"How Good People Turn Evil, From Stanford to Abu Ghraib"

[thewayne]

Psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted an experiment several years ago at Stanford where some students were "prisoners" and others "jailers". It was a behavioralism experiment that had to be terminated when several students had nervous breakdowns and the guards began abusing the prisoners, including forcing them into simulated sex acts.

This is an interview with him discussing how things like Abu Ghraib could happen. Interesting stuff.

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/02/ted_zimbardo?currentPage=all