How is human behavior shaped by the roles we’re assigned by society? One of the most notorious psychological experiments in recent history set out to investigate that question, and it took place right here in Northern California: Philip Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment. In the summer of 1971, Zimbardo and his researchers randomly assigned 24 healthy male college students to the role of “prison guard”or “prisoner” and set up a mock prison in the basement of Stanford’s Main Quad. While the experiment was initially designed to last two weeks, Zimbardo had to call it off after just six days because conditions had degenerated into chaos. The “guards” were taunting the “prisoners,” depriving them of sleep, forcing them to remove their clothes, and more. The “prisoners” had become totally demoralized.
Stanford Magazine recently tracked down participants in the experiment and asked for their reminiscences, forty years later. Continue reading