Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Rider & Co (2007), Hardcover, 576 pages
Description
What makes good people do bad things? Where is the line separating good from evil, and who is in danger of crossing it? Social psychologist Philip Zimbardo explains how--and the myriad reasons why--we are all susceptible to the lure of "the dark side." Drawing on examples from history as well as his own research, Zimbardo details how situational forces and group dynamics can work in concert to make monsters out of decent people. By illuminating the psychological causes behind such disturbing metamorphoses, Zimbardo enables us to better understand a variety of phenomena, from corporate malfeasance to organized genocide. He replaces the long-held notion of the "bad apple" with that of the "bad barrel"--the idea that the social setting and the system contaminate the individual, rather than the other way around. Yet we are capable of resisting evil, he argues, and can even teach ourselves to act heroically.--From publisher description.Includes information on Abu Ghraib Prison, Achilles as archetypal war hero, administrative evil, Afghanistan, anonymity, Army Reserve Military Police (MPs), Britain, Bush administration, bystander intervention, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Dick Cheney, conformity, corporations, U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), dehumanization, deindividuation, doctors, Lynndie England, evil, Ivan (Chip) Frederick, II, genocide, good, Charles Graner, Guantanamo Bay Prison, heroism, Adolf Hitler, Holocaust, human nature, Saddam Hussein, identity, inaction as force for evil, International Committee of the Red Cross, Iraq, Iraq War, Katrina hurricane disaster as crisis of inaction, persuasive uses of language, Lord of the Flies (Golding), lynchings, Military Intelligence (MI), moral disengagement, My Lai massacre, national security, U.S. Navy, Nazis, New York City, 1984 (Orwell), obedience to authority, otherness, Pentagon, Peopleʾs Temple cult, personal responsibility, power systems, prejudice, prisons, rape, role playing, rules, Donald Rumsfeld, situational forces, sleep deprivation, social approval, social influence, social psychology, Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) http://www.prisonexperiment.org, Taguba Report, torture, transformation of character, Vietnam War, violence, war, war on terror, whistle-blowers, women, World War II, etc.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Katie_H
I was excited to read this, since I have a psychology background and had heard that it was a good look at the Stanford Prison Experiment, which I studied in college. I wasn't too impressed with this book though. It is at least 100 pages too long and bogged down by excessive detail, making it read
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like a numbing textbook. The breakdown is as follows: 200 pages on Zimbardo's Prison Experiment, 100 pages of analysis of the experiment, 75 pages on Abu Ghraib, 75 pages about the Bush administration's culpability, 50 pages on factors for improvement, 25 pages on heroism, and 50 pages of footnotes. The author did not attempt to eliminate his personal biases (even embracing them, calling himself a "bleeding heart liberal" at one point), which really bothered me, since the book was presented as an unbiased view of social behavior as it relates to situational forces. The subject WAS very interesting, but I'd recommend it to a limited audience - those who are schooled in social psychology and/or prison societies, who are comfortable diving into scientific literature, and who won't mind the liberal spin that Zimbardo includes. Show Less
LibraryThing member Niecierpek
'Although you probably think of yourself as having a consistent personality across time and space, that is likely not to be true.' Zimbardo, The Lucifer Effect
This was a very interesting book about a darker side of our personality lurking in each one of us. Even though I was initially skeptical as
Among many examples of studies, experiments, and real events, Zimbardo concentrates on the two in the book to prove his thesis. One of them is his own Stanford Prison Experiment from the 1970’s, in which a group of college students role played prisoners and prison guards in a makeshift, simulated prison in the university basement. Under the pressure to perform, the guards became cruel and oppressive to the point when some of the ‘prisoners’ suffered nervous breakdowns and the experiment had to be terminated just after a few days. Some of the decent and educated young men role playing prison guards turned into sadistic monsters under the circumstances, and the prisoners into hapless victims. There was no previous history of abnormal behavior in any of the subjects, and they proved to be normal and decent people in their futher lives as well. The other example Zimabardo elaborates on extensively is the horrific 2004 abuse in the Iraqi Abu Ghraib prison. There, a group of otherwise normal young men and women inflicted torture and horrific abuse on the fellow human beings with complete emotional disengagement. Citing a number of other studies and incidences, Zimbardo argues that these and other abuses were in a big part induced by the same circumstances and pressures.
