Why did it happen? Because Zimbardo engineered Ausgeliefert Sein : The "prisoners" had no control over their schedule, their privacy, or their dignity. They were extradited to a miniature total institution. If Zimbardo had continued to Experiment #27 (adding random reward/punishment schedules and sensory deprivation), the results would have been catastrophic.
When an individual is stripped of all predictable cause-and-effect relationships in a closed system, they will first display anxiety, then aggression, followed by catatonic submission within 72 hours. Experiment Ausgeliefert Sein 27
When searching for "Experiment Ausgeliefert Sein 27," the results point to a specific niche in German underground cinema rather than a scientific social experiment. The title belongs to a long-running series of avant-garde adult films produced by , directed by Simon Thaur . Why did it happen
Since this specific phrase does not correspond to a widely known public experiment (like the Stanford Prison Experiment or Milgram’s obedience study), this article interprets the keyword as a conceptual case study. It synthesizes the German philosophical concepts of Ausgeliefert Sein (being delivered up/at the mercy of) with the structure of a psychological field experiment, designated as "27." If Zimbardo had continued to Experiment #27 (adding
This brings us to the concept of "Total Institution," a term coined by sociologist Erving Goffman. In prisons, asylums, or military boot camps, the individual is stripped of their identity and becomes ausgeliefert —subject to the total will of the institution. The "Experiment" then becomes the process of breaking down the individual will.