The results of the Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrated which of the following?

• A. Group members always resist authority when placed in stressful environments.
• B. Personality traits are the primary determinants of aggressive behavior in group settings.
• C. Situational factors can powerfully influence individuals' behavior, sometimes leading ordinary people to act in ways they would not normally consider.
• D. Long-term psychological disorders are inevitable for all participants in simulated prison studies.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the context of the Stanford Prison Experiment, which was a psychological study conducted to investigate how situational factors influence human behavior, particularly in a simulated prison environment.
2. Step 2: Recognize that the experiment involved participants randomly assigned to roles of guards or prisoners, allowing researchers to observe how these roles and the environment affected their behavior.
3. Step 3: Analyze the key finding that ordinary individuals, when placed in certain situational contexts with perceived power dynamics and stress, can exhibit behaviors that are uncharacteristic for them, such as aggression or submission.
4. Step 4: Compare the provided answer choices to the core conclusion of the experiment, noting that the correct interpretation emphasizes the power of situational factors over inherent personality traits in shaping behavior.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrated that situational factors can powerfully influence individuals' behavior, sometimes leading ordinary people to act in ways they would not normally consider.