Psychologist Behind The Controversial “Stanford Prison Experiment” Dies

The Stanford psychologist behind the controversial “Stanford Prison Experiment” has died at the age of 91.

Stanford University announced on Friday that Philip G. Zimbardo died at his home on October 14.

Zimbardo’s cause of death was not released.

In Zimbardo’s prison study, he created a team of graduate students to spend two weeks in a mock prison experiment.

The experiment ended six days after students who were playing the guards started to be “psychologically abusive, and those playing prisoners became anxious, emotionally depressed and enraged.”

Stanford psychologist behind the controversial "Stanford Prison Experiment" dies at 91 https://t.co/g2iQBadbbj

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 19, 2024

Stanford psychologist behind the controversial 'Stanford Prison Experiment' dies at 91 https://t.co/trA9p7dNiB

— CTV News (@CTVNews) October 19, 2024

Per AP:

Philip G. Zimbardo, the psychologist behind the controversial “Stanford Prison Experiment” that was intended to examine the psychological experiences of imprisonment, has died. He was 91.

Stanford University announced Friday that Zimbardo died Oct. 14 at his home in San Francisco. A cause of death was not provided.

In the 1971 prison study, Zimbardo and a team of graduate students recruited college-aged males to spend two weeks in a mock prison in the basement of a building on the Stanford campus.

The study was ended after six days as the students playing guards became psychologically abusive and those playing prisoners became anxious, emotionally depressed and enraged, according to the Stanford statement.

Zimbardo was criticized for taking the role of superintendent – becoming an active participant in the study and no longer a neutral observer.

SAD NEWS: The legendary social psychologist Dr Phil Zimbardo, famous for the Stanford Prison Experiment and later his Heroic Imagination Project, has died. He lived a remarkable life that touched literally millions. The family's statement on his website: https://t.co/sDtsyeek31🧵 pic.twitter.com/7k1NQStpw4

— Patrick Reinsborough is @giantwhispers.bsky.social (@RadicalWhispers) October 17, 2024

Per Stanford:

Philip G. Zimbardo, one of the world’s most renowned psychologists, died Oct. 14 in his home in San Francisco. He was 91.

Broadly, Zimbardo’s research explored how environments influence behavior. He is most known for his controversial 1971 study, the Stanford Prison Experiment, with W. Curtis Banks, Craig Haney, and David Jaffe. The study, intended to examine the psychological experiences of imprisonment, revealed the shocking extent to which circumstances can alter individual behavior. To this day, it is used as a case study in psychology classes to highlight both the psychology of evil as well as the ethics of doing psychological research with human subjects.

Yet Zimbardo’s research went far beyond the prison experiment. In a career that spanned over five decades, Zimbardo examined topics including persuasion, attitude change, cognitive dissonance, hypnosis, cults, alienation, shyness, time perspective, altruism, and compassion.

“Phil Zimbardo is one of the most prolific and influential psychologists of his generation – a true pioneer of the field of social psychology,” said Claude Steele, the Lucie Stern Professor in the Social Sciences, Emeritus, and professor of psychology. “Virtually all of Phil’s research shows how important phenomena of real-life human behavior can be studied scientifically. For a young science like social psychology, this has been an especially important contribution.”