What was the main conclusion drawn from the Stanford Prison Experiment?

• A. Genetic predispositions are the primary cause of aggressive behavior in stressful environments.
• B. People always resist authority when placed in stressful situations.
• C. Stress has no significant impact on group dynamics or individual actions.
• D. Situational factors and assigned social roles can have a powerful influence on individual behavior.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the context of the Stanford Prison Experiment, which was designed to investigate how people behave when assigned different social roles, specifically 'prisoners' and 'guards' in a simulated prison environment.
2. Recognize that the experiment demonstrated how quickly and powerfully situational factors and assigned roles can influence individuals' behavior, often overriding personal traits or dispositions.
3. Note that the guards began to exhibit authoritarian and sometimes abusive behaviors, while prisoners showed signs of stress and helplessness, highlighting the impact of the social environment.
4. Contrast this with the incorrect options, which either emphasize genetic predispositions or deny the influence of stress and authority, both of which the experiment's findings challenge.
5. Conclude that the main takeaway is that situational factors and social roles can strongly shape behavior, sometimes leading to unexpected and extreme actions.