Lethal Shock

Watch the TED Talk using the link:  Phillip Zimbardo:  The Psychology of Evil and answer the questions below.

Part 1

1.  What does Zimbardo mean when he says the line between good and evil is movable and permeable?

2.  In Zimbardo’s analogy, whom is he talking about when he says “bad apples”?  What is he talking about when he says “bad barrel”?  (This can be the specific example he gives or just the general idea he is trying to get across.)

3.  When describing the transformation of the soldiers at Abu Ghraib, what does he mean by “dispositional”, “situational”, and “systemic”?  What is his main focus in his talk? 

4.  What does Zimbardo mean when he says, “All evil starts with 15 volts” ?  

5.  What does Zimbardo say is the main reason 2/3 of people in Milgrim’s experiments will deliver a lethal shock?

6.  What affect does the power of anonymity have on the soldiers in the study? 

7.  According to Zimbardo, what are the 7 Social Processes that grease the slippery slope of evil?

8.  According to Zimbardo, new situations have the power to do 3 things.  What are they?

Part 2 

Reflecting upon the video as a whole, write at least two good paragraphs keeping the following questions in mind.

As a public manager, why might it be important to understand what Zimbardo is telling us in this video?  What insight might it shed on your own capabilities, both good and bad?  What insight might it give you with regard to fellow employees or supervisors?  

Ultimately, what does Zimbardo believe to be the biggest factor in how people within an organization will behave?  

What were your general thoughts when watching the video?  Have you experienced anything that he was speaking about?  What about the power of anonymity?  Have you seen any examples of what kind of influence that can have on a person or a group?  

There is no minimum word count.  Answer all of the questions completely.  I just really want you to consider how easy it is for any of us to make poor decisions, and to think about how we can create an environment that makes it easier for us to make good decisions.