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The Showcase this month features an interactive website describing the Stanford Prison Experiment. This site, which includes discussion questions, related links, and additional content, offers an overview of experimental and ethical issues related to research involving human subjects. While reviewing this site, students will learn about one well known example of how experimental research is conducted in the social sciences. The experiment also highlights the potential ethical dilemmas faced by researchers conducting human subjects research. The Stanford Prison Experiment also illistrates issues associated with prison culture, power and control, and cognitive dissonance.

Dependent upon context and delivery, this material would be appropriate for undegraduate and graduate students enrolled in research methods, corrections, ethics, and a variety of other criminal justice and social science courses. This material can be used as a supplement to class lectures and/or discussions on ethical dilemmas associated with experimental research involving human subjects. The material would be especially beneficial for distance learning/online clas