Why do ordinary people slip into cruel or submissive roles the moment power is handed out? In this episode of Circuit Breaker: Rewiring Your Decisions, we examine the Stanford Prison Experiment — the infamous study that revealed just how quickly authority, environment, and assigned roles can transform behaviour. From guards who escalated into aggression to prisoners who internalised obedience and distress, we explore how the situation—not personality—can push people into extremes they never imagined.

Discover what this experiment teaches us about the power of context, how easily we can lose ourselves in the roles we’re given, and how to stay grounded when a situation starts shaping you more than you realise.

Studies and links:

The Menace Within | Stanford Magazine The Menace Within | STANFORD magazine

Stanford Prison Experiment | Simply Psychology Stanford Prison Experiment