The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil

Implications and Applications

• Understanding the mechanisms that lead to dehumanization and violence helps in developing programs to prevent abuse in prisons and other closed institutions.
• Using knowledge about the influence of situations on human behavior to improve ethics and leadership training, especially in military and law enforcement.
• Applying principles of social psychology to create more just and humane conditions in places of incarceration.
• Developing educational programs aimed at raising awareness of the influence of group pressure and authority on individual behavior.
• Using research findings to improve psychological support and rehabilitation for people affected by toxic social environments.