blog entries for 2003/10/16
entry #1
:: The Experiment is shown Thursday night on BBC Prime right now (for Swiss/European viewers, anyway). It's a retake on the original psychologic experiment about group processes, and I found I'm actually interested in it. Have a quick look at the punishments available to the guards:
- Toilet cleaning
- Temporary removal of one or all personal possessions
- Detention - standing in the 'punishment zone'
- Reduction on cigarette ration
- Writing lines
- Bread and water (for one mealtime)
- Solitary detention (for maximum of two hours, and not into sleeping times)
- Others to be devised by guards (but subject to approval by the Ethics panel, and not to include any physical punishments)
I don't need to mention that violence is out of bounds, do I? As is any other cruel or unusual punishment. What interests me is how you can uphold discipline if you have no real means of punishment available. The above are inconveniences, not real punishments. Who cares about two hours of solitary detention, or one meal of bread and water?
So, really, discipline must be upheld through other means. And I'm very interested in how you do that if someone just doesn't go along with you.
[posted at 2003-10-16 23:38:00] TrackBack