Philip Zimbardo

Psychologist

Philip Zimbardo was the leader of the notorious 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment — and an expert witness at Abu Ghraib. His groundbreaking work in the field of psychology explored the nature of evil, heroism and more.

Why you should listen

Stanford professor emeritus Philip Zimbardo revolutionized our understanding of human behavior through his famous Stanford Prison Experiment and groundbreaking research on shyness, time perspective and the psychology of evil. Beyond his prolific academic career — which included more than 500 publications and numerous distinguished teaching awards — Zimbardo devoted his later years to promoting "everyday heroism" through his nonprofit Heroic Imagination Project, teaching people worldwide how to resist negative social pressures and take positive action.

Philip Zimbardo’s TED Talks

Philip Zimbardo
The psychology of evil
22 minutes 56 seconds
Philip Zimbardo knows how easy it is for nice people to turn bad. In this talk, he shares insights and graphic unseen photos from the Abu Ghraib trials. Then he talks about the flip side: how easy it is to be a hero, and how we can rise to the challenge.
Posted Sep 2008
Philip Zimbardo
The psychology of time
6 minutes 14 seconds
Psychologist Philip Zimbardo says happiness and success are rooted in a trait most of us disregard: the way we orient toward the past, present and future. He suggests we calibrate our outlook on time as a first step to improving our lives.
Posted Jun 2009
Philip Zimbardo
The demise of guys?
4 minutes 29 seconds
(NOTE: Statements in this talk have been challenged by scientists working in this field. Please read "Corrections & Updates" below for more details.) Psychologist Philip Zimbardo asks, "Why are boys struggling?" He shares some stats (lower graduation rates, greater worries about intimacy and relationships) and suggests a few reasons -- and challenges the TED community to think about solutions.
Posted Aug 2011

More news and ideas from Philip Zimbardo

Live from TED
Nuclear fission reactors, Africa’s Einsteins and the healing power of nature: A recap of “Beauty and the Brain,” All-Stars Session 2 at TED2014
March 18, 2014
By Liz Jacobs and Thu-Huong Ha Our brains work in mysterious ways. They make us laugh, they make us cry, and sometimes, they make us 19-year old geniuses. The 11 speakers in this All-Stars session specialize in areas of the brain as diverse as personality, trauma and gender, but they all agree: Our minds […]
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Culture
TED Weekends: Understanding evil
March 9, 2013
Philip Zimbardo knows evil inside and out. He led the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment of 1971 and was an expert witness at Abu Ghraib, privy to graphic unseen images. At TED2008, Zimbardo explains how easy it is for the good to turn evil, and on the flip side, for inspiration to lead people to heroism. […]
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Uncategorized
Phillip Zimbardo on the powers of time: The animation
June 12, 2010
RSA Animate shares this neat whiteboard video illustrating an idea from TEDTalks star Philip Zimbardo: How our individual concepts of time influence us. Watch more from Philip Zimbardo on time, on TED.com >> Watch more video from RSA Animate >> (Thanks for the tip, Thaniya!)
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Philip Zimbardo

Why you should listen

Philip Zimbardo’s TED Talks

More news and ideas from Philip Zimbardo

Nuclear fission reactors, Africa’s Einsteins and the healing power of nature: A recap of “Beauty and the Brain,” All-Stars Session 2 at TED2014

TED Weekends: Understanding evil

Phillip Zimbardo on the powers of time: The animation