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Resources

We recommend familiarity with the following foundational texts and studies:

For the Regional Round:

  1. Classical Conditioning — Ivan Pavlov (1903)

  2. Operant Conditioning — B.F. Skinner (1948)

  3. The Stanford Prison Experiment — Philip Zimbardo (1971)

  4. The Milgram Obedience Study — Stanley Milgram (1963)

  5. The Strange Situation — Mary Ainsworth (1970s)

  6. Cognitive Dissonance Theory — Leon Festinger (1957)

  7. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs — Abraham Maslow (1943)

  8. Attachment Theory — John Bowlby (1958-1969)

  9. The Bobo Doll Experiment — Albert Bandura (1961)

  10. The Mirror Test — Gordon Gallup Jr. (1970)

For the International Round:

Foundations of Psychological Theory:

  1. The Interpretation of Dreams — Sigmund Freud

  2. Psychology as the Behaviorist Views It — John B. Watson

  3. Man’s Search for Meaning — Viktor Frankl

  4. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience — Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

  5. Thinking, Fast and Slow — Daniel Kahneman

Advanced Resources for Top Performers:

  1. Erik Erikson – Identity: Youth and Crisis

  2. Albert Bandura – Social Learning Theory

  3. Jean Twenge – iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy (2017)

  4. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) – Adolescent Anxiety and Depression Criteria

  5. Carol Dweck – Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

  6. Case Study: “Facebook Depression” and Teen Social Media Use (APA article)

  7. Daniel Goleman – Emotional Intelligence

  8. Documentary: The Social Dilemma

Sample question

In psychology, few studies are as ethically controversial and scientifically impactful as the Stanford Prison Experiment. Critically assess the psychological mechanisms at play in the study, and argue whether its findings should still be considered relevant in modern psychology.

Sample response

De-individuation and the Fragility of Morality

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The Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE), led by Philip Zimbardo in 1971, is one of the most cited, and debated studies in psychology. At its core, the SPE demonstrates how situational forces, rather than inherent personality traits, can lead ordinary people to engage in abusive behavior. In only six days, student volunteers acting as prison guards began exhibiting authoritarian cruelty toward their peers, while "prisoners" developed signs of psychological distress. This essay argues that, despite its methodological flaws, the SPE remains a stark and useful case study in deindividuation, power dynamics, and the psychology of institutions.

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Mechanisms of Moral Erosion

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Central to the SPE’s outcome is deindividuation, a psychological state where self-awareness diminishes and individuals lose their sense of personal responsibility. Guards in the experiment wore uniforms and sunglasses, which made them somewhat anonymous and allowed behavior that would otherwise be inhibited by conscience. Zimbardo himself described how quickly participants internalized their roles, with one guard stating: “I was surprised at myself… I was actually beginning to enjoy the power I had.” This echoes Milgram’s work on obedience, in which perceived authority nullifies moral resistance.

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Additionally, social identity theory explains how group membership (guards vs. prisoners) contributed to in-group favoritism and out-group hostility. The rigid structure of roles created a feedback loop: the more guards asserted dominance, the more prisoners resisted or broke down, reinforcing authoritarian behavior.

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Ethical Critique, Scientific Limits, and Modern Relevance

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The SPE is now widely criticized for lacking clear controls and for Zimbardo’s dual role as superintendent and researcher, which introduced confirmation bias. Nevertheless, its value lies in its visceral demonstration of how institutional settings can distort moral reasoning. 

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Though modern ethics would prevent such a study today, the SPE continues to be relevant, particularly in understanding environments like prisons, the military, and law enforcement. It also speaks to broader issues of power and accountability, themes that remain at the heart of contemporary psychology and public discourse.

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As psychologist Steven Pinker writes, “Situations matter. Social roles matter. And the greatest crimes in history were committed not by monsters, but by men in uniforms.” In this way, the SPE’s haunting lesson lingers: given the wrong context, any of us might lose ourselves.

DO NOT CHEAT

 

Academic Integrity Policy

Plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification. Every submission is checked with plagiarism detection software. All work must be your own, and citations must be included in APA style.

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