sherif Flashcards
What was sherifs aim
To test the development of in-group behaviour to include related out-group hostility and how this can be reduced
What was sherifs sample
22 boys aged 11 from Protestant Oklahoma families
What was the procedure
Phase 1- in group formation; they were split into two groups at a summer camp in robbers cave , the groups did not know about this. There was 4 measures throughout- observation, sociometric data, experiments and audio recording.
Phase 2- friction phase; began when the groups discovered each other and competitions were set up between them . Researcher introduced counting beans task, tug o f war for prizes such as pen knives.
Phase 3 -intergration phase; phase was designed to reduce competition. Super-ordinate goals were introduced such as firing water supply, chipping in to pay for a movie
what were the results
phase 1- each group was given a name ‘eagles’ and ‘rattlers’ to form strong social identity
phase 2- boys began to call each other names like ‘cheat’ ‘sneak’
phase 3- By the end of camp the boys were actively seeking opportunities to mix
what was the conclusion
superordinate goals help to reduce prejudice in competing groups. Prejudice occurs when there is competition for scarce resources.
What were the strengths- AO3
R- standardised tasks; tug of war, counting beans- can be repeated , increases reliability
OTOH- field experiment- no control over extraneous variable, cannot be repeated, lowers reliability
A- helps to control in-group and out-group prejudice by introducing superordinate goals.
V- field experiment- high in ecological validity
boys were not aware of the aim of the study, less chance of demand characteristics- increases validity
OTOH- behaviour is subjective; open to interpretation bias
E- parents gave informed consent
OTOH- no protection from harm, prize was a pocket knife, name calling causes phycological harm
What were the weaknesses- AO3
G- high in beta bias; assumes that male and females will act in the same way, cannot be generalised to other ethnicities
OTOH- sample based on sporting ability
