Philip Zimbardo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Philip Zimbardo
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Zimbardo in 2019
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| Born |
Philip George Zimbardo
March 23, 1933 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | October 14, 2024 (aged 91) |
| Education | Brooklyn College (BA) Yale University (MS, PhD) |
| Known for | Stanford prison experiment Abu Ghraib prison analysis time perspective therapy social intensity syndrome |
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Notable work
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The Lucifer Effect (2007) The Time paradox |
| Spouse(s) |
Rose Abdelnour
(m. 1957; div. 1971)Christina Maslach
(m. 1972) |
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Philip George Zimbardo (March 23, 1933 – October 14, 2024) was an American psychologist. He was a professor at Stanford University. He became famous for his 1971 Stanford prison experiment. This study was later criticized for its ethics and science. Zimbardo wrote many psychology textbooks. His well-known books include The Lucifer Effect and The Time Paradox. He also started the Heroic Imagination Project.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Philip Zimbardo was born in New York City on March 23, 1933. His family were immigrants from Sicily, Italy. Growing up, he faced discrimination and poverty. These early experiences made him curious about why people behave the way they do. This curiosity later shaped his research.
In 1954, Zimbardo earned his bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College. He studied psychology, sociology, and anthropology. He then got his master's (1955) and Ph.D. (1959) in psychology from Yale University. He taught at Yale, New York University College of Arts & Science, and Columbia University. In 1968, he joined Stanford University. He taught there for 50 years.
The Stanford Prison Study
In 1971, Zimbardo became a professor at Stanford University. He received money from the U.S. Office of Naval Research. He used this money to conduct the Stanford prison study.
Setting Up the Study
For the study, 24 male college students were chosen. They were healthy and volunteered for the study. Half of them were randomly chosen to be "prisoners." The other half were chosen to be "guards." The study took place in a pretend prison. This prison was set up in the basement of Stanford's psychology building. Zimbardo wanted to see how being a prisoner or a guard would affect the students.
How the Study Unfolded
Zimbardo himself took part in the study. He acted as the "prison superintendent." He told the guards to control the prisoners. He said they should not use physical violence. Instead, they should use other methods. These included making prisoners lose sleep or putting them in solitary confinement.
As the study went on, some guards became very strict. They took away prisoners' beds. They made prisoners use buckets as toilets and then wouldn't let them empty them. Neither the other guards nor Zimbardo stopped this behavior. The guards felt their actions were approved because no one told them to stop.
Some guards later said they knew what Zimbardo wanted. They tried their best to make it happen. Less than two days into the study, one prisoner pretended to have a mental breakdown. He was released. He later said he faked it to leave the study early.
What Happened in the End
By the end, the guards had full control over the prisoners. They used their power a lot. One prisoner even started a hunger strike. The guards put him in solitary confinement for three hours. Their own rules said solitary confinement should only be one hour. Instead of supporting him, other prisoners called him a troublemaker.
Both prisoners and guards quickly got into their roles. They acted more extremely than expected. This led to dangerous situations. Zimbardo himself started to get too involved in the study. His girlfriend, Christina Maslach, helped him see what was really happening. She had just earned her psychology degree. Zimbardo later said the study showed that "situations can have a more powerful influence over our behavior than most people appreciate."
After the study, everyone met to talk about their feelings. People often compare the ethics of this study to the Milgram experiment. That study was done in 1961 by Stanley Milgram, Zimbardo's friend. Zimbardo and Maslach married in 1972.
More recently, some researchers have looked at the study's records. They suggest that the guards were given instructions on how to act. This means their behavior might not have been completely natural. Historian Rutger Bregman also discussed this. He argued that Zimbardo encouraged the guards' actions. This suggests the behavior was not spontaneous.
Understanding Time
In 2008, Zimbardo published a book called The Time Paradox. He wrote it with John Boyd. It was about how people think about time. This is called Time Perspective Theory. In 2009, Zimbardo started working on a therapy based on this idea. It's called time perspective therapy.
Zimbardo also gave a Ted Talk called "The Psychology of Time." He explained that there are six ways people view time:
- Past Positive (focus on good memories)
- Past Negative (focus on bad memories)
- Present Hedonism (focus on enjoying the moment)
- Present Fatalism (feeling that fate controls the present)
- Future Life Goal-Oriented (focus on future goals)
- Future Transcendental (focus on life after death)
In 2012, Zimbardo and his wife wrote The Time Cure. This book explains time perspective therapy.
Heroic Imagination Project
Zimbardo founded the Heroic Imagination Project (HIP). This group helps people become heroes in their daily lives. It teaches them to act bravely when needed. The project studies how people change violent behavior. For example, they look at former gang members.
Social Intensity Syndrome (SIS)
In 2008, Zimbardo started working on a new idea called Social Intensity Syndrome (SIS). This idea describes how military life affects soldiers and veterans. It helps explain the strong effects military culture has on people. Research showed that SIS is a good way to measure military socialization.
Other Work
After the prison study, Zimbardo wanted to use psychology to help people. He started The Shyness Clinic in Menlo Park, California. This clinic helps adults and children who are shy. Zimbardo also wrote several popular books about shyness. He also researched mind control and cults.
Zimbardo co-wrote a psychology textbook called Psychology And Life. Many college students use it. He also hosted a PBS TV show called Discovering Psychology.
In 2004, Zimbardo spoke in court for a soldier named Ivan Frederick. Frederick was a guard at Abu Ghraib prison. Zimbardo argued that the prison environment made Frederick act the way he did. He said few people can resist strong pressures in a prison. The judge did not agree. Zimbardo used what he learned from this case to write The Lucifer Effect. This book explores how good people can turn evil.
Zimbardo also wrote for Greater Good Magazine. This magazine shares scientific research on kindness and peaceful relationships. His article "The Banality of Heroism" looked at how ordinary people can become everyday heroes.
Zimbardo officially retired in 2003. He gave his last lecture in 2007. A professor at Stanford called him "a legendary teacher." He said Zimbardo "changed the way we think about social influences."
Zimbardo appeared on TV shows like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He also advised the anti-bullying group Bystander Revolution. He explained the bystander effect, which is when people don't help others in trouble.
Since 2003, Zimbardo helped people in Sicily, Italy. He worked with the Zimbardo-Luczo Fund. This fund gives scholarships to smart students from poor areas.
In 2015, Zimbardo co-wrote Man (Dis)connected. This book suggests that young men are becoming disconnected from society. He argued that technology and other factors make it more appealing to live online.
Death
Philip Zimbardo passed away at his home in San Francisco on October 14, 2024. He was 91 years old.
Awards and Recognition
In 2012, Zimbardo received the American Psychological Foundation Gold Medal. This award was for his lifetime achievements in psychology. In 2011, he received an honorary degree from SWPS University in Poland. In 2003, Zimbardo and other scholars received the Ig Nobel Award for Psychology. This award is given for unusual or funny research.
Selected Works
- Influencing attitude and changing behavior (1969)
- Stanford prison experiment: A simulation study of the psychology of imprisonment (1972)
- Shyness: What It Is, What to Do About It (1990)
- Psychology and You, with David Dempsey (1978)
- The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil (2007)
- The Time Paradox: The New Psychology of Time That Will Change Your Life (2008)
- Man (Dis)connected (2015)
Images for kids
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Philip Zimbardo's signature
See also
In Spanish: Philip Zimbardo para niños
In Spanish: Philip Zimbardo para niños
- Human experimentation in the United States
- List of social psychologists
- Banality of evil
