Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Philip Zimbardo is a psychologist who conducted the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment in 1971. The experiment aimed to study the effects of perceived power and roles on human behavior.
There were ethical concerns regarding the Stanford Prison Experiment because participants experienced psychological distress and some were subject to abusive treatment.
Demand Characteristics: Demand characteristics refer to cues or expectations that participants may pick up on during an experiment, potentially influencing their behavior.