Zimbardo's Stanford prison experiment is a good example of a study in psychological social psychology because it shows that the behaviors exhibited by guards and prisoners in a mock prison setting are largely a function of individual personality characteristics.

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The Stanford prison experiment actually demonstrated the power of situational factors in shaping behavior, rather than just individual personality characteristics. The study showed that even people with no prior history of aggressive or abusive behavior can quickly adopt these traits when placed in certain situations, such as being given roles of authority and power over others.

Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment Is a Good Example of a Study