‘Stanford Prison Experiment’ psychologist Zimbardo dies at 91

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Philip G. Zimbardo, the psychologist behind the controversial “Stanford Jail Experiment” that was supposed to look at the psychological experiences of imprisonment, has died. He was 91.

Stanford College introduced Friday that Zimbardo died Oct. 14 at his residence in San Francisco. A explanation for demise was not offered.

Within the 1971 jail research, Zimbardo and a crew of graduate college students recruited college-aged males to spend two weeks in a mock jail within the basement of a constructing on the Stanford campus.

The research was ended after six days as the scholars taking part in guards turned psychologically abusive and people taking part in prisoners turned anxious, emotionally depressed and enraged, in response to the Stanford assertion.

Zimbardo was criticized for taking the position of superintendent – changing into an energetic participant within the research and now not a impartial observer.

“The end result of our research was stunning and surprising,” Zimbardo would later co-write with one of many graduate college students who was a part of the challenge.

The experiment is now utilized in psychology courses to review the psychology of evil and the ethics of psychological analysis with human topics, Stanford stated.

Zimbardo’s analysis additionally included persuasion, hypnosis, cults, shyness, time perspective, altruism, and compassion, Stanford stated.

Zimbardo is survived by his spouse, Christina Maslach Zimbardo, three kids and 4 grandchildren.