Question

What is the author's likely purpose for including John Watson's 1974 and Dr. Bandura's 1975 experiments?

Answer 1

to inform readers about one reason why cycling was controversial in the 1800s

Answer 2

to support the article’s and Zimbardo’s argument regarding the influence of social conditions on behavior

Watson's 1974 experiment explains how the use of war paint and masks makes warriors more violent. Bandura's 1975 experiment showed that people who associated their victims with the term "animals" rather than the term "nice" were more likely to cause harm. Including these experiments helps to vaildate Zimbardo's argument that different conditions can impact even a "good" person's behavior for "evil".