What was the main outcome of the Stanford prison experiment?

The primary outcome of the Stanford prison experiment was to illustrate how situational factors can significantly influence behavior. Conducted by Philip Zimbardo in the early 1970s, the study involved college students assigned to the roles of guards and prisoners within a simulated prison environment. The experiment revealed that these situational pressures could lead individuals to adopt behaviors that were starkly different from their usual moral standards and personal values.

Participants assigned to the role of guards quickly began to exhibit authoritarian and abusive behaviors, while those assigned as prisoners showed signs of distress and helplessness. This demonstrates how powerful external situations can shape behavior, often overriding individual traits or beliefs.

In contrast, the other options focus on aspects that were not the central findings of the study. For example, the emphasis on individual traits overlooks how the environment and roles assigned played a critical role in behavior changes. Similarly, assertions about prison rehabilitation programs or interpersonal relationships being irrelevant do not capture the essence of Zimbardo’s findings, which centered around the influence of situational factors over personal characteristics or broader social contexts.