👉 The Able Experiments, conducted by psychologist Philip Zimbardo in 1979 at Stanford University, aimed to explore how situational factors can influence human behavior, particularly in extreme conditions. Zimbardo assigned participants to become guards or prisoners in a simulated prison setting. Initially, the roles were randomly assigned, but as the experiment progressed, a clear hierarchy emerged, with guards becoming increasingly authoritarian and abusive, while prisoners became more submissive and compliant. This unexpected outcome demonstrated that even minor changes in social roles can lead to profound shifts in behavior, highlighting the powerful impact of situational dynamics over individual characteristics.