The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Season 12 Episode 44 Philip Zimbardo

Philip Zimbardo is the 44th episode of the 12th season of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The episode features an interview with Dr. Philip Zimbardo, an accomplished psychologist and professor renowned for his work on social psychology and the Stanford Prison Experiment.

The show starts with Jon Stewart introducing the guest - Dr. Philip Zimbardo - and highlighting some of his well-known works, including his book The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil and the Stanford Prison Experiment. Stewart then jokes about the controversial nature of the experiment and how his producers had to register their show as a prison before broadcast.

Jon starts the interview by asking Dr. Zimbardo to describe the Stanford Prison Experiment, where healthy college students were assigned to either the role of guards or prisoners in a simulated prison setting. The experiment, designed to last for two weeks, was terminated after only six days due to the intensity of the abuse suffered by the prisoners and the transformation of the guards into sadistic individuals. Dr. Zimbardo explains that the experiment was intended to study the power of situational factors in shaping human behavior and that its findings have significant relevance in understanding the dark side of human nature.

Jon engages Dr. Zimbardo in a discussion of his book The Lucifer Effect, which explicates how ordinary people can be transformed into evildoers when subjected to specific situational factors. Dr. Zimbardo reveals how his research shows that the line between good and evil is permeable and can shift depending on social pressures. They also talk about the link between the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal and the revelations from the Stanford Prison Experiment.

Jon moves on to engage Dr. Zimbardo on the ethics of his experiments, citing the criticism that the Stanford Prison Experiment was unethical due to the extreme level of risk and harm inflicted on the participants. Dr. Zimbardo argues that the experiment was conducted in line with appropriate ethical guidelines at the time, but the public's reaction to the findings necessitated a stricter adherence to contemporary ethical standards. Dr. Zimbardo goes on to explain that research in social psychology necessitates undertaking some risks since it necessitates observing real-world behaviors in controlled settings.

In the latter part of the episode, Jon invites Dr. Zimbardo to provide his perspectives on current events such as the 2016 Presidential Elections. They discuss how various situational factors, including political campaign strategies, media preferences, and societal norms, can influence democratic outcomes. They also reflect on how the current political climate affects public attitudes towards other pressing social issues.

The episode ends with an insightful conversation between Jon and Dr. Zimbardo on the implications of their work on social psychology for understanding the human condition and preparing for external threats. Dr. Zimbardo highlights the crucial role societal influences on human behavior play in the progress of humankind, and how we continue to need to study these influences to understand ourselves and shape a better society.

In conclusion, the 44th episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is a must-watch for anybody interested in the field of psychology and wants to grasp the significant implications of social influences on individual behavior. The interview with Dr. Zimbardo offers a rare opportunity to learn from one of the most significant thinkers in the field of psychology and understand better the dark side of human nature.