The Stanford Prison Experiment, conducted in August 1971 by Philip Zimbardo, remains one of the most infamous and unethical studies ever conducted in the field of psychology. The video above outlines the goals, methods and outcomes of the study, and raises several issues related to authority, conformity, obedience and the organization of penal institutions. Zimbardo’s experiment was both controversial and insightful, providing a dramatic look at human nature and demonstrating quite forcefully, the power of social situations to transform the human mind.
Related articles
- Psychologist Philip Zimbardo Says to Young Men: You’re Educationally and Sexually Doomed (openculture.com)
- Stanford Prison Experiment: 40 Years Later (drvitelli.typepad.com)
- Young Men are Educationally and Relationally Doomed (marccortez.com)