He calls these circumstances broadly as ‘environmetal factors’. They include institutionalized and ideological endorsement of cruelty, socialized obedience to authority, dehumanization, emotional prejudices, situational stressors, and gradual escalation of abuse. He stresses that the lack of supervision and deindividuation of both the perpetrator and the victim work as key factors in applying cruelty, and are most commonly achieved by face painting, wearing dark reflecting eye glasses or masks, or putting paper bags over the victims’ heads. People who perpetrate evil acts against other people don’t display hidden sadistic tendencies, but rather want to control and dominate others of whom they do not think as of equals.
Surprisingly, under those pressures most of decent, law-abiding ‘good’ people, turn evil, and that includes by far the biggest portion of the group, which even though not actively oppressive, passively or almost passively, condones the cruelty around them. According to Zimbardo’s and other studies, only a small percentage of the group involved in such circumstances is strong enough to oppose the draw to belong and groupthink.
By the same token, he believes that many people are capable of altruistic and even heroic behavior if the circumstances are conducive to it.
Finally, he makes a case against the highest levels of institutionalized evil in the US, namely the Bush administration, whom he makes responsible for the war tortures and abuses, including the torture in Abu Ghraib by spreading the ideology of evil, suspending civil rights and condoning torture.
There were two issues I had initially a problem with- it was difficult to believe that the role playing college students could get so carried away as to endure real stresses and abuses- both inflicted and suffered, but it seems that they did. The other one was to believe the proportion of the ‘wrong doers’ to be so high (on average about 80%), but again it seems that it is more or less consistently so.
This was a very interesting book about a darker side of our personality lurking in each one of us. Even though I was initially skeptical as
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to the validity of Zimbardo’s Stanford experiment, I came to accept its main conclusions. Zimbardo provides enough evidence throughout the book from a plethora of studies and incidents to support his thesis that basically good and decent people can turn into sadistic monsters if the circumstances are conducive to, or demanding of, such behavior. Among many examples of studies, experiments, and real events, Zimbardo concentrates on the two in the book to prove his thesis. One of them is his own Stanford Prison Experiment from the 1970’s, in which a group of college students role played prisoners and prison guards in a makeshift, simulated prison in the university basement. Under the pressure to perform, the guards became cruel and oppressive to the point when some of the ‘prisoners’ suffered nervous breakdowns and the experiment had to be terminated just after a few days. Some of the decent and educated young men role playing prison guards turned into sadistic monsters under the circumstances, and the prisoners into hapless victims. There was no previous history of abnormal behavior in any of the subjects, and they proved to be normal and decent people in their futher lives as well. The other example Zimabardo elaborates on extensively is the horrific 2004 abuse in the Iraqi Abu Ghraib prison. There, a group of otherwise normal young men and women inflicted torture and horrific abuse on the fellow human beings with complete emotional disengagement. Citing a number of other studies and incidences, Zimbardo argues that these and other abuses were in a big part induced by the same circumstances and pressures.
He calls these circumstances broadly as ‘environmetal factors’. They include institutionalized and ideological endorsement of cruelty, socialized obedience to authority, dehumanization, emotional prejudices, situational stressors, and gradual escalation of abuse. He stresses that the lack of supervision and deindividuation of both the perpetrator and the victim work as key factors in applying cruelty, and are most commonly achieved by face painting, wearing dark reflecting eye glasses or masks, or putting paper bags over the victims’ heads. People who perpetrate evil acts against other people don’t display hidden sadistic tendencies, but rather want to control and dominate others of whom they do not think as of equals.
