VN AfterTaste

Google Video has a film about the Stanford Prison experiment, which was funded by the U.S. Navy. In the experiment, college students deemed “normal” and “healthy” were randomly ascribed the role of guards and prisoners in a prison setting.
Like the Milgram experiment on obedience to authority, this study is widely known for its ethical ramifications in conducting experiments.

Holah:

Zimbardo explains that the reason for the deterioration in guard behaviour was power. The guards were given control over the lives of other human beings and did not have to justify their displays of power as they would normally have to in their daily lives. They started to enjoy this power very earlier on in the study (pathology of power) as demonstrated that even after the first day all prisoner rights became redefined as privileges, and all privileges were cancelled.

Zimbardo explains the social deterioration of the prisoners as the pathological prisoner syndrome. At the beginning of the study, the prisoners rebelled against their conditions, but the guards undermined every attempt at rebellion, and any solidarity between the prisoners collapsed. Half of the prisoners responded by becoming sick, and eventually had to be released before the study was finally brought to a conclusion. The remaining prisoners became passive, dependent and had flattened emotions.

[culled from G-Pod]