Ats 1261 Assessment 1

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Prompt 2: Take and argue a position on the following statement: the example of
the Stanford Prison Experiment showed that our behaviour can change our
attitudes without any fail.
In this essay, I argue that the Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) might not
necessarily be the best experiment to show that behaviour changes attitudes, and
though it is true that behaviour changes attitudes, it does not do so without any fail.
The aim of the SPE was to examine situational forces versus dispositions in
human behaviour. While I do agree that the fact that it took the “guards”
concerningly little time to ease into their newfound roles as authorities and hence
be willing to act cruelly towards the “inmates” could show how behaviour changes
attitudes, the conditions of the experiment were scaled to be more gruesome than
should have been necessary, as for example the “prisoners” were forced to wear
women’s pantyhose on their heads to further elicit feelings of emasculation, and
thus in my opinion shines more light on how human behaviour changes in the face
of inhumane conditions. It also spotlights how, when people are given unrestrained
power coupled with the mask of anonymity, in this context being the mirror-
reflecting sunglasses and identical khaki uniforms given to the “guards” to “further
promote anonymity” (Zimbardo, 1971, p.8), people act in much more aggressive
and mean-spirited manners (Pollick, 2011). These conclusions were in my opinion
more so prominent than attitudinal shifts in relation to changes in behaviour.

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Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) shows a more straightforward way of
the causal link of behaviour to attitude, and from there argues that due to cognitive
dissonance, and the human distaste towards an insecure sense of self (Festinger,
1957), when there is insufficient reasoning as to the completion of a behaviour,
self-justification of attitudes occur to rectify the gap in our behaviour and attitudes,
thereby leading to said attitudinal shift, and effectively resolving the dissonance.
Freedman (1965) yielded similar results as well, on top of showing that this theory
can go back as far as childhood. Another theory as to why behavioural changes can
cause attitude shifts is the self-perception theory, which argues that people tend to
perceive themselves from an outsiders’ point of view to understand who and how
they are as a person (Daryl Bem, 1972).
However, even with this evidence, it still in my opinion cannot be said that
behaviour changes attitude without any fail. For example, in instances where there
is a general lack of self-awareness, the self-perception theory would be rendered
invalid, as there needs to be perception of the self for there to be a corresponding
change in attitude. As for the cognitive dissonance theory, so long as there as
sufficient justification for our actions, as in our behaviour aligns with our attitude,
there will not be an attitudinal shift, as due to the lack of the cognitive dissonance
that is the trigger to said attitudinal shift, there will be no need for it in the first
place. Conversely, there is also an inverse relationship between attitude and
behaviour, and it is very possible to cause change in behaviour with a change in
attitude, In the words of Viktor E. Frankl’s, “everything can be taken from a man
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but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any
given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way”. (Frankl, Man’s Search for
Meaning, p.86)
In conclusion, while the SPE does show that behavioural change causes
change in attitudes, it is my opinion that it highlights other aspects of the human
mind more so than the aforementioned point, and while behavioural change does
cause attitudinal change, it does not always does so without any fail, as per the
statement prompt suggests.

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Reference List
Bem, D. J. (1972).
Self-perception theory.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60024-6
Festinger, L. (1957)
A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance
By Leon Festinger A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance : Leon
Festinger :Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Festinger & Carlsmith (1959)

Cognitive Consequences of Forced Compliance
https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/h0041593
Frankl, V. (1985)
Man’s Search For Meaning, p. 86
Man's Search For Meaning - Viktor E. Frankl - Google Books
Freedman, J. (1965)
Long-term behavioral effects of cognitive dissonance
Long-term behavioral effects of cognitive dissonance - ScienceDirect
Pollick, M. (2011).
Mask of Technology: How the Perceived Anonymity of Technology Affects
Ethical Decisions.
How the Perceived Anonymity of Technology Affects Ethical Decisions -
DocsLib
Zimbardo, P. (2011) Stanford Prison Experiment

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Narration_of_prison_experiment-libre.pdf (d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net)

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596 words

attitudes without any fail.

women’s pantyhose on their heads to further elicit feelings of emasculation, and

and mean-spirited manners (Pollick, 2011). These conclusions were in my opinion

more so prominent than attitudinal shifts in relation to changes in behaviour.

Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) shows a more straightforward way of

1957), when there is insufficient reasoning as to the completion of a behaviour,

they are as a person (Daryl Bem, 1972).

is a general lack of self-awareness, the self-perception theory would be rendered

invalid, as there needs to be perception of the self for there to be a corresponding

change in attitude. As for the cognitive dissonance theory, so long as there as

place. Conversely, there is also an inverse relationship between attitude and

behaviour, and it is very possible to cause change in behaviour with a change in

change in attitudes, it is my opinion that it highlights other aspects of the human

statement prompt suggests.

Festinger & Carlsmith (1959)

Zimbardo, P. (2011) Stanford Prison Experiment

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