Surprisingly, under those pressures most of decent, law-abiding ‘good’ people, turn evil, and that includes by far the biggest portion of the group, which even though not actively oppressive, passively or almost passively, condones the cruelty around them. According to Zimbardo’s and other studies, only a small percentage of the group involved in such circumstances is strong enough to oppose the draw to belong and groupthink.
By the same token, he believes that many people are capable of altruistic and even heroic behavior if the circumstances are conducive to it.
Finally, he makes a case against the highest levels of institutionalized evil in the US, namely the Bush administration, whom he makes responsible for the war tortures and abuses, including the torture in Abu Ghraib by spreading the ideology of evil, suspending civil rights and condoning torture.
There were two issues I had initially a problem with- it was difficult to believe that the role playing college students could get so carried away as to endure real stresses and abuses- both inflicted and suffered, but it seems that they did. The other one was to believe the proportion of the ‘wrong doers’ to be so high (on average about 80%), but again it seems that it is more or less consistently so.
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LibraryThing member bdopkins
The description of the Stanford Prison Experiment (first half of the book) was difficult to read- not because it was poorly written, but because it was emotionally hard to swallow. I talked to the characters like I was yelling at a football game, trying to get them to stop what they were doing.
I
My world was a little shaken as I read real-life descriptions of dehumanizing cruelty, and the culpability of those who don’t participate but commit the sin of inaction. It’s not enough to be the “good guy” by being a little nicer. One must act against brutality. I appreciate having my eyes opened, and this book gave me a passionate hunger to lay the foundation of a solid character now, to grow in fearlessness and integrity in preparation for ever meeting such situational evil face to face. Zimbardo helped me understand that under the “right” circumstances I could find that face in my mirror. That is a gift of wisdom beyond measure.
The photographs and descriptions of everything from ethnic cleansing in Bosnia to the abuses at Abu Ghraib were a bit hard to see and read; this book is not for the faint of heart. I highly recommend it for the lessons it teaches.
I couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days- even when I did put it aside to take a cleansing breath a few times, I found myself picking it up again a few minutes later, unable to stop thinking about it.
I
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have such respect for the author’s honesty regarding the responsibility he bore for the experiment, especially a description of how he manipulated the mother of one of the prisoners as she expressed her reservations, and how easy it was for him to slip into doing so.My world was a little shaken as I read real-life descriptions of dehumanizing cruelty, and the culpability of those who don’t participate but commit the sin of inaction. It’s not enough to be the “good guy” by being a little nicer. One must act against brutality. I appreciate having my eyes opened, and this book gave me a passionate hunger to lay the foundation of a solid character now, to grow in fearlessness and integrity in preparation for ever meeting such situational evil face to face. Zimbardo helped me understand that under the “right” circumstances I could find that face in my mirror. That is a gift of wisdom beyond measure.
The photographs and descriptions of everything from ethnic cleansing in Bosnia to the abuses at Abu Ghraib were a bit hard to see and read; this book is not for the faint of heart. I highly recommend it for the lessons it teaches.
I couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days- even when I did put it aside to take a cleansing breath a few times, I found myself picking it up again a few minutes later, unable to stop thinking about it.
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LibraryThing member bobbieharv
A riveting day by day account of the Stanford Prison Experiment, which Zimbardo designed and ran until his girlfriend and fellow psych professor intervened; followed by the famous Milgram shocking experiment; followed by Zimbardo's indictment of Abu Graib and the Bush administration. A very
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powerful book, just somewhat undermined by his occasional odd light-hearted tone - and by his consistent misspelling of John Yoo's name. Show Less
LibraryThing member seekingflight
One of the most sobering, thought-provoking and thoroughly absorbing books I’ve read all year. Psychology students will know of Zimbardo in the context of the Stanford Prison Experiment, conducted in the 1970s, where a group of students were randomly assigned to roleplay either students or guards
Zimbardo here presents a detailed account of the way in which the experiment unfolded, arguing that it was the situation – and ultimately the system – that shaped this behaviour, and not the characteristics and personalities that the students brought with them into the experiment.
