Release date: October 14th, 2019

Thibault Le Texier

The Stanford Prison Experiment is one of the most famous psychology experiments in history. For decades, we've been told that it proves how regular people easily turn sadistic when they are asked to role play as prison guards. But the story now appears to be mostly fraudulent. Thibault Le Texier is a researcher who dug into the Stanford archives and learned that the "prison guards" were actually told how to behave in order to support the experimenters' thesis. On this episode, Thibault and Julia discuss his findings, how the experimenters got away with such a significant misrepresentation for so long, and what this whole affair says about the field of psychology.

Links

Thibault's 2019 paper, in English: "Debunking the Stanford Prison Experiment."

Thibault's 2018 book, in French: "Histoire d'un Mensonge." ("History of a Lie")

"The Lifespan of a Lie" by Ben Blum

Philip Zimbardo's official response to criticism from Ben Blum

"The Stanford Prison Experiment was massively influential. We just learned it was a fraud," by Brian Resnick for Vox

"Philip Zimbardo defends the Stanford Prison Experiment, his most famous work," Brian Resnick's interview with Philip Zimbardo for Vox

"Psychology itself is under scrutiny" by Benedict Carey

"The Secrets of Abu Ghraib Revealed: American Soldiers on Trial" by Christopher Graveline and Michael Clemens

"On Human Conduct" by Michael Oakeshott

Edited by Brent Silk

Music by Miracles of Modern Science

Full Transcripts