Philip Zimbardo, Psychologist Behind Stanford Prison Experiment, Dies At 91

Philip Zimbardo, a renowned psychologist known for his Stanford Prison Experiment, passed away at the age of 91. Zimbardo's experiment explored how social situations influence individual behavior and brought him attention for his work on understanding the psychology behind atrocities. Despite criticism, Zimbardo defended his work, proposing that everyone has the potential to commit evil or good. He founded the Heroic Imagination Project, a nonprofit aiming to prepare people for heroic acts. Born in New York City in 1933, Zimbardo grew up in poverty and developed a lifelong friendship with fellow classmate Stanley Milgram. He joined Stanford's faculty in 1968 and retired in 2003. Zimbardo is survived by his wife of 52 years, Christina Maslach Zimbardo, and his children.