Stanford University professor emeritus and author Dr. Philip Zimbardo will present a lecture, “The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil,” on Monday, March 26, at 5:30 p.m. in Garrison Theater, Scripps College Performing Arts Center, 231 E. 10th Street, Claremont. Zimbardo conducted the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment—the notorious classic simulation study of the psychology of imprisonment. The event is part of the Marion Jane Girard Lecture series at Scripps College and is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact the Scripps College Department of Psychology at (909) 607-3249 or email prowland@scrippscollege.edu.
Zimbardo’s internationally recognized Stanford Prison experiment was designed to investigate the psychology of prison life. The planned two-week study ended prematurely after only six days because the participants had become too engrossed in their simulated roles.
The author’s newest book, to be published this month, examines the psychology of evil: The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil. His best-selling introductory psychology textbook, Psychology and Life, is now in its 18th edition. His popular book on shyness was the first of its kind, as was the shyness clinic that he started. He designed, co-wrote, and hosted the PBS educational series Discovering Psychology, produced by WGBH, covering the fundamental principles and discoveries of contemporary psychology.
Zimbardo is a Stanford University professor emeritus of psychology and taught previously at Yale, NYU, and Columbia University. He served as president of the Western Psychological Association and the American Psychological Association. He was chair of the Council of Scientific Society Presidents and is currently chair of the Western Psychological Foundation. He is also the director of the new Center for Interdisciplinary Policy Education and Research on Terrorism. Zimbardo garnered numerous awards and honors, including the Havel Foundation Prize for his lifetime of research on the human condition.
Dr. Zimbardo will be the Marion Jane Girard Lecture guest speaker. The lecture series, established by Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Girard in 1968, in memory of Joseph Girard’s mother, Marion Jane Girard, brings a distinguished person in the field of psychology, psychiatry, or mental health to Scripps College.