State - Flint What brings out people's best? Famous psychologist hoping to make heroes

By Beata Mostafavi The Flint Journal FLINT, Mich. (AP) -- Nearly 40 years ago, psychologist Philip Zimbardo turned the basement of a Stanford University building into a mock prison and watched it bring out the worst in people. But now, the professor famous for his 1971 "Stanford Prison Experiment" is studying how to bring out people's best -- through a unique program being used in Genesee County schools. The famed author of "The Lucifer Effect" is best known for his controversial prison simulation where students playing "guard" roles became sadistic while student "prisoners" became so emotionally traumatized that Zimbardo ended the project early after six days. He's spent years researching "evil" behavior. But Zimbardo now is studying the opposite topic: What drives people to do good? And the goal of his "Heroes Imagination Project" that is using Flint-area schools as a pilot is seemingly idealistic: To turn regular people into heroes. "We know much about what makes ordinary people turn 'evil' ... but we know little about the opposite side of the coin, what makes ordinary people take heroic action," Zimbardo wrote in an e-mail to the Journal. "Our mission is to seed the earth with everyday heroes. We want to encourage youth, first in Flint, Michigan, and then globally, to make a public commitment online and in classes, to be a hero in waiting." Self-described "social entrepreneur" Matt Langdon is one of Zimbardo's foot soldiers fighting the mission -- visiting local schools in Grand Blanc, Mount Morris, Fenton, Lapeer and others -- to spread heroism. Langdon's T-shirt brandishing his business' name says it all: The Hero Construction Company. His 45-minute sessions teach students how simple tasks such as standing up for people being bullied and being nice can be heroic. His presentations, which include follow-up visits and materials for teachers to use in classes, prompted sixth-graders at Grand Blanc Middle West to launch a Haiti fundraiser and create a program to reduce student referrals. Zimbardo hopes Langdon's program will serve as a hero-making model. "Matt Langdon's classes celebrate what is best in human nature: the heroism of being one's best self in service to humanity," Zimbardo said. "His work is the first curriculum I know of that systematically explores the nature of heroism of everyday, ordinary people ... to making heroism more central in the thinking of students." He's hoping to find the opposite results from what he saw in 1971 -- that choosing to do something good over doing nothing is contagious. Langdon, a former residential director at Camp Copneconic in Fenton Township, started presenting his hero program in local schools three years ago. He recently shared his ideas with Zimbardo, who wanted to study the results. The Hero Construction Project has reached more than 5,000 students and charges $250 per class. Many sessions are paid for by Parent Teacher Organizations and "character building" grants. Groups such as Bucket Fillers Inc. and others have also offered character building programs in Michigan schools. Published: Tue, Mar 2, 2010

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