sherif et al Flashcards
(24 cards)
what was the aim
investigate how in group behaviour developed to include out group hostility using competition and how this friction can be reduced
where was the study located
robbers cave state park, oklahoma
what was the sample
22 11-12 year old american boys
all from white middle class backgrounds with protestant families
what was the design
matched pairs design
elaborate on the design of the study
matched closely in IQ’s rated by teachers
matched in sports ability
sharing a protestant 2 parent background
how many boys didn’t pass the screening process and why
6 boys because they were acquainted with people in the study
what were the 3 phases
in group formation
friction phase
integration phase
what did the parents have to do
nominal fee was charged (help cover the costs of the camp)
parents weren’t allowed to visit
how was data collected
observation (pp observer with each group for 12hrs a day)
sociometric analysis (friendship patterns were noted)
experiment (boys had to collect beans and guess how many they got)
tape recording (words and phrases used to describe the other group were examined)
describe what happened in the first phase
IN GROUP FORMATION:
boys kept separate for a week
completed tasks involving co operative discussion, planning and execution so they can bond
they developed an attachment to their group
established group norms by doing hiking, swimming etc.
made names for their groups (The Eagles and The Rattlers) and put this onto shirts and flags
both had a leader
met the other group
rattlers spoke about the others often, eg. “they better not be in our swimming hole”
group stereotypes emerged and so did hostility
describe what happened in the second phase
FRICTION PHASE:
competitive activities like tug of war and baseball were played
the games had a trophy for the winning team
individual prizes for winning group like medal and pocket knife
nothing was ever given to the losers
event outcomes could be checked by boys: baseball, tug of war, football, tent pitching
event outcomes judged by staff: cabin inspection, skits and songs, treasure hunt
prizes were given in favour of the eagles
one group gained at the expense of another- collecting beans to see if boys over estimated how many their group got and minimised how much the out group got
aggression grew each day (first verbally, then rattlers ransacked the eagles cabin and stole things)
what were the percentage of out group friendships at the end of stage 2
7% of the boys said they had out group friendships
what happened in the cooling off period between phase 2 and 3
boys used unfavourable terms to describe the other group (stinkers, braggers, sissies)
describe what happened in phase 3
INTEGRATION PHASE:
tasks with superordinate goals were introduced- water shortage problem, broken down car
boys had to pool resources so they could afford a film they all wanted
this all caused hostility to subside
all boys unanimously decided to ride back home on the same bus
what were the percentage of out group friendships at the end of stage 3
59.6% of boys said they had out group friendships
what was the conclusion
competition caused prejudice and discrimination which confirmed realistic conflict theory
increased contact isn’t enough to reduce conflict but working together can
people tend to minimise out group abilities and maximises in group abilities
define superordinate goals
desire/challenge/problem that both parties in a conflict need resolving
evaluate the generalisability
low generalisability
pps were all from white middle class backgrounds, with protestant 2 parent families (homogenous group)
similarity of the sample limits ability to generalise to other populations like girls, other ethnicities and socio economic backgrounds
evaluate the reliability
lacks reliability due to risk of extraneous variables
field study with uncontrollable variables like group interactions when camp counsellors weren’t watching
diff group personalities, weather conditions and interaction when not observed may affect behaviour
evaluate the applications
helps understand some horrific historic events
sheds light on genocide or racism
shows how group competition over scarce resources/status can cause prejudice and violence
this helps us understand and prevent real world group conflicts
evaluate the validity (good)
high in ecological validity
naturalistic setting- summer camp
provided a believable social environment so aggression and co operative behaviours are more likely to reflect real intergroup dynamics
evaluate the validity (bad)
low validity
summer camp scenario isn’t like irl prejudice
prejudice was only developed over 2 weeks
doesnt reflect historical events
evaluate the ethics (bad)
physical and psychological harm
fights broke out, verbal abuse, which was all purposefully created by experimenter
evaluate the ethics (good)
parents gave permission for child to take part in activities and they all had a doctors exam
ensuring they were protected and able to complete the activities
