Cecilia C. Oaks Counseling

01/29/2026

Y'all, lol 😆 💯

01/29/2026

He was a gem 💎 ✨️ 💖

01/26/2026

Stanford Prison Experiment: A Comprehensive Overview

The Three Sides of the Debate
1. The Situationalist Side (The "Classic" View)

• The Argument: The environment is the primary driver of behavior. Even "good" people will become abusive if placed in a "bad" system.

• Key Concept: Situationalism—the idea that external roles and environments override internal personality.

2. The Methodological Critique (The "Debunking" View)

• The Argument: The results were engineered by researchers rather than occurring naturally.

• Key Evidence:

• Coaching: Archives show researchers explicitly instructed guards to be "tough."

• Selection Bias: The recruitment ad for a "prison life" study may have attracted specific personality types.

• Demand Characteristics: Participants may have "acted" the way they thought researchers wanted.

3. The Social Identity Side (The "Modern" View)

• The Argument: People do not blindly fall into roles; they choose to act according to a role when they identify with a group or a cause.

• Key Concept: Social Identity Theory—behavior is driven by active identification with a group and its leadership.

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Psychological Applications
• Ethics and Oversight: The primary catalyst for modern Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and stricter participant safety codes.

• Deindividuation: Explains how losing a sense of self within a group or uniform leads to adopting role-specific behaviors.

• Researcher Bias: Highlights the need for "blind" testing to prevent participants from matching researcher expectations.

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Reliable Sources
• Haney, Banks, & Zimbardo (1973): The original peer-reviewed technical report.

• Le Texier (2019): The definitive archival debunking published in American Psychologist.

• Zimbardo (2007): The Lucifer Effect—the author's full account and real-world parallels.

• Haslam & Reicher (2012): Source for Social Identity Theory and the BBC Prison Study.
Stanford Prison Experiment: Comprehensive Research & Analysis

1. Primary Sources (The Original Findings)

• Haney, C., Banks, W. C., & Zimbardo, P. G. (1973): Interpersonal dynamics in a simulated prison. International Journal of Criminology and Penology, 1, 69–97. (Technical report).

• Zimbardo, P. G. (1971): The power and pathology of imprisonment. Congressional Record. Testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives.

• Official Website: prisonexp.org(https://www.prisonexp.org)

2. Critical & "Debunking" Sources
• Le Texier, T. (2019): Debunking the Stanford Prison Experiment. American Psychologist. (Uses archival evidence to show coaching).

• Blum, B. (2018): The Lifespan of a Lie. Medium. (Interviews with participants admitting to "acting").

• Banuazizi & Movahedi (1975): Early critique introducing "demand characteristics."

3. The Three Sides of the Debate

• The Situationalist View (Classic): The environment and roles drive behavior; even good people can become evil in a bad system.

• The Methodological Critique (Debunking): Results were engineered through researcher coaching and selection bias.

• The Social Identity View (Modern): People choose to act according to a role when they identify with a group or leader.

4. Psychological Mechanisms & Applications

• Deindividuation: Stripping away identity via ID numbers and mirrored sunglasses to facilitate cruelty and submission.

• Ethics: Catalyst for modern Institutional Review Boards (IRB) and strict participant safety codes.

• Researcher Bias: Demonstrates how "demand characteristics" (participants matching expectations) can compromise science.

• Dehumanization: Using smocks and specific tactics to emasculate and demoralize prisoners.

5. Detailed Experiment Overview

• Setup: 24 male students randomly assigned as "guard" or "prisoner" in a mock basement prison.

• Escalation: Prisoner rebellion on Day 2 led to psychological warfare, sleep deprivation, and degrading tasks.

• Early Termination: Scheduled for 14 days; stopped after 6 days due to extreme distress and intervention by Christina Maslach.

• Selection Bias: 2007 research suggests the "prison" ad attracted more aggressive/narcissistic personalities.

• Superintendent Role: Zimbardo’s active participation as "warden" clouded his objectivity, leading him to prioritize security over safety.

01/25/2026

Bubba and I hope everyone stays warm and safe in this weather 💓

01/23/2026

I'm battling a migraine today. Thoughts and prayers, please.

01/22/2026

Why should we pay attention to what our systems are telling us? This ✨️

01/22/2026

Everything about us tells a reflection of where we are in this journey and our needs, with a hint of what we have experienced. Pay attention to what your system is telling you ✨️

01/21/2026

I woke up to a pending storm with a case this morning. Happy Wednesday, everyone. Please send thoughts and prayers.

01/20/2026

01/17/2026

I've been fairly quiet since the start of this year. Primarily, due to the current events that keep happening. I've also been so stressed that anxiety is giving me fairly constant migraines. I'll do what I can to continue responded to comments. I appreciate y'all 🙏

01/15/2026

*gestures around broadly*

01/15/2026

I'm sharing this again. If you haven't been keeping up with current affairs and the nuances accompanying them, then you won't get it. But! IYKYK You can't make this stuff up. 🧊

Functional Illiteracy: US Interventions & Statistics
Functional illiteracy is the inability to read and comprehend texts or understand basic vocabulary at a level necessary to function effectively in society. In the U.S., interventions are crucial given the scope of the problem.

📊 Key Statistics (PIAAC Data)

• Prevalence: Approximately 54% of U.S. adults (ages 16-74) read below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level (often categorized as Level 2 or below literacy proficiency).

• Low Proficiency: 28% of U.S. adults scored at Level 1 or below in literacy proficiency in recent assessments, indicating significant difficulty with everyday reading tasks.

• Poverty Link: Nearly 80% of those who live in poverty read at Level 2 or below.

💰 Economic and Health Costs

• Economic Drain: Estimates of the total cost of low literacy to the U.S. economy (due to lost productivity, lower earnings, and social services) are often cited in the trillions, with some estimates reaching $2.2 trillion annually.

• Healthcare Burden: Low health literacy costs the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $106 billion to $238 billion annually in direct spending, primarily due to longer hospital stays and preventable complications.

🛠️ Major Intervention Strategies

1. Adult Basic Education (ABE) & HSE Preparation

• Focus: Core instruction in reading, writing, and math.

• Goal: Help adults achieve a High School Equivalency (HSE) credential (e.g., GED).

• Funding Source: Primarily Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), known as the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA).

2. Integrated Education and Training (IET)

• Strategy: Integrates basic skills instruction (literacy, numeracy) directly with occupational skills training.

• Benefit: Provides contextualized learning that directly leads to a recognized postsecondary credential or job certification, making learning more relevant and effective.

3. English Language Acquisition (ELA)

• Focus: Programs for non-native English speakers to achieve language proficiency alongside basic literacy skills and civics education.

4. Digital Literacy Integration

• Strategy: Teaching skills needed to navigate a digital world, including using online job applications, managing health portals, and utilizing assistive technologies (e.g., text-to-speech) for reading.

5. Community and Volunteer Tutoring

• Delivery: Non-profit organizations (like ProLiteracy) and local libraries offer one-on-one or small-group instruction to provide personalized learning tailored to individual goals.

🔗 Reliable Sources

• Prevalence & Assessment: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) / Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)

• Federal Policy & Funding: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) / Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA)

• Economic Impact: The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and health policy reports correlating low health literacy with healthcare costs.