Philip Zimbardo: Psychologist Who Designed Stanford Prison Experiment

Early Life and Education

Philip Zimbardo was born in New York City in 1933. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from Brooklyn College and his doctorate in psychology from Yale University. After completing his education, Zimbardo taught at Yale, Stanford, and Columbia Universities.

The Stanford Prison Experiment

In 1971, Zimbardo conducted the famous Stanford Prison Experiment. The experiment involved creating artificial prison environment where 24 male college students were randomly assigned to be either prisoners or guards. The experiment was designed to study the effects of situational factors on human behavior. The results of the experiment showed that the guards became increasingly abusive, and the prisoners became increasingly submissive.

The Stanford Prison Experiment was a controversial study. Some critics argued that the experiment was unethical because it caused psychological harm to the participants.

Later Career

Despite the controversy surrounding the Stanford Prison Experiment, Zimbardo continued to be a respected psychologist. He wrote several books on psychology, including "The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil" and "The Time Paradox: The New Psychology of Time That Will Change Your Life." Zimbardo also founded the Heroic Imagination Project, which aims to promote heroism and altruism.

Conclusion

Philip Zimbardo was a prominent psychologist who made significant contributions to the field of psychology. His research on the Stanford Prison Experiment helped to show the power of situational factors on human behavior.