- A look at the social psychologist’s work on understanding human behaviour
Philip Zimbardo, the renowned social psychologist who passed away last week, left a lasting legacy in the field of psychology and is best remembered for his groundbreaking yet controversial Stanford Prison Experiment. Conducted in 1971, this study sought to examine the psychological impact of power and authority by assigning college students to act as either prisoners or guards in a mock prison setting. The experiment was designed to uncover how social roles and perceived power could influence behaviour in a controlled environment.
The results were shocking. Within days, the participants playing guards began to exhibit increasingly abusive and authoritarian behaviour, while those assigned the role of prisoners displayed signs of psychological distress, submission, and passive obedience. As the situation went out of control, Zimbardo, who was overseeing the experiment, became concerned about the participants’ wellbeing and ultimately ended the study early, just six days into what was supposed to be a two-week experiment.
The Stanford Prison Experiment demonstrated how quickly individuals could lose their sense of self and morality when placed in environments that exert powerful situational forces. It revealed how easily ordinary people could engage in abusive behaviour under certain conditions, which raised significant ethical concerns in psychological research.
Creating ethical awareness
Zimbardo’s work shed light on the potent influence of social roles and environmental factors on human behaviour. However, despite its importance, the experiment has been widely criticised for its ethical shortcomings. It has since become a key example of unethical research practices, and modern ethical codes, such as those established by the American Psychological Association (APA), would prevent such a study from being conducted today.
The controversy surrounding the Stanford Prison Experiment has not diminished its impact on the field of psychology, and it continues to be cited in discussions about the ethics of psychological research, the effects of power dynamics, and the influence of situational factors on behaviour.
The cultural influence of the Stanford Prison Experiment extends beyond academia. It has inspired several films and docudramas, including ‘The Experiment’ (2010) and ‘The Stanford Prison Experiment’ (2015), which dramatise the events of the study.
Notable contributions
While the Stanford Prison Experiment is perhaps Zimbardo’s most famous contribution to psychology, his career spanned more than five decades and encompassed a wide range of psychological research. His work explored topics such as persuasion, attitude change, cognitive dissonance, shyness, time perspective, altruism, and even the effects of cults and mind control. Zimbardo was particularly interested in how environments shape human behaviour.
Zimbardo’s early work laid the foundation for his later discoveries. In 1969, he conducted a study on vandalism, which found that anonymity and the absence of community could lead to antisocial behaviour. This study demonstrated Zimbardo’s belief that environments exert a powerful influence on human actions.
He argued that people often overestimate the extent of control they have over their own behaviour and fail to recognise the significant impact of situational factors. This idea was central to his later work, including the Stanford Prison Experiment, where he sought to understand how the dynamics of prison life affected behaviour. Zimbardo’s findings in this area revealed just how quickly and drastically people could change when placed in different social roles, whether as authority figures or subordinates.
Shyness clinic
Following the Stanford Prison Experiment, Zimbardo continued to explore how social roles and environments influence other areas of life. He found parallels between the role-playing behaviours of prisoners and guards and how people experience emotions like shyness. Zimbardo believed that shy individuals, much like the participants in his prison experiment, could become ‘imprisoned’ by their own internalised rules and restrictions.
His research into shyness led him to establish the Stanford Shyness Clinic, where he focused on helping people overcome their fears of social interaction. In 1977, he published ‘Shyness: What It Is, What To Do About It’, a pioneering work that helped to launch an entirely new area of psychological study. His work on shyness continues to influence psychological approaches to understanding and treating social anxiety.
Everyone’s a hero
Zimbardo’s interest in human behaviour extended beyond the negative aspects of human nature. He also sought to understand how situational forces could bring out the best in people. One of his most notable contributions in this area was his research on the bystander effect, a phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to help someone in need when they are in a group.
Zimbardo attributed this behaviour to situational and systemic forces, much like he had in the Stanford Prison Experiment. However, Zimbardo also believed that the same forces that suppress altruism in group settings could, under the right conditions, inspire acts of heroism.
This belief led Zimbardo to coin the term ‘ordinary hero,’ which he used to describe the potential for heroic acts that exist within all people. In a 2006 article co-authored with Zeno Franco, Zimbardo asked: “Is it also possible that heroic acts are something that anyone can perform, given the right mindset and conditions?” This question inspired him to establish the Heroic Imagination Project, an organisation aimed at preparing people to act heroically in times of need. The project’s mission was to empower individuals to step up and help others, challenging the idea that heroism is reserved for a select few.
Recent contributions
In his later years, Zimbardo’s research took a new direction as he began examining the impact of modern technology on young men. In ‘Man Disconnected’, co-authored with Nikita Coulombe, Zimbardo explored how technology, particularly pornography and video games, has negatively affected the development of young men.
He argued that excessive exposure to these digital stimuli could lead to a range of issues, including social isolation, cognitive decline, emotional detachment, and difficulties in forming healthy relationships. Zimbardo and Coulombe emphasised the importance of addressing these problems, advocating for fostering healthy relationships, promoting physical activity, and limiting screen time.
‘Man, Interrupted’, another collaboration between Zimbardo and Coulombe, explored even more into the psychological impact of technology addiction. The book examined how technology can become addictive, strain relationships, and disrupt healthy development. Zimbardo raised concerns about the long-term consequences of technology addiction for society and offered insights into how individuals and communities could combat these challenges. He highlighted the urgent need for parents and educators to raise awareness about the potential negative effects of technology on young people, particularly young men.
Throughout his career, Zimbardo remained committed to understanding how environments and situational factors shape human behaviour, whether through the lens of social roles, psychological distress, or technological influence. His research, though at times controversial, has left a lasting impact on the field of psychology, and his legacy will continue to inform how we understand the powerful role of external forces in shaping human behaviour for generations to come.
(The writer is a mental health professional and has, over the past 11 years, contributed to several Sri Lankan media publications in both English and Sinhala languages, focusing on topics related to psychology and counselling)