The idea is that manipulating a person’s circumstances, from one of normalcy to one of unbridled power for instance, may cause a good person to “become” evil very quickly. That Bell’s instrument, physical presence, and musicianship stayed constant didn’t change the astonishing fact that a simple change in circumstance drastically altered the performance. By changing the performance environment of the same incredible musician – from a concert hall to a subway station platform – the public’s perceived value of the same musician decreased dramatically. To elaborate on this idea, Zimbardo cited another perception experiment done around the famous violinist, Joshua Bell. Rather, Zimbardo declares that actions depend much on circumstances the bad apples aren’t to blame, but rather, the apple barrels – external influences – and, by extension, the apple barrel makers – systemic or cultural forces responsible for given environments. In his talk, Zimbardo pointed out flaws in the adage “A few bad apples,” which has been used to explain incidences of a wide spectrum of evil behavior in history – the Holocaust, Abu Ghraib abuses, the Stanford Prison Experiment. On Thursday, January 14, Zimbardo addressed a large crowd of eager students, admirers, and scholars in Cubberley Auditorium. Zimbardo’s experiment scrutinized the effects of prison life on not only prisoners, but also prison guards and prison administrators.Īs part of Project Compassion at Stanford, The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education invited Professor Zimbardo to speak about the human condition, both in the context of his infamous Stanford Prison Experiment and his current research endeavors. Zimbardo, who has taught at Stanford University since 1968 (now Emeritus), is perhaps best known for his controversial and revolutionary study on the nature of human nature – The 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment – that was held in the basement of Stanford’s very own psychology building. It is a question that Philip Zimbardo, the internationally renowned psychologist, has been working on throughout his illustrious career. Is humankind inherently good or evil? We have pondered this timeless question too often to count.
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