Assignment Task: Psychology is a self-correcting science and critical evaluations of past studies lead to new discoveries and research approaches. For this discussion, review the story that describes Dr. Phillip Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Study and then answer the following questions (adapted from Bartels & Griggs, 2019):
1. Once the Stanford Prison Study was concluded, Dr. Zimbardo published initial research findings in popular media outlets such as Life magazine, Society magazine, and The New York Times Magazine. Why are these channels not appropriate for the publication of a scientific study? Consider the value of primary vs. secondary sources in your answer.
2. In some media accounts, the study's guards (and often the prisoners) are typically described in a uniform fashion (e.g., "They became sadists"). Yet, there is evidence that there was definite variance in guard behavior, and that only three (one third) of the guards were classified as bad guards (Le Texier, 2019; Zimbardo, 2007). How could such misrepresentations impact the study's validity and conclusions? Explain by referring to at least one type of validity.