Philip George Zimbardo (born March 23, 1933, New York, USA) is an American psychologist known for his work in social psychology, particularly for the Stanford Prison Experiment. Throughout his academic career, he has made significant theoretical contributions to understanding human behavior within social contexts.
Early Life and Education
Philip Zimbardo grew up in the South Bronx, New York, as the child of an Italian immigrant family. His childhood in a poor neighborhood sparked an early interest in concepts such as class differences and discrimination. Zimbardo studied psychology at Brooklyn College and then completed his master's and doctorate degrees in social psychology at Yale University (Ph.D., 1959). During this time, he focused on social influence, roles, motivation, and individual behavior.
Career and Achievements
Zimbardo began his academic career as a faculty member at Yale University, later working at New York University and Columbia University. His longest tenure was at the Stanford University Psychology Department (1968–2003), where he helped pioneer experimental social psychology.
He gained worldwide recognition for conducting the Stanford Prison Experiment in 1971 and served as the president of the American Psychological Association (APA) in 2002. Zimbardo is also among the leading researchers studying the potential for humans to commit evil acts through his work, The Lucifer Effect.
Key Works and Contributions
Stanford Prison Experiment
Conducted in 1971, this experiment dramatically demonstrated the impact of psychological roles on individual behavior. Student participants were assigned as guards or prisoners, and within six days, the situation escalated to psychological abuse and ethical violations. The experiment led to a reevaluation of ethical boundaries in psychological research.
The Lucifer Effect and the Psychology of Evil
Zimbardo’s 2007 book, The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil, explores how individuals can radically change under social and institutional pressures. This work gained particular attention due to its connection to the Abu Ghraib prison abuses scandal.
Heroic Imagination Project
In 2010, Zimbardo launched the Heroic Imagination Project to study ordinary people’s capacity for heroism, applying social psychology beyond academia to serve the community.
Personal Life
Zimbardo has aimed to popularize psychology through public education, television programs, and documentaries, remaining active in delivering scientific content to the general public. He is married to Christina Maslach, also a psychologist. Maslach’s call to halt the Stanford Prison Experiment marked an important ethical turning point in his career.
Even after retirement, Zimbardo has remained an active speaker, writer, and educator, continuing to influence public discussions on ethics, heroism, and social responsibility. His work has prompted significant paradigm shifts in social psychology concerning individual will, group pressure, and systemic effects. He expanded the ethical boundaries of psychology and contributed to fields such as education, law, and healthcare.