He then broadens his scope to include an analysis of events at Abu Graib, and elsewhere in Iraq, and argues similarly that situational and systemic factors played a crucial role here also.
While acknowledging that individuals should also be considered responsible for their own behaviour, Zimbardo argues that the responsibility does not belong solely to individual ‘bad apples’, but to the situation and system that created them.
He argues that that very few people exposed to such situational and systemic pressures would have the integrity and strength of character to resist them, and that paradoxically our naive belief that we ourselves would never behave in such a way only blunts our ability to remain alert to such dangers -- so that we can act differently when confronted by such pressures.
In his conclusion, Zimbardo changes tack, arguing that if ‘evil’ is an all too human capacity, then perhaps ‘heroism’ is too, and we might similarly be able to create situations and systems in society that inspire people and bring out the best that they are capable of, instead of the worst.
I found this engrossing from start to finish, and count it among my best reads of the year. One caveat to this recommendation, however -- some reviews of this work suggest that it is overly detailed and repetitive. As with so many other things, this seems to be a matter of individual taste and preference.
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in a mock prison experiment conducted in a basement in the University. The experiment was intended to last for two weeks, but was suspended early because of the extent to which it influenced the behaviour of the guards and the prisoners. Zimbardo here presents a detailed account of the way in which the experiment unfolded, arguing that it was the situation – and ultimately the system – that shaped this behaviour, and not the characteristics and personalities that the students brought with them into the experiment.
He then broadens his scope to include an analysis of events at Abu Graib, and elsewhere in Iraq, and argues similarly that situational and systemic factors played a crucial role here also.
While acknowledging that individuals should also be considered responsible for their own behaviour, Zimbardo argues that the responsibility does not belong solely to individual ‘bad apples’, but to the situation and system that created them.
He argues that that very few people exposed to such situational and systemic pressures would have the integrity and strength of character to resist them, and that paradoxically our naive belief that we ourselves would never behave in such a way only blunts our ability to remain alert to such dangers -- so that we can act differently when confronted by such pressures.
In his conclusion, Zimbardo changes tack, arguing that if ‘evil’ is an all too human capacity, then perhaps ‘heroism’ is too, and we might similarly be able to create situations and systems in society that inspire people and bring out the best that they are capable of, instead of the worst.
I found this engrossing from start to finish, and count it among my best reads of the year. One caveat to this recommendation, however -- some reviews of this work suggest that it is overly detailed and repetitive. As with so many other things, this seems to be a matter of individual taste and preference.
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LibraryThing member rivkat
This book by the guy who conducted the Stanford Prison Experiment—and who was the warden, and got sucked into abusing his power—is about half a detailed account of what actually happened in the SPE, blow by blow. There’s a really detailed website for the SPE with a lot of extra material,
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including video. The rest of the book is about other situations in which people abuse their power—and the parallels between the SPE and Abu Ghraib really are striking, down to the guards’ invention of sexual humiliations as a way to control and dehumanize their captives. Zimbardo strikingly illustrates how humans tend to blame the degraded for their own degradation—both in the SPE and at Abu Ghraib, the prisoners smelled bad, having been denied access to real toilet facilities, and this led the guards to think of them as dirty and unworthy. He argues that we too readily attribute bad behavior to individual disposition (rotten apples) rather than situational and structural factors (the construction of the barrel). This fundamental attribution error pervasively distracts us from the need to build better systems. At the end, he spends some time on heroism: the qualities that lead people to resist situational forces and stand up for what’s right. A disturbing but worthwhile book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Anome
Still working my way through this one. The first part explains the events of the ill-fated Stanford Prison Experiment that the author headed. It is perhaps a bit bogged down in the minutiae, but it is understandable why he feels he has to give as much information as possible.
