Have you heard of the controversial Stanford Prison Experiment? The contentious psychological experiment, designed by psychologist Philip Zimbardo, put ordinary people in a simulation of a prison environment. The roles were randomly assigned to the voluntary participants: some took on the role of prisoner, while others assumed the role of prison guard.
The experiment was designed to take place over two weeks to observe how people’s behaviors transform when placed in a hostile environment. Those assigned as prison guards engaged in such horrid, abusive behavior towards the "prisoners" that the experiment had to be called off after just six days. While the Stanford Prison Experiment is often cited as an example of unethical psychological experiments, it also revealed the complexity of the human experience.
Are people born evil? Or can they be "seduced" into doing evil things when put in specific situations? This, Zimbardo coins as the "Lucifer" effect. Curious to know more about the Lucifer effect and how the average person can turn into a brutal sadist under the right circumstances? Click on to read more about this psychological phenomenon.
Pictured is George Lincoln Rockwell, leader of the American Nazi Party in 1967.