates. Zimbardo and the guards disassembled the prison and moved it onto a different floor of the building. Zimbardo himself waited in the basement, in case the released prisoner showed up, and planned to tell him that the experiment had been terminated. The released prisoner never returned, and the prison was rebuilt in the basement on -
Second Rebellion
Prisoner No. 416, a newly admitted stand-by prisoner, expressed concern over the treatment of the other prisoners. The guards responded with more abuse. He then went on a hunger strike and put into solidarity and will only be let out only if the majority of remaining prisoners are willing to surrender their blankets; if not, he stays in till day shift. Another guard realises this is wrong and comes up with an excuse to let him out. -
End of experiment
Zimbardo announced the end of the experiment to the participants which he has decided because he it is brought to his attention that the prisoners are real people and don't deserve to be treated like this.