Philip Zimbardo

Philip George Zimbardo (1933–2024) was an American social psychologist known for research on social influence and the ways situations shape behavior. He taught for many years at Stanford University and became widely recognized for directing the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment, a study of role adoption and institutional power that sparked enduring ethical debate. Zimbardo also wrote and spoke extensively about deindividuation, conformity, and what he called the “psychology of evil,” arguing that ordinary people can commit harmful acts under certain conditions. He authored popular books including *The Lucifer Effect* and helped found the Heroic Imagination Project to promote everyday prosocial action.