Zimbardo's experiment on the social structures of prison, resulted in unreasonable responses from many of the participants. The test/focus group of prisoners experienced a loss of personal identity, distorted self concept, and the subjective control of their behaviors. This study demonstrates the importance of context, labeling, social reality, power structures, and the social aggregates of groups. There are multiple theories that are can be used to analyze the results of the experiment and provide perspectives at both the individual and group level. .
Symbolic Interactionism.
Interactionism is a perspective of sociology that provides a framework for understanding society as a product of everyday social interactions of individuals and the use of symbols to create meaning. The meaning of social reality is created by the individual based on their interactions with others. In this view, there is no objective reality, but rather multiple realities that depend on an individual's definition of the situation (Cragun & Cragun, page 46, paragraph 1, Symbolic Interactionism). .
In "The Pathology of Imprisonment," the Interactionists perspective can be used to explain the changing behaviors of the college students as they carried out their part in the experiment as either a guard or a prisoner. Their assigned labels acquired meaning when they were placed in a situation where the labels acquired validity as the participants engaged in their roles. This exemplifies Labeling Theory, in which labels are applied to individuals in an effort to categorize and brand them, and which results in a negative internalization and perception of reality (Cragun & Cragun, page 149, paragraph 2, Symbolic Interactionism - Labeling Theory). Labeling elicited pathological behaviors when applied to participants in a prison environment and modified those individuals' fundamental attitudes and behaviors. In fact, the participants self concept or identity was radically altered from interactions within this context.
