Final answer:
The request in the Stanford prison experiment was likely not honored due to the guards conforming to their roles, prisoners' psychological distress, and the powerful situation created within the experiment, which discouraged intervention.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reasons why the "good" guards in the Stanford prison experiment did not honor the requests of the prisoners or object to the other guards' abusive behavior are complex and rooted in the dynamics of power and authority within the simulated prison environment. The absence of actions taken against the mistreatment can be attributed to several factors, including the situational context that made the guards conform to their perceived roles, the psychological effects on the prisoners who began showing signs of severe anxiety and hopelessness, and the overall power structure of the experiment itself, which was overwhelmingly compelling. The study, led by Philip Zimbardo, demonstrated that even individuals without sadistic tendencies could carry out harmful actions when placed in a conducive environment, contributing to a lack of intervention and support for the prisoners' well-being.