At the age of 91, American scholar and psychologist, professor of Stanford University, Philip Zimbardo has passed away. The psychologist, along with a team of fellow researchers, conducted a controversial experiment on individuals placed in a stressful situation. The researchers halted the experiment prematurely as some participants began to exhibit excessive cruelty, while others suffered greatly, even though they were in artificially created conditions. The details of the study continue to be examined by psychologists, and the roots of evil have been a topic, for instance, of the scholar's presentations at TEDx conferences. News of Zimbardo's death was reported on the Stanford University portal.
The announcement of the scholar's passing appeared on October 18. Stanford's press office stated that Philip Zimbardo died on October 14 in his home in San Francisco. There is no information available regarding other circumstances of the incident or the date of the funeral.
Philip Zimbardo, psychologist and professor, was born on March 23, 1933, in the South Bronx, New York, as noted on the university portal. Zimbardo received his higher education and began working at Stanford University in the 1970s. One of his studies focused on the theme of vandalism — he believed that "anonymity and lack of community can lead to antisocial behavior." He is particularly known for the so-called "Stanford Experiment," which aimed to demonstrate how social conditions influence human behavior. The research team aimed to prove that individuals who consider themselves decent and kind can drastically change under the influence of external factors.
"We often do not realize the immense power that social situations exert on us, shaping, directing, and manipulating our behavior," — the Stanford portal quoted Zimbardo's words from 1971.
The university's website contains a detailed description of the "Stanford Experiment" — a collection of photos, videos, audio, and scientific articles. The essence of the experiment was that 24 college students became "guards" and "prisoners" in an artificially created prison located in the basement of the institution.
The guards' task was to enforce certain rules and maintain order. The experiment was intended to last 14 days, but it was terminated after six days. As explained in the researchers' materials, the subjects, who were ordinary students just six days prior, began to exhibit excessive cruelty.
"The outcome was 'shocking and unexpected' and 'spiraled out of control.' Some guards became tyrannical and abusive in their treatment of the prisoners. The experience caused acute anxiety, emotional depression, crying, and rage among the prisoners," — concluded Zimbardo and other researchers who observed the events, as stated in the article on the Stanford portal.
We remind you that in October, IFLScience published a study by scientists investigating whether a person can truly feel that they are being watched unnoticed.