English 1A/Clara McLean
FIRST ESSAY ASSIGNMENT: Evaluation of the SPE
Paper Length: 3-5 pages (6 or more well-developed paragraphs). Papers which are not at
least 3 complete pages will be handed back to you for completion, and marked as late.
Due Dates: First draft due for exchange/comments from peers on Wednesday,
February 24. Final draft due at the beginning of class Monday, March 1.
For your first essay assignment, consider that, as Zimbardo points out, his
Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) of 1971 has become perhaps the most well-known
psychological experiment of all time, holding the public’s fascination for almost 40 years.
You have now read a detailed narrative and analysis of the experiment, and are in a better
position than most to think about why that is. True, Zimbardo’s own flamboyant
personality may have something to do with it—but that doesn’t explain why the
experiment itself seems to resonate for so many people at a global level. The SPE has
been controversial and has had detractors, as we have seen, on both ethical and
methodological grounds. Nonetheless, it seems to have some lasting value, as the public
returns to its ideas again and again, and historical and political events sometimes have
seemed to mirror Zimbardo’s findings.
Your task in this essay is to offer a thoughtful evaluation of the SPE. In your
paper, discuss in depth one thing you see as valuable (that is, meaningful, helpful,
worthwhile) that this experiment has given us. Elaborate and develop your ideas on this
thing of value, bringing in examples from the book, and, if relevant, connecting them to
larger world. What is valuable about this contribution? How does it relate to us—why
does it matter? Also in your paper, discuss in depth one thing you see as a weakness,
flaw or fault in the SPE. This problem can be philosophical, methodological, ethical, or
even rhetorical (i.e. the way he writes about the SPE in The Lucifer Effect). We have
seen some other critiques of Zimbardo’s work in class, and you are welcome to use one
of these as a springboard for your own critique (be sure to quote and explain it), but I
want to see your own thinking at work here, so go beyond merely parroting what
someone else said. What kind of flaw are you talking about? Why does it matter? What
significance does it have in your ultimate view of the SPE, and on the SPE’s relevance to
society? Again, bring in specific examples from the book and, if relevant, from the world
to support you. Toward the end of your paper, you should find a way to reconcile these
ideas: given the positive and negative aspect you have discussed, what overall, is your
evaluation of this landmark research experiment? What is the opinion of it you walk
away with?
Some keys to a successful essay:
Use the text for support (quotes, examples), and stay anchored to the text in your
analysis.
When you use examples outside the text, make them clear, specific and relevant
Some summary will be necessary at times to orient your reader to what happened
in the experiment, but move quickly beyond summary back to analysis—I want to
see critical thinking here.
Like any essay, this one should have an introduction with a clear thesis that sums
up the main point of your argument. It should also have well-developed P-I-E (points,
illustrations, and explanations) in its body paragraphs to effectively support and advance
the thesis. It should close with a concluding paragraph that both sums up what you
have argued and leaves the reader thinking. And it should be well-written and carefully
proofread, with few sentence-level errors. Give it an apt title, and make sure it is long
enough to meet or exceed the minimum page requirements for this assignment.