What shapes human nature? Why do some people act with compassion while others turn cruel? For centuries, thinkers — from philosophers and playwrights to theologians and psychologists — have grappled with these timeless questions, searching for what lies at the heart of good and evil.
American psychologist Philip Zimbardo was one of the questioners, too.
In August 1971, Zimbardo led a study at Stanford University to examine how social roles influence behaviour. Funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research, the experiment created a simulated prison in the basement of a campus building and assigned 24 healthy college students to act as either guards or prisoners, according to Britannica.
The aim was to observe the psychological effects of perceived power. The experiment was scheduled to last two weeks, but was abruptly ended after just six days due to escalating psychological abuse and emotional breakdowns.
More than 70 students applied to take part in the study.
Those selected were paid $15 per day and randomly assigned roles as guards or prisoners. The "prisoners" were mock-arrested by real police, blindfolded, and delivered to the faux prison.
There, they were stripped of personal identity, dressed in smocks, given ID numbers, and had one foot chained.
The "guards" wore khaki uniforms and mirrored sunglasses to avoid eye contact.
While they were instructed not to use physical violence, they were given authority to maintain order. The entire environment was designed to simulate the oppressive conditions of a real prison.
By the second day, prisoners rebelled.
Guards quickly developed a system of punishments to maintain control. Over the next few days, their behaviour became increasingly cruel, ranging from psychological manipulation to dehumanisation.
Prisoners experienced emotional distress; three had to be released early due to breakdowns.
Zimbardo, who also acted as prison superintendent, did not intervene—until a visiting researcher objected.
Shocked by what she saw, she urged Zimbardo to end the study, which he did on the sixth day.
The Stanford Prison Experiment drew immediate criticism for its ethical shortcomings. Participants suffered real emotional trauma, and critics argued that the conditions were poorly controlled and that Zimbardo had allowed the abuse to escalate.
Zimbardo later claimed that the guards' behaviour was driven by the situational pressures and lack of accountability—what psychologists call deindividuation, where individuals lose their sense of personal responsibility in group settings.
However, other researchers argued the experiment was flawed from the start.
Some pointed out that the call for volunteers attracted people with authoritarian tendencies.
In 2002, the BBC conducted a similar experiment where participants resisted tyranny rather than embraced it.
Deindividuation theory suggests that in groups, people are more likely to act impulsively or aggressively when they feel anonymous and unaccountable.
Zimbardo and others argued that anonymity, diffused responsibility, and heightened arousal—such as being in a group—can lower self-awareness and reduce concern for consequences.
Later research refined this idea, showing that deindividuated people don’t always become violent—rather, they tend to conform more strongly to group norms, whether positive or negative.
Despite ethical backlash, the Stanford Prison Experiment remains one of the most cited studies in social psychology.
It influenced how psychologists and ethicists think about power, identity, and institutional settings. It also prompted tighter regulations on human research ethics in the U.S.
The study inspired books, documentaries, and films—including Das Experiment (2001), its American remake The Experiment (2010), and The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015), which featured Zimbardo’s input.
The experiment continues to shape discussions on institutional abuse, especially in prisons, the military, and law enforcement. It serves as a cautionary tale about unchecked power, situational influence, and the ease with which ordinary people can commit extraordinary acts under the right conditions.
Zimbardo himself later reflected, “The line between good and evil is permeable. And almost anyone can be induced to cross it when pressured by situational forces.”
The U.S. military said it completed a sixth consecutive night of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, targeting military sites including air defences, lo...
Rare protests broke out across Ukraine on Thursday after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov in a government res...
Nineteen years ago, at Barcelona's Camp Nou, Lionel Messi posed for a charity photo shoot with a five-month-old baby he had never met. On Sunday, that...
Armenia will hold parliamentary elections on 7 June 2026, a vote that will shape the country’s political direction for the next five years. Understanding how the electoral system converts votes into parliamentary power is key to following the outcome and its wider regional implications.
Armenia’s parliamentary election comes at a defining moment for the South Caucasus, a region reshaped by the Garabagh conflict and broader shifts in Russia-West relations. The outcome is increasingly seen as a signal of Armenia’s future foreign policy direction and the regional balance of power.
In the Gulf, U.S. military bases have long been central to regional security. But rising tensions and shifting global dynamics are prompting new questions about what they protect - and whose interests they serve.
The European Union is preparing its 20th round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The measures are close to being approved, after earlier delays linked to energy concerns in Slovakia and Hungary eased following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
The U.S. military announced that it has completed a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets under U.S. President Donald Trump's orders. The operation targeted command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance sites across multiple locations.
The death toll from the fire at a live music pub in Bangkok has climbed to 32 after two more victims died from their injuries, according to Thailand's Police Hospital.
Ukraine and Russia exchanged fresh attacks on Tuesday, with Kyiv targeting shipping and energy infrastructure inside Russia while Moscow launched another large-scale missile and drone assault on Ukrainian cities.
India's investigation into last year's Air India crash that killed 260 people has entered its final stages, with investigators completing a transcript of the cockpit voice recorder and carrying out a psychological autopsy as they work towards a final report.
Portugal has become the first European Union member state to join HealthAI's Global Regulatory Network (GRN), as Europe prepares to implement new rules governing artificial intelligence across the bloc.
Nearly 7,000 people across the United States may have been infected with cyclosporiasis, a foodborne parasitic illness that causes prolonged diarrhoea. The outbreak has spread to 34 states, with health officials still trying to identify its source.
France has moved a step closer to legalising assisted dying after lawmakers approved landmark legislation that would allow some terminally ill adults to end their lives under strict conditions.
A brown skua seabird found near New Zealand's capital Wellington has tested positive for H5N1, marking the country's first detection of the bird flu strain.
Concerns are growing over a renewed cholera outbreak in Yemen, after years of conflict has left the country's healthcare system struggling to cope.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment