Zimbardo Experiment

The Zimbardo Experiment, conducted in 1971 by psychologist Philip Zimbardo, examined how people adapt to roles within a simulated prison environment. Stanford University students were assigned randomly as either guards or prisoners. The study revealed how quickly participants embraced their roles, with guards becoming authoritarian and prisoners showing emotional distress. Originally intended to last two weeks, it was terminated after just six days due to the extreme behavior displayed. The experiment highlighted the power of situational influences on behavior and raised ethical concerns about psychological experimentation.