Zimbardo's simulated prison experiment

Definition

Zimbardo's simulated prison experiment refers to a famous psychological study conducted by Philip Zimbardo in 1971. In this experiment, participants were randomly assigned roles as prisoners or guards in a mock prison environment to investigate the psychological effects of perceived power and authority.

Related terms

Social Roles: Social roles are expected patterns of behavior associated with particular positions or statuses within society.

Deindividuation:

Deindividuation is the loss of self-awareness and individual accountability that can occur when individuals are part of a larger group, leading to increased conformity and reduced inhibition.

Conformity:

Conformity refers to adjusting one's behavior or attitudes to align with the social norms or expectations of a group.