LibraryThing member galpalval
What happens when people get a little bit of power? From what I've gleemed so far, the author connects his Stanford Prison experiment from the 1960s to torture scandals in the Iraq by the US military. I'm still only at the parts about his SPE, but even that is stunningly scarry.
LibraryThing member nepejwster
The first part of this book is fascinating. When he gets into the second part and starts quoting all of the official documents, it gets reeeeeeeal boring. I never hear of him before I read this book. Now, every time I turn around I'm hearing the Stanford Prison Experiment referred to.
LibraryThing member lmb95112
Good, but rather long for the general reader.
LibraryThing member gkonopas
A critical examination on the role of social psychology to turn decent people evil. This book was written by the principal investigator of the landmark Stanford Prison Experiment and explores how an evil situation can warp a person's mind and ethics. It also provides hope that not only can we all
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be evil, but also we all can be heroes (under the right circumstances). Show Less
LibraryThing member rainidontmind
This is one of a very few books that has changed how I look at human behavior and how i think about the world. It is utterly fascinating.
LibraryThing member Karyn_Ainsworth
I got to the end of this book with relief that I could read something else. I thought the information was valid and thought-provoking, however I agreed with him at least 100 pages before he stopped writing. I felt the agenda of the book was to show the fault of the American military and government
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that allowed atrocities like Abu Ghraib to occur, and used the MP's as scapegoats. While I agree with him, I was hoping the theory would be applied to other situations. I ended up skimming some pages, where I felt I wasn't learning anything new. I would find it interesting to have the experiment repeated with certain variables. There was little time spent looking at what are the alternatives. I guess I am glad I read it, but I am glad it's finished. Show Less
LibraryThing member JenLamoureux
This was a fascinating read. The book begins with an in-depth review of the Stanford Prison Experiment, conducted in the 1970s. The account of the participants' descent into their roles so quickly is absolutely intriguing. The author then goes on to review other relevant experiments and their
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outcomes before moving into a deeper look at the abuses of Abu Ghraib. The most terrifying thing about this book is the realization of just how mundane evil can be. Perpetrators can come from all backgrounds and all walks of life, especially when one is talking about the evil that exists within established roles and systems. Definitely an intriguing read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Paul_S
I read about the infamous prison experiment many times but never in such detail - half of the book is a step by step first hand account. Further into the book it also includes other experiments to support its thesis of the extent of systems' shaping people's behaviour being far stronger than anyone
I tend to agree but I think the prison experiment itself is of dubious merit. Aside from many technical failures, if anything it shows how far a group of youngsters will go to earn some money. If you compare it to the Milgram obedience experiment (which the book cites extensively as well) it's not even in the same category of validity - there's no analogy absurd enough to illustrate that.
The rest of the book is Zimbardo getting political urging jailtime for generals and politicians for creating these systems. I think it's fair although his zeal is disturbing, clearly not a fan of the American government. He is a fan of mother Theresa though which makes me question his moral judgements.
One interesting thing I didn't know about the prison experiment was that he only called an end to it because he wanted to sleep with the attractive young woman who showed disapproval for what he was doing. Well, that puts an unexpected spin on it. Love is the key to saving our humanity?
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anticipates.I tend to agree but I think the prison experiment itself is of dubious merit. Aside from many technical failures, if anything it shows how far a group of youngsters will go to earn some money. If you compare it to the Milgram obedience experiment (which the book cites extensively as well) it's not even in the same category of validity - there's no analogy absurd enough to illustrate that.
The rest of the book is Zimbardo getting political urging jailtime for generals and politicians for creating these systems. I think it's fair although his zeal is disturbing, clearly not a fan of the American government. He is a fan of mother Theresa though which makes me question his moral judgements.
One interesting thing I didn't know about the prison experiment was that he only called an end to it because he wanted to sleep with the attractive young woman who showed disapproval for what he was doing. Well, that puts an unexpected spin on it. Love is the key to saving our humanity?
Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2007
Physical description
576 p.; 9.21 inches
ISBN
1844135772 / 9781844135776