The Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrates how different people become the roles they play. The students chosen to participate in the experiment are tested strenuously in order to determine their adequacy to perform under conditions similar to those present in prisons. They are considered "normal", in terms usually associated with students. Through behaving in their roles, the reactions of others and having their alternatives blocked, the students were transformed into guards and prisoners and their previous roles as students are hidden.
             Behaving in a role assists a person in becoming an actual holder of that role. From the beginning, the students who are designated to be prisoners are treated as criminals. They are picked up by the police and taken to the police station. Once there, they are finger printed and transported to the location of the Stanford Prison Experiment as prisoners. The students are stripped, searched, given a number and stripped of their identity. The prisoners are made to do push-ups and other demeaning activities that make them behave in their role. On the other hand, the guards are told to keep the jail in order. Although no physical violence is used by the student "guards", they certainly behave like guard in other aspects. For example, they lock "prisoners" in the hole and take food and beds away. By behaving in their roles, the guards and prisoners become the role they play.
             The reactions of others push the students to become the roles they play. The reaction of the prisoners to the guards turns negative. They start feeling hate towards their captors, while the feelings are reciprocated by the guards. The prisoners are constantly mentally harassed. When the priest is invited to the jail, he acts as if he is visiting a regular jail. Instead of talking religiously, he questions the prisoners about why they have not tried to obtain the services of a lawy...