Zimbardo

Who is Philip Zimbardo?

Philip Zimbardo is a renowned American psychologist best known for his Stanford Prison Experiment (1971), which examined how social roles influence behavior. His work has significantly shaped our understanding of social influence, authority, and conformity.

What is Zimbardo’s Theory?

Zimbardo’s theory focuses on how situational factors and social roles can influence human behavior. His research supports the idea that people conform to the expectations of their roles, sometimes leading to negative and extreme behaviors.

What Was Philip Zimbardo Known For?

• The Stanford Prison Experiment (1971): Studied how people adopt roles of guards and prisoners, leading to abusive behavior.

• The Lucifer Effect (2007): Explored how good people can turn evil under certain conditions.

• Time Perspective Theory: Examined how our perception of time influences our actions and decision-making.

What Did the Zimbardo Experiment Prove?

The Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrated that situational forces and assigned social roles can heavily influence behavior, sometimes leading ordinary people to act in harmful or oppressive ways.

Was Zimbardo Punished for His Experiment?

No, Zimbardo was not punished, but his experiment received heavy criticism for ethical issues, including lack of informed consent and psychological harm to participants.

Philip Zimbardo’s Contribution to Psychology

• Developed theories on conformity, authority, and social roles.

• Contributed to research on time perception and heroism.

• Founded the Heroic Imagination Project to encourage ethical leadership.

Zimbardo Experiment Summary

• Aim: Investigate how people conform to assigned social roles.

• Method: 24 male college students were randomly assigned roles as prisoners or guards in a mock prison.

• Findings: Participants conformed to their roles, with guards displaying abusive behavior and prisoners becoming passive.

• Conclusion: Situational factors can lead to extreme behavioral changes.

Where is Philip Zimbardo Now?

Philip Zimbardo is currently a professor emeritus at Stanford University and continues to write and lecture on psychology, time perspective, and heroism.

Download the Social Influence PDF

For an in-depth revision guide on Zimbardo’s work and social influence theories, download the Social Influence Digital Interactive Revision Workbook – Yum Yum Mama.

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✅ Covers all major social influence topics, including Zimbardo’s research. ✅ Expert-written with 20+ years of psychology teaching experience. ✅ Interactive learning with live links to model answers. ✅ Designed for AQA A-Level and AP Psychology students. ✅ Instant digital download – Start revising today!

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