This year is the 40th anniversary of the Stanford Prison Experiment. I found this [retrospective](http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2011/julaug/features/spe.html) interesting. What really caught my eye is that, to some degree, it contradicts the main lesson of the experiment—that context more than character determines behavior. If David Eschelman is accurately/truthfully recalling his role, then it seems like his individual character actually did play a role in how quickly things spiralled out of control (though the willingness of the other guards to go along with him supports the original conclusion).
Stanford Prison Retrospective
This year is the 40th anniversary of the Stanford Prison Experiment. I found this [retrospective](http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2011/julaug/features/spe.html) interesting. What really caught my eye is that, to some degree, it contradicts the main lesson of the experiment—that context more than character determines behavior. If David Eschelman is accurately/truthfully recalling his role, then it seems like his individual character actually did play a role in how quickly things spiralled out of control (though the willingness of the other guards to go along with him supports the original conclusion).