The most dramatic instances of directed behavior change and "mind control" are not the consequence of exotic forms of influence, such as hypnosis, psychotropic drugs, or "brainwashing," but rather the systematic manipulation of the most mundane aspects of human nature over time in confining settings.

Being hurt personally triggered a curiosity about how such beliefs are formed.

If you put good apples into a bad situation, you’ll get bad apples.

Careers in virtually all academic disciplines are fostered by being a superstar who knows more about one subject than anyone else in the world.

What troubles me is the Internet and the electronic technology revolution. Shyness is fueled in part by so many people spending huge amounts of time alone, isolated on e-mail, in chat rooms, which reduces their face-to-face contact with other people.

I've always been curious about the psychology of the person behind the mask.

The Stanford prison experiment came out of class exercises in which I encouraged students to understand the dynamics of prison life.